History Music / StephenSondheim

Stephen Sondheim (March 22, 1930 – November 26, 2021) was one of the 20th Century's most respected composers and lyricists of [[TheMusical musicals]]. He won seven UsefulNotes/{{Tony Award|Winners}}s, an UsefulNotes/AcademyAward, several UsefulNotes/{{Grammy Award}}s, and the UsefulNotes/PulitzerPrize.

Stephen Sondheim (March 22, 1930 – November 26, 2021) was one of the 20th Century's most respected composers of [[TheMusical musicals]]. He won seven UsefulNotes/{{Tony Award|Winners}}s, an UsefulNotes/AcademyAward, several UsefulNotes/{{Grammy Award}}s, and the UsefulNotes/PulitzerPrize.

Sondheim also appears as a character in the musical ''Theatre/TickTickBoom'' (which was a tribute to him by admirer Jonathan Larson) and [[Film/TickTickBoom its film adaptation]] (which contains a VoiceOnlyCameo of him and was released one week before his passing).

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

* CounterpointDuet: BIG fan of this, puts it in almost all his shows, and sometimes going [[UpToEleven one step further]] and making it into a trio, quartet, quintet, sextet, septet, or [[MassiveMultiplayerEnsembleNumber an ensemble number with as much as 8-part counterpoint!!]]

* DeadpanSnarker: See the entry under AGodAmI

* PatterSong: Uses these often in his musicals, such as "Getting Married Today" in ''Company,'' "The Contest" in ''Sweeney Todd,'' and "Now" in ''A Little Night Music.''

* SubvertedRhymeEveryOccasion: More often inverted than played straight. Often he'll complete the rhyme, but in a way you'd never guess. Or he'll stuff in a bunch of internal rhymes where no other songwriter will dare.

Sondheim also appears as a character in the musical ''Theatre/TickTickBoom'' (which was a tribute to him by admirer Jonathan Larson) and [[Film/TickTickBoom its film adaptation]] (which was released one week before his passing).

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Stephen Sondheim (March 22, 1930 – November 26, 2021) was one of the 20th Century's most respected composers of [[TheMusical musicals]].

He won seven UsefulNotes/{{Tony Award|Winners}}s, an UsefulNotes/AcademyAward, several UsefulNotes/{{Grammy Award}}s, and the UsefulNotes/PulitzerPrize. Having the benefit of being mentored by the legendary [[Creator/RodgersAndHammerstein Oscar Hammerstein]], he began on Broadway as a lyricist and then began writing his own music. Critics of his work complain that the songs are too complex and unhummable, something that he went on to [[LampshadeHanging lampshade]] in such works as ''Theatre/MerrilyWeRollAlong'' and ''Theatre/SundayInTheParkWithGeorge''.

* DownerEnding: ''Assassins'', ''Theatre/WestSideStory'' (inherent in the [[Theatre/RomeoAndJuliet source material]]), ''Merrily We Roll Along'' (subverted in that it's placed at the beginning), ''Sweeney Todd'', ''Follies'', ''Evening Primrose''.

He won seven UsefulNotes/{{Tony Award|Winners}}s, an UsefulNotes/AcademyAward, several UsefulNotes/{{Grammy Award}}s, and the UsefulNotes/PulitzerPrize. Having the benefit of being mentored by the legendary [[Creator/RodgersAndHammerstein Oscar Hammerstein]], he began on Broadway as a lyricist and then began writing his own music. Critics of his work complain that the songs are too complex and unhummable, which he went on to [[LampshadeHanging lampshade]] in such works as ''Merrily We Roll Along'' and ''Theatre/SundayInTheParkWithGeorge''.

* BreakingTheFourthWall: Almost always PlayedForLaughs. Used to great effect in plays like ''Theatre/SweeneyToddTheDemonBarberOfFleetStreet'', ''Theatre/TheFrogs'', ''[[Theatre/CompanySondheim Company]]'' and especially in the second act of ''Theatre/IntoTheWoods''.

* SanitySlippageSong: He's got several - "Epiphany" from ''Sweeney Todd,'' "Getting Married Today" from ''Company,'' "Live, Laugh, Love" from ''Follies,'' "Franklin Shepard Inc." from ''Theatre/MerrilyWeRollAlong,'' and "Rose's Turn" from ''Gypsy.''

* AllMusicalsAreAdaptations: Averted; he's worked on several shows with completely original stories and characters (''Anyone Can Whistle'', ''Company'', ''Follies'' and the second act of ''Sunday in the Park With George'').

* ''Do I Hear a Waltz?'' (1965) (music by Richard Rodgers; book by Arthur Laurents; directed by John Dexter) -- an adaptation of the film ''Film/{{Summertime}}''.

* ''Do I Hear a Waltz?'' (1965) (music by Richard Rodgers; book by Arthur Laurents; directed by John Dexter) -- an adaptation of the film ''Film/{{Summertime}}.

