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Stephen Sondheim Ilana Weinstein
Stephen Sondheim
Ilana Weinstein
“Art, in itself, is an attempt to
bring order out of chaos.”
~Stephen Sondheim
Early Life Career Accomplishments Shows! Key Terms Review/Questions
Menu
Born: March 22nd 1930 Etta Janet “Foxy” : Designed dresses Herbert Sondheim (Jewish) : Dress manufacturer Upper West Side of Manhattan , Doylestown, PA Neglected, isolated childhood Fieldston School New York Military Academy
George School (1946)
Early Life
Stephen Sondheim Adolescent Years
Early Life (cont.)
Inspiration Very Warm for May Age 9 “ The curtain went
up and revealed a piano…”
Broken Home Dad left when he was 10 “institutionalized child” “ Dear Mary and Hank, thanks
for the plate, but where is my mothers head? Love Steve”
She substituted him for me Letter Did not attend her funeral Homosexual, does not believe
in marriage
In George School, he became friends with the son of
Oscar Hammerstein Took “By George!” Hammerstein Hammerstein was like his mentor/ big brother Earned a master’s degree in music at Princeton
University Struggled at first to find a job, but eventually got one
(eventually the musical he had a job for was not produced)
1957: West Side Story, wrote the lyrics Top lyricist, but he wanted to also write music
Career
1962: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to
the Forum This gave him the reputation that he really
wanted and deserved Known for Broadway but has done a lot of
work with movies Plays with mixed reviews, books, and even
crossword puzzles
Career (cont.)
Contribution to society, economy and culture Won most Tony Awards than anyone (8) Oscars and Multiple Grammies Stephen Sondheim Theater Stephen Sondheim Center for Performing Arts West Side Story (lyrics) Sweeney Todd (music and lyrics) AND MORE!
Accomplishments
Stephen Sondheim TheatreNYC
Anyone Can Whistle (1964: music & lyrics*) Assassins the Musical (1990 Off-Broadway, 2004
Broadway. *) Company the Musical (1970 Broadway *) Do I Hear a Waltz? (1965 Broadway: lyrics) Evening Primrose (1966 TV*) Follies (1971*) The Frogs (1974 Yale, 2004 Broadway*) A Funny Thing Happened To Me on the Way to the
Forum (1962 Broadway *)
Shows!
Gypsy: A Musical Fable (1959 Broadway: Lyrics) Into the Woods (1987 Broadway *) A Little Night Music (1973 Broadway*) Mary Me a Little (1980 Off-Off Broadway, 1981
Off-Broadway*) Merrily We Roll Along (1981 Broadway*) Pacific Overtures (1976 Broadway*) Passion (1994 Broadway* 2013 Off-Broadway!) Pulling It Together (1992 Oxford, 1999 Broadway*)
Shows! (cont.)
Road Show (Chicago, Washington DC 2003, Off-B 2008*) Saturday Night (London 1997, Off-Broadway 2000*) Side by Side by Sondheim (1977 Broadway* Company) Sondheim on Sondheim (2010 Broadway*) Sunday in the Park with George (1984 Broadway*) Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (1979
Broadway*) West Side Story (1957: Broadway Lyrics) Sondheim announced that he is writing a knew musical
and it is in production!!
Shows! (cont.)
Works
Movies Airplane! (1980) Anger Management
(2003) Starsky & Hutch
(2004) Sweeney Todd: The
Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007)
Books All Sondheim, Volume I All Sondheim, Volume II All Sondheim, Volume III All Sondheim, Volume IV The Hansen Treasury of Stephen
Sondheim Songs Lee Evans Arranges Stephen
Sondheim Stephen Sondheim: A Celebration at
Carnegie Hall Stephen Sondheim: Film and
Television Songs The Stephen Sondheim Songbook
Institutionalized Child- has everything but
connection to family George School- School in Bucks County, Pa
where Stephen Sondheim attended and met Jamie Hammerstein
Lyricist- someone who writes the lyrics, this is what Sondheim was at first
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum- big break for Stephen, this is where he first was able to write the lyrics AND the music!
Key Terms
Where did Stephen move to after his parents
divorced? a) Atlanta, Georgia b) Brooklyn, New York c) Doyelstown, Pennsylvania d) Los Angles, California e) Holland, Pennsylvania
Review Time
Who did Stephen Sondheim meet at George
School in Bucks County, PA? a) Jamie Hammerstein b) Cameron Mackintosh c) Oscar Hammerstein d) John Weidmen e) James Lapine
Question 2
What musical was his big break where he
became know for writing lyrics and music? a) West Side Story b) Passion c) Follies d) A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to
the Forum e) Company
Question 3
Stephen Sondheim likes too: a) Write music b) Write lyrics c) Write books d) Make crossword puzzles e) all of the above!
Question 4
"Stephen Sondheim Stage." Stephen Sondheim Stage. Web. 06
May 2012. <http://www.sondheim.com/discussions/miller/>. "Stephen Sondheim's Career." –
Stephen Sondheim. Web. 06 May 2012. <http://www.sondheimonsondheim.com/stephen-sondheim-career.php>
"Stephen Sondheim Biography." Bio.com. A&E Networks Television. Web. 06 May 2012. <http://www.biography.com/people/stephen-sondheim-9488709>.
RichieEastside. "Stephen Sondheim & Andrew Lloyd Webber Dueling Piano." YouTube. YouTube, 05 Jan. 2010. Web. 06 May 2012. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRUSkUnc6WY>.
Works Cited
