Stephen Sondheim Biography (1930-)

Full name, Stephen Joshua Sondheim; born March 22, 1930, in New York, NY; sonof Herbert (a dress manufacturer) and Etta Janet (a fashion designer and interior decorator; maiden name, Fox) Sondheim.

Nationality
American
Gender
Male
Occupation
Composer, lyricist, singer, writer
Birth Details
March 22, 1930
New York, New York, United States

Famous Works

  • CREDITS
  • Stage Appearances
  • Sondheim: A Musical Tribute, Sam S. Schubert Theatre, New York City, 1973
  • Host, Allegro, City Center Theatre, New York City, 1994
  • Film Appearances
  • Clapper boy, Beat the Devil (also known as Il Tesoro dell'Africa), 1953
  • Singer, Hey Mr. Producer (also known as Hey Mr. Producer!: TheMusical World of Cameron Mackintosh), 1998
  • Television Appearances
  • Specials
  • Maxie Schwartz, June Moon, PBS, 1974
  • Putting It Together--The Making of the Broadway Album, HBO, 1986
  • Sondheim: A Celebration at Carnegie Hall, 1992
  • Some Enchanted Evening: Celebrating Oscar Hammerstein II, PBS, 1995
  • Episodic
  • "Broadway Sings: The Music of Jule Styne," Great Performances, PBS, 1987
  • "Bernstein at 70," Great Performances, PBS, 1989
  • RECORDINGS
  • Albums; As Composer and Lyricist
  • A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Capitol, 1962
  • Anyone Can Whistle, Columbia, 1964
  • Do I Hear a Waltz?, Columbia, 1965
  • Company, Columbia, 1970
  • Follies, Capitol, 1971, released as Follies in Concert, RCA, 1985
  • A Little Night Music (includes song "Send in the Clowns"), Columbia, 1973
  • Sondheim: A Musical Tribute (anthology), Warner Bros., 1973, released as Sondheim Evening: A Musical Tribute, RCA, 1990
  • Pacific Overtures, RCA, 1976
  • Sweeney Todd, RCA, 1979
  • Marry Me a Little, RCA, 1981
  • Merrily We Roll Along, RCA, 1981
  • Sunday in the Park with George, RCA, 1984
  • Music of Stephen Sondheim, Book of the Month Records, 1985
  • Into the Woods, RCA, 1988
  • (With others) I'm Breathless (Music from and Inspired by the Film "Dick Tracy") (includes songs "Sooner or Later [I Always Get My Man]" and "What Can You Lose?"), Sire, 1990
  • The Stephen Sondheim Album, Fynsworth Alley, 2000
  • Songs also included in Stephen Sondheim: A Collectors Sondheim (compilation of original cast recordings), RCA.
  • Albums; As Lyricist Only
  • West Side Story (music by Leonard Bernstein), Columbia, 1957, released as film soundtrack, 1961
  • Gypsy (music by Jule Styne; includes song "Small World"), Columbia, 1959
  • WRITINGS
  • Stage Music
  • The Girls of Summer, Longacre Theatre, New York City, 1956
  • Invitation to a March, Music Box Theatre, New York City, 1960
  • Twigs, 1971
  • The Enclave, Theatre Four, New York City, 1973
  • (With John Kander and Giuseppe Verdi) Once in a Lifetime, Public Players Inc., Central Arts Theatre, 1975
  • Stage Lyrics
  • West Side Story (music by Leonard Bernstein), produced at Winter Garden Theatre, New York City, 1957 and 1960 book and vocal score published, 1958
  • Gypsy (music by Jule Styne; includes song "Small World"), producedat Broadway Theatre, New York City, 1959 book and vocal score published, 1960
  • Do I Hear a Waltz? (music by Richard Rodgers), produced at 46th Street Theatre, New York City, 1965 book and vocal score published, 1966
  • (With others) Leonard Bernstein's Theatre Songs, Theatre De Lys, New York City, 1965
  • (Co-writer of additional lyrics with John LaTouche), Candide (revival; original lyrics by Richard Wilbur; music by Leonard Bernstein), ChelseaTheatre Center of Brooklyn, Brooklyn, NY, 1973-1974 then Broadway Theatre, 1974
  • (With others) By Bernstein, Westside Theatre, New York City, 1975
  • Stage Music and Lyrics
  • A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, produced at AlvinTheatre, New York City, 1962 book and vocal score published, 1963
  • Anyone Can Whistle, produced at Majestic Theatre, New York City, 1964 book and vocal score published, 1965
  • Company, produced at Alvin Theatre, 1970 book and vocal score published, 1971
  • Follies, produced at Winter Garden Theatre, 1971 book and vocal score published, 1972
  • A Little Night Music (includes song "Send in the Clowns"), produced at Shubert Theatre, New York City, 1973 then Majestic Theatre, 1973-1974 book and vocal score published, 1974
  • The Frogs, Yale Repertory Theatre, New Haven, CT, 1974
  • Pacific Overtures, produced at Winter Garden Theatre, 1976 book and vocal score published, 1977
  • Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, produced at Uris Theatre (now Gershwin Theatre), New York City, 1979-1980 book and vocal scorepublished, 1979
  • (With others) The Madwoman of Central Park West, 22 Steps Theatre,1979
  • Merrily We Roll Along, Alvin Theatre, 1981-1982
  • Sunday in the Park with George, produced at Playwrights Horizons,New York City, 1983 book and vocal score published, 1986
  • Sunday in the Park with George, Booth Theatre, New York City, 1984-1985
  • Into the Woods, Old Globe Theatre, San Diego, CA, 1986 then MartinBeck Theatre, New York City, 1987-1989
  • (With others) Jerome Robbins Broadway, Imperial Theatre, New YorkCity, 1989-1990
  • Assassins, Playwrights Horizons, 1991
  • Passion, Plymouth Theatre, New York City, 1994
  • Wise Guys, workshop performance, 1999
  • Saturday Night, Second Stage Theatre, New York City, 2000
  • Stage Musical Anthologies
  • Sondheim: A Musical Tribute, Shubert Theatre, 1973
  • Side by Side by Sondheim, Music Box Theatre, 1977
  • Marry Me a Little, Actors Playhouse, New York City, 1981
  • Julie Wilson: From Weill to Sondheim--A Concert (one act devoted to Sondheim's work), Kaufman Theatre, 1987
  • You're Gonna Love Tomorrow: A Stephen Sondheim Evening, New Playwrights Theatre, Washington, DC, 1987
  • Stage Plays
  • Getting Away with Murder, Broadhurst Theatre, New York City, 1996
  • Film Scores
  • Stavisky (also known as L'Empire d'Alexandre and Stavisky, il grande truffatore), Cinemation, 1974
  • A Little Night Music (also known as Das Lacheln einer Sommernacht), New World, 1977
  • (With Dave Grusin) Reds, Paramount, 1981
  • Film Lyrics
  • West Side Story, United Artists, 1961
  • Gypsy, Warner Bros., 1962
  • Film Song Lyrics
  • "Something's Coming," Defending Your Life, 1991
  • Film Songs
  • A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, United Artists, 1966
  • "Madame's Song," The Seven-Per-Cent Solution, 1976
  • Airplane!, 1980
  • Terms of Endearment, 1983
  • Rhosyn a Rhith, 1986
  • (With others) Dick Tracy (includes songs "Sooner or Later [I Always Get My Man]" and "What Can You Lose?"), Touchstone-Buena Vista, 1990
  • Postcards from the Edge, 1990
  • The Fisher King, 1991
  • The Birdcage (also known as Birds of a Feather), United Artists, 1996
  • A Simple Wish, 1997
  • Afterglow, 1997
  • In & Out, 1997
  • Drop Dead Gorgeous, 1998
  • Superstar, 1999
  • Screenplays
  • (With Anthony Perkins) The Last of Sheila, Warner Bros., 1973
  • Television Lyricist
  • Movies
  • Gypsy, CBS, 1993
  • Television Scores
  • Specials
  • Passion, PBS, 1996
  • Television Music and Lyrics
  • Specials
  • (With Burt Shevelove) The Fabulous 50s, CBS, 1960
  • Evening Primrose, ABC, 1966
  • Annie, the Woman in the Life of a Man, CBS, 1970
  • Sweeney Todd (also known as Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street), The Entertainment Channel, 1982
  • Television Lyrics Only
  • Specials
  • "Somewhere," Putting It Together-- The Making of the Broadway Album, HBO, 1986
  • Passion, PBS, 1996
  • Television Music Only
  • Specials
  • Time Warner Presents the Earth Day Special, ABC, 1990
  • Television Music and Lyrics
  • Episodic
  • "Follies in Concert," Great Performances, PBS, 1986
  • "Sunday in the Park with George," Broadway on Showtime, Showtime,then American Playhouse, PBS, both 1986
  • "The Saga of Lenny," included in "Bernstein at 70," Great Performances, PBS, 1989
  • "A Little Night Music," Live from Lincoln Center, PBS, 1990
  • "Into the Woods," Great Performances, PBS, 1991
  • Television Lyrics Only
  • Episodic
  • "Candide," Great Performances, PBS, 1986
  • Television Episodes
  • (With others) Topper, NBC, 1953
  • The Last Word, CBS, 1957-1959

Further Reference

OTHER SOURCES

    Books
    • Banfield, Stephen, Sonheim's Broadway Musicals, University of Michigan Press, 1993
    • Encyclopedia of World Biography, Gale, 1998
    • Gordon, Joanne, Art Isn't Easy, Southern Illinois University Press, 1990
    • Gordon, Joanne, ed., Stephen Sondheim: A Casebook, 1997
    • Gottfried, Martin, Sondheim, 1993
    • Secrest, Meryle, Stephen Sondheim: A Life, A. Knopf, 1998
    • Zadan, Craig, Sondheim & Co., Macmillan, 1974
    Periodicals
    • Insight, August 28, 1989, p. 59
    • Macleans, December 24, 1984, p. 41
    • New York Times, April 1, 1984
    • Opera News, November, 1985, p. 18
    • People, September 23, 1985, p. 78
    • Variety, February 4, 1991, p. 95
    • Vogue, April, 1984, p. 85

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