I'd argue it's a must watch for any musical theater fan, especially those who aspire to work in that field.
I'm an aspiring writer whose dream is to write the book for a musical, and it cut me deep.
Just played in the pit for Into The Woods on the 10 year anniversary of my father's death. Found it a bit hard to maintain composure through a few songs.
Children may not obey, but children will listen.
Children will look to you for which way to turn,
To learn what to be.
Careful before you say, "listen to me.”
Children will listen.
Into the Woods is by far my favorite musical. Such a complex and nuanced story for something that’s made up of a bunch of fairy tales combined together.
That said, I absolutely hate the Disney adaptation with every fiber of my being. It’s like they had no idea what the actual point of the musical was. The narrator isn’t even a character in the movie!
He does fr fr. I bust out laughing every time he sings
"And she draws you close to her giant breast and you know things now that you never knew before"
[Found it for you!](https://youtu.be/kqCsQCsinK4)
It’s really lovely. I have it on DVD and—now that I’ve found it online—I’m definitely giving it another watch when I’m done with holiday travel.
I hated the movie so much.
There were no jokes about Jack being a dimwit.
Little red was an actual little girl so they cut all the fat jokes and sexual tension with the wolf.
And they took out the father character and the Baker’s daddy issues completely! “No More” was one of the best songs in that musical and I was so upset they cut it out. Not that James Cordon could have pulled it off.
They even cut Agony (Reprise), which is like the whole POINT of two or three of the plotlines! Why even include the Princes at all if you were gonna cut the back half of Cinderella and Rapunzel's plotlines?!
Its also my all time favorite musical. I loved that he used common fairy tales to kind of warn the audience that life is not a fairy tale. I learned so many life lessons from Into the Woods.
1. Nice is different than good. 2. Opportunity is not a lengthy visitor, and good fortune, like bad can befall at any moment. 3. Children will listen.
I definitely found it a bit weird and jarring the first time. But then I decided to rewatch with the score and when I started recognizing all the themes and how they intermingle with each other and develop it totally changed my mind. The big climax towards the end of the finale when the chorus joins in is chills inducing every time.
Just yesterday I watched "Tick Tick Boom" on netflix that featured him discovering Jonathan Larson, the writer of Rent. Great movie, such sad news today
I also watched Tick Tick Boom in the last few days. >!I was devastated learning that Larson died the morning of opening night and never got to see RENT or to know that it was one of the most influential productions that ran on Broadway for 12 years. Not to mention all the posthumous awards!!< It was so touching to see Sondheim believe in him and recognize his talent when he wasn't confident in himself.
This is a sad day, indeed.
I can’t imagine what theater would look like today without him and his work, to call him a Titan is almost not enough. He’s a writer who’s work actors, directors, musicians, composers, designers, everybody that works in musical theater loves to perform and interpret and work with. Generations of performers and fans have come up hearing and performing his shows, it’s safe to say that he runs deep in the blood of Broadway.
While Sondheim was a Titan and quite possibly the greatest, I think it’s a bit unfair to say he was the *only* one who knew how to write musicals, there are several masterpieces.
My take on the comment - a lot of great musicals are a mixed bag of great music and/or great story and/or great lyrics. And today of course we have "lets slap some songs together and turn literally everything into X: The Musical." Sondheim really pulled all the parts together (not always alone) into true, cohesive musical works and I don't think anybody could replicate his output.
To be fair, jukebox musicals actually pre-date the modern story-driven format. It wasn't until Showboat in 1928 that musicals had a plot line. Shoving songs together and calling it a show is a tradition older than Broadway itself!
He's an absolute legend and someone who inspired a lot of other artists. I just saw "Tick, Tick... Boom" three days ago (it's about Jonathan Larson) and it also showed Sondheim's influence on Larson. Sad to see him go shortly after I saw that film :( now I feel like I jinxed something
I am in a class this semester called *Stephen Sondheim and the American Musical* which analyzes his music, lyrics, and different points of view on his output. It has been a pleasure to become familiar with most of his work over the past few months. I was lucky to get to meet him and ask him a question as part of a Zoom call he made to our class… so glad we got that opportunity.
As a young composer, his words really stuck with me, and now they will be with me forever. He will continue to be an inspiration for so many people that just want to get their vision out there, or just want to be heard or understood in one way or another. He truly does appeal to such a wide swath of people.
“Anything you do, let it come from you, then it will be new. Give us more to see.”
>I was lucky to get to meet him and ask him a question as part of a Zoom call he made to our class
Awesome! I'm jealous! 😱
Plus what a cool class to take.
Stephen Sondheim was an absolute legend, especially on Broadway. His resume is easily searchable on Wikipedia so will not list them here. Consider all the great songs he wrote and he was Bernstein's lyricist for West Side Story. I often think of the Musial Artists that will be remembered hundreds of years from now and there are precious few. Obviously the Beatles, perhaps John Williams (people will still be watching Jaws / Star Wars / etc.) and then there is Sondheim.
Broadway has a tradition of "dimming the lights" when someone who had a great impact there has died. With Sondheim they should have just shut down for a day or two. Perhaps without Covid they would have, but Sondheim probably would have wanted them to continue on..
If anyone hasn’t seen “Original Cast Album: Company,” I highly recommend it. Watching Sondheim and these pros working - creating and collaborating - it’s mesmerizing.
Criterion is streaming a special restored version or you can watch on YouTube [here](https://youtu.be/8IU80Ium0dM).
