Stephen Sondheim

Personal Info

Known For Writer

Gender Male

Birthday 1930-03-22

Deathday 2021-11-26 (91 years old)

Place of Birth New York City, New York, USA

Stephen Sondheim

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.

Known For

Writer

Candide

as Lyricist

Follies

as Lyricist

Road Show

as Writer

2021
West Side Story

as Writer

2021
West Side Story

as Lyricist

2021
Simply Sondheim

as Writer

2015
Gypsy

as Musical

2015
Gypsy

as Lyricist

2015
Gypsy

as Writer

2014
Into the Woods

as Musical

2014
Into the Woods

as Writer

2014
Into the Woods

as Lyricist

2013
2013
Follies

as Lyricist

2011
Company

as Lyricist

2011
Into the Woods

as Musical

2011
Company

as Writer

2011
Company

as Musical

2011
Into the Woods

as Writer

2007
Candide

as Writer

2005
Candide

as Lyricist

2004
Assassins

as Lyricist

2004
Assassins

as Writer

2003
Candide

as Writer

2001
2001
2001
1996
Passion

as Musical

1996
Company

as Musical

1996
Passion

as Lyricist

1996
Company

as Lyricist

1996
Passion

as Writer

1996
Company

as Writer

1993
Gypsy

as Writer

1993
Gypsy

as Lyricist

1991
Into the Woods

as Musical

1991
Into the Woods

as Writer

1991
Candide

as Lyricist

1986
Candide

as Writer

1986
Candide

as Lyricist

1986
1977
1977
1976
1976
Pacific Overtures

as Lyricist

1976
1973
1966
1966
Evening Primrose

as Lyricist

1962
Gypsy

as Lyricist

1962
Gypsy

as Writer

1961
West Side Story

as Writer

1961
West Side Story

as Lyricist

Sound

Follies

as Songs

Road Show

as Music

2020
2014
2014
2014
Into the Woods

as Original Music Composer

2013
2013
Follies

as Songs

2012
2011
Company

as Songs

2011
Company

as Original Music Composer

2008
Company: A Musical Comedy

as Original Music Composer

2007
2005
Passion

as Songs

2005
Passion

as Original Music Composer

2004
Assassins

as Music

2004
Assassins

as Songs

2003
2001
2001
Putting It Together

as Original Music Composer

1996
Passion

as Songs

1996
Company

as Songs

1996
Company

as Original Music Composer

1996
Passion

as Original Music Composer

1992
Sondheim: A Celebration at Carnegie Hall

as Original Music Composer

1991
1991
Into the Woods

as Original Music Composer

1990
Sunday in the Park with... Stephen

as Original Music Composer

1990
Dick Tracy

as Original Music Composer

1990
Dick Tracy

as Songs

1986
Sunday in the Park with George

as Original Music Composer

1986
1986
Follies: In Concert

as Original Music Composer

1982
1981
Reds

as Original Music Composer

1977
A Little Night Music

as Original Music Composer

1976
1976
1976
Pacific Overtures

as Original Music Composer

1976
Live from Lincoln Center

as Original Music Composer

1974
Stavisky...

as Original Music Composer

1966
1966
Evening Primrose

as Original Music Composer

1966

Actor

2022
2021
tick, tick... BOOM!

as Stephen Sondheim (voice on phone) (uncredited)

2019
On Broadway

as Self (archive footage)

2013
Six by Sondheim

as Self / Joe

2010
2006
2003
Camp

as Self

2003
1991
Pebble Mill

as Self

1989
The Simpsons

as Stephen Sondheim (voice)

1986
Follies: In Concert

as Self- Composer

1974
June Moon

as Maxie Schwartz

1971
Great Performances

as Maxie Schwartz

1971
1956
Tony Awards

as Self - Nominee

Crew