Stephen Sondheim
Date of birth: 1930-03-22
Place of birth: New York City, New York, USA
Known for: Writing
Also known as:
Biography
Stephen Joshua Sondheim (/ˈsɒndhaɪm/; March 22, 1930 – November 26, 2021) was an American composer and lyricist. Regarded as one of the most important figures in 20th-century musical theatre, he is credited with reinventing the American musical. With his frequent collaborators Harold Prince and James Lapine, Sondheim's Broadway musicals tackled unexpected themes beyond the genre's traditional subjects while addressing darker elements of the human experience. His music and lyrics are tinged with complexity, sophistication, and ambivalence about various aspects of life. Sondheim's interest in musical theatre began at a young age, and Oscar Hammerstein II mentored him. He started his career by writing the lyrics for West Side Story (1957) and Gypsy (1959). He transitioned to writing both music and lyrics for the theatre, with his best-known works including A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1962), Company (1970), Follies (1971), A Little Night Music (1973), Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (1979), Merrily We Roll Along (1981), Sunday in the Park with George (1984), and Into the Woods (1987). Sondheim's numerous awards and nominations include eight Tony Awards, an Academy Award, eight Grammy Awards, an Olivier Award, and the Pulitzer Prize. He also was awarded the Kennedy Center Honor in 1993 and a Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2015. A theatre is named after him both on Broadway and in London's West End. Film adaptations of his works include West Side Story (1961), Gypsy (1962), A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1966), A Little Night Music (1977), Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street(2007), Into the Woods (2014), and West Side Story (2021). Description above from the Wikipedia article Stephen Sondheim, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Movie Credits
tick, tick... BOOM!
2021-11-11
On the brink of turning 30, a promising theater composer navigates love, friendship and the pressure
Assassins: A Conversationpiece
1991-06-01
Stephen Sondheim and librettist John Weidman discuss their stage musical Assassins, and offer advice
Into the Woods: A Conversationpiece
1990-05-15
Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine discuss their stage musical Into the Woods
Cameron Mackintosh - The First 50 Years
2021-12-27
Archival footage provides a glimpse into the life of Cameron Mackintosh; the storied producer famous
On Broadway
2019-10-12
An all-star cast tells the inside story of the Broadway theater, and how it came back from the brink
Something's Coming: West Side Story
2021-12-05
Incredible video behind-the-scenes with the stars, Steven Spielberg, and see one of the last intervi
Original Cast Album: Company
1970-10-28
In 1970, right after the triumphant premiere of Stephen Sondheim’s groundbreaking concept musical Co
Broadway: The Golden Age, by the Legends Who Were There
2003-04-03
Broadway: The Golden Age is the most important, ambitious and comprehensive film ever made about Ame
The Stories of West Side Story
2022-03-02
Rejoice in the astonishing all-new footage of Spielberg at work in documentary filmmaker Laurent Bou
A Place for Us: West Side Story's Legacy
2011-11-15
A documentary with stars from the original cast.
Hey, Mr. Producer! The Musical World of Cameron Mackintosh
1998-11-07
'Hey, Mr Producer!' features selected scenes from the productions of the world's most successful mus
Keeping Company with Sondheim
2022-05-27
Filmed over two years, this new documentary takes an exclusive inside look at Tony-winning director
Sondheim: A Musical Tribute
1973-01-01
A short documentary concerning the preparations and rehearsals for the March 11, 1973 benefit tribut
Six by Sondheim
2013-12-09
This intimate documentary explores the life and career of the stage legend Stephen Sondheim through
The Making of Sweeney Todd at the San Francisco Symphony
2002-05-01
Sondheim: A Celebration at Carnegie Hall
1992-06-10
This program features the music of Broadway composer Stephen Sondheim in a 1992 performance at Carne
Sunday in the Park with... Stephen
1990-03-20
Documentary that follows Stephen Sondheim, during his spell as visiting professor of drama at Oxford
The Last of Sheila Featurette
1973-01-01
A short documentary released as pre-publicity for the 1973 murder mystery, The Last of Sheila.
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery
2022-11-23
World-famous detective Benoit Blanc heads to Greece to peel back the layers of a mystery surrounding
Best Worst Thing That Ever Could Have Happened...
2016-11-18
This film from acclaimed theater director Lonny Price charts the journey of the original cast of Ste
West Side Stories: The Making of a Classic
2016-12-26
As the world prepares to celebrate the 60th anniversary of West Side Story in 2017, dancer Bruno Ton
Putting It Together: The Making of the Broadway Album
1986-01-11
In 1985, Barbra Streisand released "The Broadway Album," which remains one of her most popular recor
Harold Prince: The Director's Life
2018-11-23
Featuring archival clips from his many groundbreaking productions, the performance-documentary inclu
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street - Burton + Carter + Depp = Todd
2008-04-01
A general making-of piece featuring principal members of the cast and crew. A brief history of the d
West Side Memories
2003-04-01
Documentary attached to the 50th anniversary MGM Blu-ray collection of "West Side Story" (1961). Det
June Moon
1974-01-30
In this rousing satire a native upstate New York clerk comes to 1920s Manhattan with dreams of makin
Follies: In Concert
1986-03-14
A backstage documentary film including footage from the legendary 1985 concert performance of Stephe
Sweeney Todd: Scenes from the Making of a Musical
1980-07-26
Opening with the first day of rehearsals of the London production of "Sweeney Todd", this ninety-min
Camp
2003-09-05
Misfits in their lives back home, a group of young people live it up at musical-theater camp. While
Sondheim! The Birthday Concert
2010-11-16
Join us for a rousing celebration of the life and works of one of Broadway's greatest legends — the
Witness to 'Reds'
2006-10-17
Cast and crew of "Reds" revisit their memories and stories while making the film.
Children Will Listen
2004-04-11
The District of Columbia Public School system faces many challenges, including insufficient resource
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street in Concert
2001-10-31
In 1846, Anthony Hope sails into London with the mysterious Sweeney Todd, a once-naive barber whose
Sondheim on Broadway: Follies - Four Days in New York
1986-02-01
Documentary that follows four hectic days of rehearsal for a celebrated 1985 concert performance fro
A Tribute to Stephen Sondheim
1995-01-12
This special is a recording of the presentation of the Algur H. Meadows Award for Excellence in the
Some Enchanted Evening: Celebrating Oscar Hammerstein II
1995-03-06
In commemoration of the 100th birthday of lyricist Oscar Hammerstein II, performers present classic
Company
1996-12-10
Set in modern upper-crust Manhattan, an exploration of love and commitment as seen through the eyes