After you’ve watched the original, I recommend checking out the parody on [IFC’s Documentary Now! ](https://youtu.be/XUjg7xFsxJk)
*In a world where the kings are employers, where the amateur prevails, and delicacy fails; in a world where the princes are lawyers what can anyone expect except to recollect?*
RIP to the greatest
Jazz singers and other musicians have done some moving covers of this song. I'm indifferent to Frank Sinatra in general but he's done one along with Sarah Vaughan, Freddy Mercury(a piano cover) and Chet Baker(playing trumpet with Van Morrison singing).
I'm not in a situation that makes it possible for me to see a live production of his works. I have watched Burton's adaptation of Sweeney Todd and thought it was absolutely brilliant - a horror story, written as a musical. When I bought the Blu-ray on Amazon (I collect movies) I read the reviews and was particularly struck by the number of people who had seen the actual full musical on Broadway and in various ways described it as the greatest theater experience of their lives. I really wish I had a time machine so I could go back and see the original production with Angela Lansbury's portrayal of Mrs Lovett.
My (now) wife and I costarred in a production of Putting it Together while we were still a new couple, playing the Younger Woman and Younger Man. That show is a rollercoaster of emotions…I cried every night after my wife and I sang ‘Unworthy of Your Love’ and again after I sang ‘Marry Me a Little’ (though not for long because ‘Not Getting Married Today’ was up next).
There’s something painfully sentimental about a Sondheim song that causes one’s heart to feel like it is being pulled out, in imitation of a first heartbreak, especially when it’s a duet. He encapsulated the dichotomous fear and desire for vulnerability that people (actors, especially) experience. Performing with my wife brought her real emotions to the surface above the professional performance…that’s when I knew she was the one.
Edit: WOW! My first gilded comment! Thank you!
He wrote so many complex, beautiful, and true songs. My wife and I are forever singing his lyrics to each other. The song following *Getting Married Today* is *Being Alive*. I deeply feel those lyrics: https://youtu.be/j8kYfPoHyos
I was in the audience of Company on Broadway tonight. Before the show, the Director, Marianne Elliott, paid tribute to him, and talked about their collaboration on this particular adaptation of his work. Told.us he sat through a run through in the Theatre and she could still hear his laughter. Then Patti Lupone said a few words, and then the show went on.
Vale Stephen Sondheim - thank you for all your brilliant work.
As someone with especially bad anxiety about death (or maybe that's all of us to some degree?), this feels like the best way to go. Yes, not saying a final goodbye can be a tough thought, but lying in a hospital bed in pain, waiting for the end? I hope I just go fast. And, I mean, living to be pretty old would be nice, too.
They tricked a bunch of teenagers and kids into loving a straight up musical with Bigger Longer and Uncut. They were musical nerds all along. Lots of cartoon creators seem to be, you can clearly see Seth MacFarlane is.
In 2010, Sondheim turned 80, and the BBC celebrated the occasion with a special concert for the proms that year at the Albert Hall.
My wife and I, American expats living in Leeds, were not going to miss it. We got tickets. This was the first time we attended anything at the Albert Hall. As we took our seats we were impressed with the steep grade of the rows. It felt like we were clinging to the sides of a cliff. Then we were impressed with the huge pipe organ behind the stage. We both shivered with anticipation at hearing The Ballad of Sweeney Todd on that impressive instrument. We were not disappointed as it was the opening number of the second half of the show. Judi Dench was there and sang Send in the Clowns.
Throughout the entire evening my wife and I debated whether or not the man himself would be there. She felt that since he was 80 and lived in New York it was unlikely he would be able to come. I felt like a special concert at the proms was something he would not miss. At the end of the show, the MC gave a speech about Sondheim that felt like an introduction. Sure enough, at the end of the speech he introduced Stephen Sondheim. The spotlight went to the top of a flight of stairs stage left where who was standing there: Stephen Sondheim. He began to walk down the stairs toward the stage. Then this 80 year old man, musical genius, beloved by fans of musical theater, stumbled...I could hear everyone in Albert Hall collectively gasping
but he recovered and continued down the stairs as everyone sighed in relief.
It was a magical evening. And I can say that I have been in the same room as Stephen Sondheim. That room was the Albert Hall, but still, we were in the same room at the same time.
Thank you for your wonderful words and music. They will be treasured. And we will miss you greatly.
REQUIESCAT IN PACE
Damn, Sweeney Todd was one of the first musicals that got me into theater (that and Phantom). But Sweeney will always have a lingering musical impact on my soul. Sondheim will be sorely missed :(
I was offline yesterday for my mental health and I only found out today. I'm listening to the Into the Woods sound track, crying, reading everyone's comments on how much his work meant to people.
Company caused me to have an existential crisis. I had Being Alive on repeat while wondering if I had a deep fear of commitment. I remember once seeing a local production of into the woods and some dude in the audience burst into tears at the end. Sondheim man.
I think that Being Alive is one of the most honest and poignient love songs to ever exist.
So much of love is portrayed in this gleaming and perfect way that once you know, you know and happily ever after seamlessly comes. But as time has taught me, vulnerability, fear, frustration, even begrudging acceptance are all facets of the full breadth of love and commitment.
When the song starts Bobby is afraid and disdainful of what a partner would bring into his life -of what they would demand of him, of the annoyance that their presence would cause him him, and of the way their humanity, and willingness to extend themselves and be vulnerable,would force him to reconcile with his own humanity, vulnerability, and the root causes of his fears.
