History Music / StephenSondheim

Stephen Sondheim is one of the 20th Century's most respected composers of [[TheMusical musicals]]. He's won seven Tony Awards, an Academy Award, several Grammy Awards, and the PulitzerPrize. He began on Broadway as a lyricist, and then began writing his own music. Critics of his work complain that the songs are [[ViewersAreMorons too complex and unhummable]], which he went on to [[LampshadeHanging lampshade]] in such works as ''Merrily We Roll Along'' and ''Theatre/SundayInTheParkWithGeorge''.

** ''Follies'' was inspired by a picture of one of the Ziegfield Follies girls standing in the ruins of Ziegfield's theatre.

Stephen Sondheim is one of the 20th Century's most respected composers of [[TheMusical musicals]]. He's won seven Tony Awards, an Academy Award, several Grammy Awards, and the Pulitzer Prize. He began on Broadway as a lyricist, and then began writing his own music. Critics of his work complain that the songs are [[ViewersAreMorons too complex and unhummable]], which he went on to [[LampshadeHanging lampshade]] in such works as ''Merrily We Roll Along'' and ''Theatre/SundayInTheParkWithGeorge''.

* ''Gypsy'' (1959) (music by Jule Styne; book by Arthur Laurents; directed by Jerome Robbins)

* ''Evening Primrose'' (1966) (made for ABC TV) (book by James Goldman, based on the short story by John Collier)

* ''Passion'' (1994) (book by James Lapine; directed by James Lapine)

** Some stagings of ''Gypsy'', notably the 2008 production starring Patti LuPone.

* ''{{Into the Woods}}'' (1987) (book by James Lapine; directed by James Lapine)

!!Works by Stephen Sondheim without their own pages, and his oeuvre in general, provide examples of:

** ''{{Into the Woods}}'' (fairy tales)
** ''PacificOvertures'' (the sort of East-meets-West story best represented by ''The King and I'')

* GossipyHens: Most of the minor characters in ''Theatre/{{Sunday in the Park with George}}'', and some Gossipy Roosters in the form of the soldiers in ''Passion''.
* {{Leitmotif}}

** Sondheim joined forces with AndrewLloydWebber for "Hey Mr Producer", a tribute concert to Cameron Mackintosh. They performed [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRUSkUnc6WY a duet]] riffing on their songs "Send In The Clowns" and "Music of the Night", all while playfully ribbing Mackintosh.

* ShoutOut: In the opening of ''PacificOvertures'', the Reciter sings of far off lands where, among other things, women are being praised, which is arguably a ShoutOut to 'In Praise of Women' from Sondheim's previous musical ''ALittleNightMusic''.

Stephen Sondheim is one of the 20th Century's most respected composers of [[TheMusical musicals]]. He's won seven Tony Awards, an Academy Award, several Grammy Awards, and the Pulitzer Prize. He began on Broadway as a lyricist, and then began writing his own music. Critics of his work complain that the songs are [[ViewersAreMorons too complex and unhummable]], which he went on to {{Lampshade}} in works like ''Merrily We Roll Along'' and ''Theatre/{{Sunday in the Park with George}}''.

* ''Theatre/WestSideStory'' (1957) (music by LeonardBernstein; book by Arthur Laurents; directed by Jerome Robbins)

* ''AFunnyThingHappenedOnTheWayToTheForum'' (1962) (book by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart; directed by George Abbott)

* ''{{Company}}'' (1970) (book by George Furth; directed by Hal Prince)

* ''ALittleNightMusic'' (1973) (book by Hugh Wheeler; directed by Hal Prince)
* ''PacificOvertures'' (1976) (book by John Weidman; directed by Hal Prince)

* AllMusicalsAreAdaptations: Although he avoids this trope about half the time, he's perhaps the only man ever to adapt a ''painting'' into a full-length musical.

* ''{{Follies}}'' (1971) (book by James Goldman; directed by Hal Prince)

\\Good job with the naming, Roundabout.

Good job with the naming, Roundabout.

-->Audience enters into the brand new underground...soon to-be-christened the STEPHEN SONDHEIM THEATER. It is under-attended, more modern than you're comfortable with, and requires you to travel deeper down than you think you ought to. \\

-->Audience enters into the brand new underground Henry Miller theater, soon to-be-christened the STEPHEN SONDHEIM THEATER. It is under-attended, more modern than you're comfortable with, and requires you to travel deeper down than you think you ought to. \\

-->Audience enters into the brand new underground Henry Miller theater, soon to-be-christened the STEPHEN SONDHEIM THEATER. It is under-attended, more modern than you're comfortable with, and requires you to travel deeper down than you think you ought to.//

* ''WestSideStory'' (1957) (music by LeonardBernstein; book by Arthur Laurents; directed by Jerome Robbins)

* DownerEnding: ''Assassins'', ''WestSideStory'', ''Merrily We Roll Along'' (subverted in that it's placed at the beginning), ''Sweeney Todd'', ''Follies'', ''Evening Primrose''.

* GossipyHens: Most of the minor characters in ''{{Sunday in the Park with George}}'', and some Gossipy Roosters in the form of the soldiers in ''Passion''.

StephenSondheim is one of the 20th Century's most respected composers of [[TheMusical musicals]]. He's won seven Tony Awards, an Academy Award, several Grammy Awards, and the Pulitzer Prize. He began on Broadway as a lyricist, and then began writing his own music. Critics of his work complain that the songs are [[ViewersAreMorons too complex and unhummable]], which he went on to {{Lampshade}} in works like ''Merrily We Roll Along'' and ''{{Sunday in the Park with George}}''.

* ''{{Sunday in the Park with George}}'' (1984) (book by James Lapine; directed by James Lapine)

** For the retrospective ''Sondheim on Sondheim'', he wrote a new song: [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DlJNub7J9j8 "God"]]

* ''Follies'' (1971) (book by James Goldman; directed by Hal Prince)