Did you know that Sondheim studied under Oscar Hammerstein II (half of the famous Rodgers and Hammerstein duo)? Or that he won an Academy Award for the 1990 film Dick Tracy? Whether you know every word of Into the Woods or don’t know your magic beans from your meat pies, dive deeper into the history and legacy of the man called “the father of the modern musical” with this week’s blog.
With a career spanning six decades and encompassing twenty different musicals, Stephen Sondheim stands as an enduring icon of American theatre. His complex characters, clever melodies, and willingness to engage with more nuanced subject matter allowed him to stand out amongst the crowd. Beyond the impact his work had on the industry, he inspired and supported an entire generation of artists who continue to push the boundaries of musical theatre.
Sondheim was born March 22, 1930, in New York City. Musically gifted at a young age, he weathered a tumultuous childhood marked by his parents separation and his mother’s abuse. He wrote his first musical, By George, at fifteen. A comedic spoof on life at his boarding school, it received praise from his classmates, and Sondheim eventually worked up the courage to show it to family friend Oscar Hammerstein II. Hammerstein (half of the legendary musical theatre duo Rodgers & Hammerstein) called it the worst thing he’d ever read, but then proceeded to give Sondheim a crash course in musical theatre.
With lessons from Hammerstein and a degree in theatre and music composition from Williams College, Sondheim made his first major forays onto Broadway writing the lyrics to 1957’s West Side Story (music by Leonard Bernstein) and 1959’s Gypsy (music by Julie Styne). While these productions were highly successful, and stand as landmarks in their own right, the composer yearned to work on projects that gave him more total creative control. Beginning with 1962’s A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Sondheim wrote music and lyrics for almost every subsequent production.
Of the twenty musicals Sondheim had a hand in, eleven of them premiered between 1970 and 1994, a period of creative output that garnered him seven out of eight Tony awards, an Oscar, and six Grammys. This is the part of his career that produced iconic shows like Company, A Little Night Music, Into the Woods, and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. No stranger to Hollywood, Sondheim wrote music for films throughout his career, including several songs for the 1990 film Dick Tracy. Based off the long running newspaper comic, the film (which starred Madonna and Warren Beatty) was a moderate hit and saw Sondheim winning an Oscar for the song “Sooner or Later (I Always Get My Man).”
Throughout this period, Sondheim experienced his greatest successes as well as some of his biggest “flops.” With a penchant for boundary-pushing lyrics and themes, not every one of his productions found an immediate audience. Most infamously, Merrily We Roll Along — a musical chronicling the lives and careers of three friends over twenty years — had a rocky run of previews, opened to highly negative reviews, and closed after less than two weeks on Broadway. The experience was so demoralizing that Sondheim briefly considered quitting Broadway altogether.
Like he was mentored by Hammerstein, Sondheim assisted and mentored several notable composers in his later years. As memorably captured in Jonathan Larson’s Tick, Tick…Boom! Sondheim gave advice and guidance to the young composer as he began work on RENT, and spoke at length about his unique talents after Larson’s untimely death. Other mentees include Hamilton and In the Heights author Lin-Manuel Miranda, not to mention the countless other creatives he inspired through his innovative works.
Stephen Sondheim passed away in December of 2021, but his legacy can be felt throughout the theatrical world. From the two theaters that bear his name to the sold-out and extended runs of revivals of shows like Company, Into the Woods, and the acclaimed return of Merrily We Roll Along finally enjoying the success it deserved. With so many iconic shows, characters, and songs, Sondheim’s legacy lives on in tributes like Sondheim on Sondheim.
Want to learn more about Sondheim’s career? How about from the maestro himself? The stirring music and clever lyrics of his greatest works come alive in Sondheim on Sondheim as exclusive interview and archival footage of Stephen Sondheim is interwoven with performances of his music by an all-star cast featuring Farmers Alley Theatre founders Jeremy Koch and Denene Mulay Koch.
Directed by favorite director Kathy Mulay and produced in collaboration with the Gilmore Piano Festival, it’s the event of the year for any theatre-lover. Get your tickets today.