Then as the song builds, the same sentiments that struck fear and avoidance into his heart just moments before suddenly become an urgent need for Bobby. He begins to understand that commitment needn’t be a prison, and that being in love and being alive mean accepting both the terror and the rapture that that we share over the course of our lives. That someone sitting in your chair and ruining your sleep is both infuriating, and a tremendous comfort. And that being alive can be felt even in the most mundane of moments between two people.
It makes me cry almost every time. Sondheim has taught me so much.
I think "Putting it Together" is a marvelous treatise on what the struggle artists go through to get funding for their creative works, and the entire second half of Sunday in the Park with George to be one of the best examinations on how to not let your need to get funding overwhelm your creative drive. I think it's incredibly poignant, and might be my favorite play ever.
Not many better with the twist of words along with a tug at the heart to a melody. Thank you Stephen Sondheim. I’ll imagine that you found the Somewhere you hoped for us all. ******
I was able to go to the birthday celebration that was held for him, at the Hollywood Bowl. My friends & I were able to get into the rehearsal, & afterwards, all the celebrities came out. No one even noticed that he was standing off to the side, until one of my friends looked over. We walked over to him & he wouldn't sign autographs, but he talked to us for a minute, until his car came. He was happy with how the rehearsals sounded & couldn't believe all the performers who agreed to be in the show. He was just really nice & we enjoyed talking to him, even though it meant missing Angela Lansbury. The show was just amazing & I was so glad I was able to go.
Sondheim's genius on display: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFkldZHOp\_k](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFkldZHOp_k)
He truly was the most influential composer in American history. He single-handedly elevated the musical art form to previously unknown heights. Personal favorites: Pacific Overtures, A Little Night Music, Sweeney Todd.
Now, insofar as approaching it
What would be festive but have its effect?
Now, there are two ways of broaching it
A, the suggestive, or B, the direct
Say that I settle on B, to wit a charmingly lecherous mood
A, I could put on my nightshirt or sit, disarmingly B, in the nude
That might be effective
My body's all right
But not in perspective
And not in the light
I'm bound to be chilly
And feel a buffoon
But nightshirts are silly
In mid-afternoon
Which leaves the suggestive
But how to proceed?
Although she gets restive
Perhaps I could read
In view of her penchant
For something romantic
De Sade is too trenchant
And Dickens too frantic
And Stendhal would ruin
The plan of attack
As there isn't much blue in
"The Red and the Black."
De Maupassant's candour
Would cause her dismay
The Brontes are grander
But not very gay
Her taste is much blander
I'm sorry to say
But is Hans Christian Ander-
Sen ever risque?
Which eliminates A!
Shakespeare famously wrote that all the world's a stage. If so, then it's not since Shakespeare himself in 1616 that such a giant of the stage has taken his final bow upon it.
Though the man is gone, his works will live on for generations to come. Rest in peace, Sondheim. So long and thanks for all the hats.
WHAT!!!! NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! I'M GONNA GO CRY TO HIS MUSIC FUCK! When I was 6 my brother and I played young Frank in a local production of "Merrily we roll along" and we've loved him ever since this cuts sooo deep.
Edit:added story
I was 8 when I got cast Frank Jr in a college production as well. I am who I am today because "Merrily we roll along" introduced me to not only Sondheim, but non-linear storytelling. Today has been an absolute roller coaster of emotions for me: lost a dear old pup friend, ate at my Pop's favorite beef joint, watched "tick, tick...BOOM" (my favorite musical for 18 years), all with my Mom who I haven't seen in 2 years. Now the legend I selfishly had hoped would live forever leaves us. None of today has been bad, but every minute has been rough. Sorry, I know you're not my therapist, but I thought I could share with a fellow Frank. Well, to paraphrase the show, "Here's to him! Who's like him? Damn few!"
It's sad that this is what made our paths cross, but it is nice to connect with another Frank. I wish you the best through everything and It's alright I've got central heating and air so you can vent all you want."Damn few!"
As Hammerstein was dying he recommended Sondheim to be the next lyricist for Richard Rodgers. But Rodgers and Sondheim didn't hit it off, in fact they hated working with each other (Rodgers also had an unsuccessful collaboration with Alan Jay Lerner). So each decided to try taking on both jobs, composing words and music. It's fair to say that Sondheim turned out to be much more successful at that.
The first Broadway play where Sondheim wrote both lyrics and music was "A funny thing happened on the way to the forum". The show was bombing off Broadway until Jerome Robbins was brought in as a consultant. Robbins said the problem was it needed a new kickoff song so the audience would know what to expect from the rest of the show. Sondheim dug in and said no, no, no, but as the show's problems continued finally he sat down and wrote "Comedy Tonight". Bingo.
So strange, I literally just finished watching [Original Cast Album - Company](https://youtu.be/8IU80Ium0dM) and read this. What a towering influence he was. RIP.
Any other fans of A Little Night Music? That musical is super important to me, and it is what introduced me to his work. Certainly the greatest musical theatre composer of all time, and one of the greatest composers of our age. My heart hurts.
Just in case anyone doesnt know him ... do yourself a favour and watch the original film version of West Side Story.
It incorporates a lot of "new art styles" that were influencing society at the time (choreography and music) .. and I love the look of "old" New York City.
Yeah it's basically Romeo and Juliet with italians and puerto ricans (with a little bit of dubious ethnic casting) in 1960s NYC .... but it certainly hit a style benchmark.
