Stephen Sondheim

Stephen Sondheim was born March 22, 1930 in New York City. At about the age of ten he became friends with the son of lyricist/playwright Oscar Hammerstein II, who taught Sondheim the basics of the musical when Sondheim came to him with a show he had written for a school performance. Sondheim went on to study composition with the composer [Milton Babbitt]?

At the age of 25 Sondheim wrote the lyrics to West Side Story, accompanying [Leonard Bernstein]?'s music and [Arthur Laurents]?'s book. In 1959 he wrote the lyrics to the musical Gypsy, which had music by [Jule Styne]? and a book again by Laurents. Finally in 1962 Sonheim saw a musical for which he wrote both the music and lyrics, [A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum]?, open on Broadway. His next musical, Anyone Can Whistle, was a financial failure, though it has developed a cult following. He subsequently wrote lyrics only to one more show, [Do I Hear a Waltz]?, with music by [Richard Rodgers]?, and from then on provided both music and lyrics to a series of critically acclaimed musicals:

• Company
• Follies?
• A Little Night Music
• [Pacific Overtures]?
• [Sweeney Todd]?
• [Merrily We Roll Along]?
• Sunday in the Park with George
• [Into the Woods]?
• Assassins
• Passion?