* ''Do I Hear a Waltz?'' (1965) (music by Richard Rodgers; book by Arthur Laurents; directed by John Dexter)

Sondheim had also done the movie scores for three films: Creator/WarrenBeatty's ''Film/{{Reds|1981}}'', Creator/AlainResnais' ''Stavisky'', and Creator/TimBurton's [[Film/SweeneyToddTheDemonBarberOfFleetStreet 2007 film version]] of ''Sweeney Todd''. His collected lyrics (with his comments and recollections) have been published in two volumes: ''Finishing the Hat'' and ''Look, I Made a Hat.''

He won seven Tony Awards, an Academy Award, several Grammy Awards, and the UsefulNotes/PulitzerPrize. Having the benefit of being mentored by the legendary Oscar Hammerstein, he began on Broadway as a lyricist and then began writing his own music. Critics of his work complain that the songs are too complex and unhummable, which he went on to [[LampshadeHanging lampshade]] in such works as ''Merrily We Roll Along'' and ''Theatre/SundayInTheParkWithGeorge''.

Stephen Sondheim (March 22, 1930 - November 26, 2021) was one of the 20th Century's most respected composers of [[TheMusical musicals]].

Stephen Sondheim (born March 22, 1930 in New York City) 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 UsefulNotes/PulitzerPrize. Having the benefit of being mentored by the legendary Oscar Hammerstein, he began on Broadway as a lyricist, and then began writing his own music. Critics of his work complain that the songs are too complex and unhummable, which he went on to [[LampshadeHanging lampshade]] in such works as ''Merrily We Roll Along'' and ''Theatre/SundayInTheParkWithGeorge''.

* ''Film/TheLastOfSheila'' (1973) -- ''not'' a stage musical; not a musical at all in fact. It's a 1973 theatrical feature film that he co-wrote the screenplay for. Sondheim's only screen writing credit.

Sondheim has also done the movie scores for three films: Creator/WarrenBeatty's ''Film/{{Reds|1981}}'', Creator/AlainResnais' ''Stavisky'', and Creator/TimBurton's [[Film/SweeneyToddTheDemonBarberOfFleetStreet 2007 film version]] of ''Sweeney Todd''. His collected lyrics (with his comments and recollections) have been published in two volumes: ''Finishing the Hat'' and ''Look, I Made a Hat.''

** In his [[WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons Simpsons]] appearance, Krusty reacted rather unapprecatively to his signature style.
-->'''Krusty''': Hmm, complex harmonies, intricate lyrics, pithy observations on modern life, '''what is this junk'''? Where’s the zazz? Just do what you did in ''Theatre/{{Cats}}''.
-->'''Sondheim''': I [[Creator/AndrewLloydWebber didn’t write]] ''Cats''.

Sondheim has also done the movie scores for two films: Creator/WarrenBeatty's ''Film/{{Reds|1981}}'' and Creator/AlainResnais' ''Stavisky.'' His collected lyrics (with his comments and recollections) have been published in two volumes: ''Finishing the Hat'' and ''Look, I Made a Hat.''

Stephen Sondheim (born March 22, 1930 in New York City) 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 UsefulNotes/PulitzerPrize. Having the benefit of being mentored by the legendary Oscar Hammerstein, he began on Broadway as a lyricist, and then began writing his own music. Critics of his work complain that the songs are too complex and unhummable, which he went on to [[LampshadeHanging lampshade]] in such works as ''Merrily We Roll Along'' and ''Theatre/SundayInTheParkWithGeorge''.

Sondheim has also done the movie scores for two films: Creator/WarrenBeatty's ''Film/{{Reds}}'' and Creator/AlainResnais' ''Stavisky.'' His collected lyrics (with his comments and recollections) have been published in two volumes: ''Finishing the Hat'' and ''Look, I Made a Hat.''

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

* BreakingTheFourthWall: Almost always PlayedForLaughs. Used to great effect in plays like ''Theatre/SweeneyToddTheDemonBarberOfFleetStreet'', ''Theatre/TheFrogs'', ''Theatre/{{Company}}'' and especially in the second act of ''Theatre/IntoTheWoods''.

* AllMusicalsAreAdaptations: He's perhaps the only man ever to adapt a ''painting'' into a full-length musical. He's only done one completely original show: ''Anyone Can Whistle''.

-->'''Krusty''': Hmm, complex harmonies, intricate lyrics, pithy observations on modern life, '''what is this junk'''? Where’s the zazz? Just do what you did in [[Theatre/{{Cats}} Cats]].

Stephen Sondheim (born March 22, 1930 in New York City) 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 UsefulNotes/PulitzerPrize. He began on Broadway as a lyricist, and then began writing his own music. Critics of his work complain that the songs are too complex and unhummable, which he went on to [[LampshadeHanging lampshade]] in such works as ''Merrily We Roll Along'' and ''Theatre/SundayInTheParkWithGeorge''.

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