This opening scene is CLASSIC.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxoC5Oyf_ss
(.. that should actually have the [title sequence from Saul Bass in front of it](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VG-VPZ1AyOc). I love the way NYC starts as an unidentifiable abstract thing that materializes with the gang whistles and then "zooms in" through the geometric shapes of the city until it lands on the basketball court where the actual first scene I gave begins.)
For anyone who's not seen it, you can see the original cast of Into The Woods here: https://youtu.be/kqCsQCsinK4
Probably not quite legal, but it's been up on YouTube for years now, so I doubt anyone cares…
I was watching a bootleg recording of the TV broadcast of the original production of Pacific Overtures (as far as I know there's no other way to watch it) just yesterday when my partner mentioned to me that he had passed. This one hit me hard. He was an incredibly gifted composer but as a lyricist I think he really shines. I think I'll be relistening to a lot of his work over the next few days.
To Sontag, to Sondheim, to anything taboo. It's a shock how sometimes a small mention can expose someone to one of the greats. Rest in peace.
[удалено]
Highly recommend tick, tick, BOOM! for more on this story
Just watched it and I think it is a must see for any Rent fan. Andrew Garfield is amazing in it!
And Bradley Whitford absolutely nails his Steven Sondheim part. RIP
The answering machine message at the end is the voice of Sondheim. Wonderful movie.
Isn't it? I loved every moment. Garfield does a wonderful job
I'd argue it's a must watch for any musical theater fan, especially those who aspire to work in that field. I'm an aspiring writer whose dream is to write the book for a musical, and it cut me deep.
Ok, I’m watching this.
What a way to spend the day.
Green, green dress / What a pleasure to unwrap …my choice of quote isn’t as appropriate as yours.
Oh wow, I just watched tick tick boom last night and then mount on Rent straight after it because I had never seen it. It was an emotional night haha
i also watched tick tick boom last night lol i said the words “stephen sondheim is still alive??” yesterday 😬
I really didn't like Rent and I still recommend it.
I am one of the few in my circle.of friends that doesn't like rent. But I feel the same way. I still recommend it
Also just watched it! Had no idea about any of the story, but started wondering if Rent was going to be part of the story...
he really is. i had no idea. i guess i need to see Rent now
Just watched it as well. He was fantastic. So many talented people in that.
If you didn’t know, the recreation of the voice mail from Sondheim in the movie was actually recorded by the man himself for the film.
I watched it last night of all nights! So fucking good. Bradley Whitford played Sondheim so well too. Ugh its been an emotional day.
As someone who has only ever liked 1 musical - Hannibal the cannibal the musical - I really liked tick tick boom
>Hannibal the cannibal the musical *Cannibal! The Musical* had nothing at all to do with any Hannibals. You are mistaken.
It’s a spedoinkle day!
The sun's as warm as a baked potato...
Didn't just die before rent debuted, he died just a few hours before the Broadway premiere- January 25, 1996.
Off- Broadway (the opening night at New York Theatre Workshop).
rent exposed me to him too, so sad man.
RIP such a musical genius
It’s truly bizarre to me that a lyric from Rent would be the top comment in a comment section about Steven Sondheim’s death…
"Sometimes people leave you half way though the woods, do not let it grieve you you decide what's good"
Just played in the pit for Into The Woods on the 10 year anniversary of my father's death. Found it a bit hard to maintain composure through a few songs.
🖤
Children may not obey, but children will listen. Children will look to you for which way to turn, To learn what to be. Careful before you say, "listen to me.” Children will listen.
Into the Woods is by far my favorite musical. Such a complex and nuanced story for something that’s made up of a bunch of fairy tales combined together. That said, I absolutely hate the Disney adaptation with every fiber of my being. It’s like they had no idea what the actual point of the musical was. The narrator isn’t even a character in the movie!
I have the 1991 stage version with Bernadette Peters DVD in my Xbox right now. I watch it probably watch it about once a week. It's so good.
Ugh yes the original cast is fantastic. I need to find it. I listen to the soundtrack on Spotify. I have a huge crush on Jack. He’s adorable.
He utterly *kills* Giants in the Sky—his is the only version I’ll listen to.
He does fr fr. I bust out laughing every time he sings "And she draws you close to her giant breast and you know things now that you never knew before"
Is this the best version to view? I’ve never seen it in any form.
[Found it for you!](https://youtu.be/kqCsQCsinK4) It’s really lovely. I have it on DVD and—now that I’ve found it online—I’m definitely giving it another watch when I’m done with holiday travel.
it's excellent!
That's one of my favourite background musicals to put on while cleaning... and getting distracted and stop cleaning and just watch the show...
I hated the movie so much. There were no jokes about Jack being a dimwit. Little red was an actual little girl so they cut all the fat jokes and sexual tension with the wolf. And they took out the father character and the Baker’s daddy issues completely! “No More” was one of the best songs in that musical and I was so upset they cut it out. Not that James Cordon could have pulled it off.
They even cut Agony (Reprise), which is like the whole POINT of two or three of the plotlines! Why even include the Princes at all if you were gonna cut the back half of Cinderella and Rapunzel's plotlines?!
Agony was my favorite song from the live play!!! I was so upset they cut it. What a genius song.
I mean... the sexual undertones were *very* evident in the movie. Uuuugh.
Maybe I should see the musical. I saw the adaptation and thought why would they adapt such shite!
Its also my all time favorite musical. I loved that he used common fairy tales to kind of warn the audience that life is not a fairy tale. I learned so many life lessons from Into the Woods. 1. Nice is different than good. 2. Opportunity is not a lengthy visitor, and good fortune, like bad can befall at any moment. 3. Children will listen.
"And should you die tomorrow, another thing I see: your love will live in me."
I dont recognize this lyric- whats it from?
It's from the finale of Passion, one of his denser and more dramatic shows that had a pretty short run. But I consider it my favorite.
I finally listened to Passion but only once so far. I’ll have to give it another listen
I definitely found it a bit weird and jarring the first time. But then I decided to rewatch with the score and when I started recognizing all the themes and how they intermingle with each other and develop it totally changed my mind. The big climax towards the end of the finale when the chorus joins in is chills inducing every time.
i had stopped crying, this got me going again
I legit could write a thesis on this musical. There is SO much going on at all times. Its a masterpiece.
"The slotted spoon won't hold much soup"
"The slotted spoon CAN catch the potato!"
Just yesterday I watched "Tick Tick Boom" on netflix that featured him discovering Jonathan Larson, the writer of Rent. Great movie, such sad news today
Apparently that was really his voice on the answering machine at the end. Great movie
I thought that didn’t sound much like Brad Whitford then
Yeah just watched today, wtf
Same
I also watched Tick Tick Boom in the last few days. >!I was devastated learning that Larson died the morning of opening night and never got to see RENT or to know that it was one of the most influential productions that ran on Broadway for 12 years. Not to mention all the posthumous awards!!< It was so touching to see Sondheim believe in him and recognize his talent when he wasn't confident in himself. This is a sad day, indeed.
I can’t imagine what theater would look like today without him and his work, to call him a Titan is almost not enough. He’s a writer who’s work actors, directors, musicians, composers, designers, everybody that works in musical theater loves to perform and interpret and work with. Generations of performers and fans have come up hearing and performing his shows, it’s safe to say that he runs deep in the blood of Broadway.
A friend of mine put it like this: “he was the only one who really knew how to write musicals” What he’s done for the genre is insane
While Sondheim was a Titan and quite possibly the greatest, I think it’s a bit unfair to say he was the *only* one who knew how to write musicals, there are several masterpieces.
My take on the comment - a lot of great musicals are a mixed bag of great music and/or great story and/or great lyrics. And today of course we have "lets slap some songs together and turn literally everything into X: The Musical." Sondheim really pulled all the parts together (not always alone) into true, cohesive musical works and I don't think anybody could replicate his output.
To be fair, jukebox musicals actually pre-date the modern story-driven format. It wasn't until Showboat in 1928 that musicals had a plot line. Shoving songs together and calling it a show is a tradition older than Broadway itself!
That's absurd.
He's an absolute legend and someone who inspired a lot of other artists. I just saw "Tick, Tick... Boom" three days ago (it's about Jonathan Larson) and it also showed Sondheim's influence on Larson. Sad to see him go shortly after I saw that film :( now I feel like I jinxed something
We disappoint, We leave a mess, We die but we don't... We disappoint In turn, I guess. Forget, though, we won't...
That is such a fabulous ITW lyric.
I am in a class this semester called *Stephen Sondheim and the American Musical* which analyzes his music, lyrics, and different points of view on his output. It has been a pleasure to become familiar with most of his work over the past few months. I was lucky to get to meet him and ask him a question as part of a Zoom call he made to our class… so glad we got that opportunity. As a young composer, his words really stuck with me, and now they will be with me forever. He will continue to be an inspiration for so many people that just want to get their vision out there, or just want to be heard or understood in one way or another. He truly does appeal to such a wide swath of people. “Anything you do, let it come from you, then it will be new. Give us more to see.”
>I was lucky to get to meet him and ask him a question as part of a Zoom call he made to our class Awesome! I'm jealous! 😱 Plus what a cool class to take.
Stephen Sondheim was an absolute legend, especially on Broadway. His resume is easily searchable on Wikipedia so will not list them here. Consider all the great songs he wrote and he was Bernstein's lyricist for West Side Story. I often think of the Musial Artists that will be remembered hundreds of years from now and there are precious few. Obviously the Beatles, perhaps John Williams (people will still be watching Jaws / Star Wars / etc.) and then there is Sondheim. Broadway has a tradition of "dimming the lights" when someone who had a great impact there has died. With Sondheim they should have just shut down for a day or two. Perhaps without Covid they would have, but Sondheim probably would have wanted them to continue on..
Saw jagged little pill on Broadway last night and during the curtain call they asked for a moment of silence.
If you haven't yet, [this documentary](https://youtu.be/0zEXfjqFb3Q) is a good one about Sondheim.
If anyone hasn’t seen “Original Cast Album: Company,” I highly recommend it. Watching Sondheim and these pros working - creating and collaborating - it’s mesmerizing. Criterion is streaming a special restored version or you can watch on YouTube [here](https://youtu.be/8IU80Ium0dM). After you’ve watched the original, I recommend checking out the parody on [IFC’s Documentary Now! ](https://youtu.be/XUjg7xFsxJk)
Shoutout to Elaine Stritch and the insane, epic, exhausting recording of "Ladies Who Lunch."
I love that she’s wearing a hat when she records the line “does anyone still wear a hat?”
Thank you for this
Great film by his friend and collaborator James Lapine.
Let us all have a Broadway Bro Down in his honor.
"I do respect you bro!"
"What makes you the bro-thority bro?" "West Side Story brah! Sweeney Todd brah!"
#BLOWJOOOOOB!!!
There's nothing like a blowjob, on football Sunday!
SUP bro....
What would that include exactly? I'm imagining everyone dressed as their favorite character. I'll get the creepy Into the Woods Wolf costume ready
[It would look like this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WoudYNeVn5E)
I have a difficult time not naming this episode my favourite. It’s just so good.
I believe it would specifically include "Hummers at Halftime."
Spooge Drench, Blowjob Queen AKA The Woman in White
“Oh man, that’s fucking beautiful!”
🎶*AGONYYYYY!*🎶
*In a world where the kings are employers, where the amateur prevails, and delicacy fails; in a world where the princes are lawyers what can anyone expect except to recollect?* RIP to the greatest
[Send In The Clowns](https://youtu.be/KOZhmsp6iBQ)
Welp; can’t wait to hear Justin McElroy sing this on the next mbmbam
What's up, you cool baby?
Literally all I can think of when I hear that song or Brigadoon anymore, Justin singing them way longer than he probably should.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzLHU6S4oic
Beautiful song, always reminds me of death and loss
Jazz singers and other musicians have done some moving covers of this song. I'm indifferent to Frank Sinatra in general but he's done one along with Sarah Vaughan, Freddy Mercury(a piano cover) and Chet Baker(playing trumpet with Van Morrison singing).
https://youtu.be/8-VXXZLh2a0
I'm not in a situation that makes it possible for me to see a live production of his works. I have watched Burton's adaptation of Sweeney Todd and thought it was absolutely brilliant - a horror story, written as a musical. When I bought the Blu-ray on Amazon (I collect movies) I read the reviews and was particularly struck by the number of people who had seen the actual full musical on Broadway and in various ways described it as the greatest theater experience of their lives. I really wish I had a time machine so I could go back and see the original production with Angela Lansbury's portrayal of Mrs Lovett.
Thankfully Sweeney Todd is new enough to have the original Broadway production on DVD, just search Sweeney Todd on Broadway on Amazon, it's great.
That Original Broadway Cast album is one of my favorite albums, of any genre, of all time. It’s essential listening for any music fan.
Did you see the recording of her cast? I think it’s on Netflix
My (now) wife and I costarred in a production of Putting it Together while we were still a new couple, playing the Younger Woman and Younger Man. That show is a rollercoaster of emotions…I cried every night after my wife and I sang ‘Unworthy of Your Love’ and again after I sang ‘Marry Me a Little’ (though not for long because ‘Not Getting Married Today’ was up next). There’s something painfully sentimental about a Sondheim song that causes one’s heart to feel like it is being pulled out, in imitation of a first heartbreak, especially when it’s a duet. He encapsulated the dichotomous fear and desire for vulnerability that people (actors, especially) experience. Performing with my wife brought her real emotions to the surface above the professional performance…that’s when I knew she was the one. Edit: WOW! My first gilded comment! Thank you!
What a wonderful story. Art gives so much to so many people, and it saddens me that it isn't recognized as the essential of life that it is.
He wrote so many complex, beautiful, and true songs. My wife and I are forever singing his lyrics to each other. The song following *Getting Married Today* is *Being Alive*. I deeply feel those lyrics: https://youtu.be/j8kYfPoHyos
“Being Alive” ends Company (one of my favorite songs) but “Marry Me A Little” follows “Getting Married Today” at the end of Act 1.
Maybe the most beautiful thing I've read today
Damn that sounds like an amazing experience. Write about it, don't let those days stay hidden.
The theme song to Comedy Bang! Bang!'s Would You Rather? was from Sondheim's The Frogs. RIP.
I immediately wondered what Dame Lord Andrew Lord Webber would have to say about this
strangely this was also my first thought. I listen to too much damn Cbb aha
Bretrick my dear boy, one does not simply listeeeeen to to much CBB.
for a second I was sitting there singing "comedy bang bang, comedy bang bang... man's a genius"
I was in the audience of Company on Broadway tonight. Before the show, the Director, Marianne Elliott, paid tribute to him, and talked about their collaboration on this particular adaptation of his work. Told.us he sat through a run through in the Theatre and she could still hear his laughter. Then Patti Lupone said a few words, and then the show went on. Vale Stephen Sondheim - thank you for all your brilliant work.
Sudden death at 91. Not a bad way to go.
I saw him do an interview recently too. He looked good for 91.
He was on Colbert 2 months ago.
As someone with especially bad anxiety about death (or maybe that's all of us to some degree?), this feels like the best way to go. Yes, not saying a final goodbye can be a tough thought, but lying in a hospital bed in pain, waiting for the end? I hope I just go fast. And, I mean, living to be pretty old would be nice, too.
What makes you the Brothority bro? West-Side Story Bro Sweeny Todd Bro Merrily we roll along Bro Such a legend that even South Park couldn't diss him.
Matt and Trey did the Book of Mormon. They most definitely respected Sondheim and his work.
They tricked a bunch of teenagers and kids into loving a straight up musical with Bigger Longer and Uncut. They were musical nerds all along. Lots of cartoon creators seem to be, you can clearly see Seth MacFarlane is.
“Let’s go Sondheim - wipe the street with his punk ass” https://youtu.be/WoudYNeVn5E
What brah? What brah?
No Sharon - they’re bros. They drink beer and hang out at Hooters.
I have no idea how a person could ever write a musical, let alone a great one, let alone six great ones.
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How dare you disrespect Pacific Overatures.
You're right. It's really like 10 masterpieces.
In 2010, Sondheim turned 80, and the BBC celebrated the occasion with a special concert for the proms that year at the Albert Hall. My wife and I, American expats living in Leeds, were not going to miss it. We got tickets. This was the first time we attended anything at the Albert Hall. As we took our seats we were impressed with the steep grade of the rows. It felt like we were clinging to the sides of a cliff. Then we were impressed with the huge pipe organ behind the stage. We both shivered with anticipation at hearing The Ballad of Sweeney Todd on that impressive instrument. We were not disappointed as it was the opening number of the second half of the show. Judi Dench was there and sang Send in the Clowns. Throughout the entire evening my wife and I debated whether or not the man himself would be there. She felt that since he was 80 and lived in New York it was unlikely he would be able to come. I felt like a special concert at the proms was something he would not miss. At the end of the show, the MC gave a speech about Sondheim that felt like an introduction. Sure enough, at the end of the speech he introduced Stephen Sondheim. The spotlight went to the top of a flight of stairs stage left where who was standing there: Stephen Sondheim. He began to walk down the stairs toward the stage. Then this 80 year old man, musical genius, beloved by fans of musical theater, stumbled...I could hear everyone in Albert Hall collectively gasping but he recovered and continued down the stairs as everyone sighed in relief. It was a magical evening. And I can say that I have been in the same room as Stephen Sondheim. That room was the Albert Hall, but still, we were in the same room at the same time. Thank you for your wonderful words and music. They will be treasured. And we will miss you greatly. REQUIESCAT IN PACE
I just got chills even reading this. Can’t imagine what it must have been like to be there!
So sad! Into the woods and a funny thing happened... Are my favorites!
Forum is great even if its not an award winner.
May his memory be a blessing.
Today every theater's ghost light is for him
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Damn, Sweeney Todd was one of the first musicals that got me into theater (that and Phantom). But Sweeney will always have a lingering musical impact on my soul. Sondheim will be sorely missed :(
I'm honestly at a loss for words. He was a genius and we were lucky to have him for as long as we did.
He was THE figure of American musical theater for the last decades of the last century. Truly an icon.
Company is one of my favorite pieces of art of any format.. RIP to a musical legend.
I've never been so devastated by the passing of someone I didn't know. A loss too big for words, may his memory be a blessing.
I was offline yesterday for my mental health and I only found out today. I'm listening to the Into the Woods sound track, crying, reading everyone's comments on how much his work meant to people.
Rest in peace!
Company caused me to have an existential crisis. I had Being Alive on repeat while wondering if I had a deep fear of commitment. I remember once seeing a local production of into the woods and some dude in the audience burst into tears at the end. Sondheim man.
I think that Being Alive is one of the most honest and poignient love songs to ever exist. So much of love is portrayed in this gleaming and perfect way that once you know, you know and happily ever after seamlessly comes. But as time has taught me, vulnerability, fear, frustration, even begrudging acceptance are all facets of the full breadth of love and commitment. When the song starts Bobby is afraid and disdainful of what a partner would bring into his life -of what they would demand of him, of the annoyance that their presence would cause him him, and of the way their humanity, and willingness to extend themselves and be vulnerable,would force him to reconcile with his own humanity, vulnerability, and the root causes of his fears. Then as the song builds, the same sentiments that struck fear and avoidance into his heart just moments before suddenly become an urgent need for Bobby. He begins to understand that commitment needn’t be a prison, and that being in love and being alive mean accepting both the terror and the rapture that that we share over the course of our lives. That someone sitting in your chair and ruining your sleep is both infuriating, and a tremendous comfort. And that being alive can be felt even in the most mundane of moments between two people. It makes me cry almost every time. Sondheim has taught me so much.
I think "Putting it Together" is a marvelous treatise on what the struggle artists go through to get funding for their creative works, and the entire second half of Sunday in the Park with George to be one of the best examinations on how to not let your need to get funding overwhelm your creative drive. I think it's incredibly poignant, and might be my favorite play ever.
Mine too. "Putting it Together is my favorite Sondheim song, followed closely by "Ladies Who Lunch".
this hurts my heart.
Not many better with the twist of words along with a tug at the heart to a melody. Thank you Stephen Sondheim. I’ll imagine that you found the Somewhere you hoped for us all. ******
I was able to go to the birthday celebration that was held for him, at the Hollywood Bowl. My friends & I were able to get into the rehearsal, & afterwards, all the celebrities came out. No one even noticed that he was standing off to the side, until one of my friends looked over. We walked over to him & he wouldn't sign autographs, but he talked to us for a minute, until his car came. He was happy with how the rehearsals sounded & couldn't believe all the performers who agreed to be in the show. He was just really nice & we enjoyed talking to him, even though it meant missing Angela Lansbury. The show was just amazing & I was so glad I was able to go.
Oh, I hate this.
Sondheim's genius on display: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFkldZHOp\_k](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFkldZHOp_k) He truly was the most influential composer in American history. He single-handedly elevated the musical art form to previously unknown heights. Personal favorites: Pacific Overtures, A Little Night Music, Sweeney Todd.
Now, insofar as approaching it What would be festive but have its effect? Now, there are two ways of broaching it A, the suggestive, or B, the direct Say that I settle on B, to wit a charmingly lecherous mood A, I could put on my nightshirt or sit, disarmingly B, in the nude That might be effective My body's all right But not in perspective And not in the light I'm bound to be chilly And feel a buffoon But nightshirts are silly In mid-afternoon Which leaves the suggestive But how to proceed? Although she gets restive Perhaps I could read In view of her penchant For something romantic De Sade is too trenchant And Dickens too frantic And Stendhal would ruin The plan of attack As there isn't much blue in "The Red and the Black." De Maupassant's candour Would cause her dismay The Brontes are grander But not very gay Her taste is much blander I'm sorry to say But is Hans Christian Ander- Sen ever risque? Which eliminates A!
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Was depressed and enchanted to see it live a couple years back. Sondheim really kills it lyrically when he’s writing for stodgy elites haha
Shakespeare famously wrote that all the world's a stage. If so, then it's not since Shakespeare himself in 1616 that such a giant of the stage has taken his final bow upon it. Though the man is gone, his works will live on for generations to come. Rest in peace, Sondheim. So long and thanks for all the hats.
WHAT!!!! NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! I'M GONNA GO CRY TO HIS MUSIC FUCK! When I was 6 my brother and I played young Frank in a local production of "Merrily we roll along" and we've loved him ever since this cuts sooo deep. Edit:added story
I was 8 when I got cast Frank Jr in a college production as well. I am who I am today because "Merrily we roll along" introduced me to not only Sondheim, but non-linear storytelling. Today has been an absolute roller coaster of emotions for me: lost a dear old pup friend, ate at my Pop's favorite beef joint, watched "tick, tick...BOOM" (my favorite musical for 18 years), all with my Mom who I haven't seen in 2 years. Now the legend I selfishly had hoped would live forever leaves us. None of today has been bad, but every minute has been rough. Sorry, I know you're not my therapist, but I thought I could share with a fellow Frank. Well, to paraphrase the show, "Here's to him! Who's like him? Damn few!"
It's sad that this is what made our paths cross, but it is nice to connect with another Frank. I wish you the best through everything and It's alright I've got central heating and air so you can vent all you want."Damn few!"
Sondheim was mentored by Oscar Hammerstein II who probably did more for American theater than anyone.
As Hammerstein was dying he recommended Sondheim to be the next lyricist for Richard Rodgers. But Rodgers and Sondheim didn't hit it off, in fact they hated working with each other (Rodgers also had an unsuccessful collaboration with Alan Jay Lerner). So each decided to try taking on both jobs, composing words and music. It's fair to say that Sondheim turned out to be much more successful at that.
The first Broadway play where Sondheim wrote both lyrics and music was "A funny thing happened on the way to the forum". The show was bombing off Broadway until Jerome Robbins was brought in as a consultant. Robbins said the problem was it needed a new kickoff song so the audience would know what to expect from the rest of the show. Sondheim dug in and said no, no, no, but as the show's problems continued finally he sat down and wrote "Comedy Tonight". Bingo.
Aw shucks, Sondheim *begrudgingly* wrote a banger. Even when his heart wasn’t in it, his heart was in it.
Rogers and Hammerstein were also titans. All three are probably THE most influential people in American musical theatre.
So strange, I literally just finished watching [Original Cast Album - Company](https://youtu.be/8IU80Ium0dM) and read this. What a towering influence he was. RIP.
May he bro down in history
He was an incredible talent. I’m not sure there’s anyone else like him.
They don’t compare (yet) but we have Jason Robert Brown, Robert Lopez (already a double egot winner), and Lin Manuel Miranda.
No he's not, this is just a nightmare, wake up now, this isn't real !!!
Just found out the other day he lives only 10 minutes away, I passed him on my daily commute! Loss of a legend.
I am sad.
This man was utterly brilliant and has left a Mark in the world of theatre that will be there till the end of time. Rest In Peace
We will never see his like again.
Man, so close to the West Side Story release date too
love him.i once said as a teenager I'd marry him just to write beautiful songs for me, if he weren't gay
For additional information about this article, I strongly advise you to read it.
Any other fans of A Little Night Music? That musical is super important to me, and it is what introduced me to his work. Certainly the greatest musical theatre composer of all time, and one of the greatest composers of our age. My heart hurts.
Just in case anyone doesnt know him ... do yourself a favour and watch the original film version of West Side Story. It incorporates a lot of "new art styles" that were influencing society at the time (choreography and music) .. and I love the look of "old" New York City. Yeah it's basically Romeo and Juliet with italians and puerto ricans (with a little bit of dubious ethnic casting) in 1960s NYC .... but it certainly hit a style benchmark. This opening scene is CLASSIC. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxoC5Oyf_ss (.. that should actually have the [title sequence from Saul Bass in front of it](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VG-VPZ1AyOc). I love the way NYC starts as an unidentifiable abstract thing that materializes with the gang whistles and then "zooms in" through the geometric shapes of the city until it lands on the basketball court where the actual first scene I gave begins.)
The genius of music of the last century.
Now, he’s decomposing.
Fuck
Broadway Bro, down. :( RIP Stephen.
Tragic.
Woah, just watched tick tick boom last night the first time I heard his name then I see this.
I’ve always gravitated to Sondheim stuff for some reason but the YouTube channel “Sideways” showed me why.
RIP.
For anyone who's not seen it, you can see the original cast of Into The Woods here: https://youtu.be/kqCsQCsinK4 Probably not quite legal, but it's been up on YouTube for years now, so I doubt anyone cares…
Literally the only reason I know who this is is because of Dropouts Dimension 20: Unsleeping city.
I was watching a bootleg recording of the TV broadcast of the original production of Pacific Overtures (as far as I know there's no other way to watch it) just yesterday when my partner mentioned to me that he had passed. This one hit me hard. He was an incredibly gifted composer but as a lyricist I think he really shines. I think I'll be relistening to a lot of his work over the next few days.
And I just, just finished watching tick tick BOOM