Ilana Weinstein

 “Art, in itself, is an attempt to bring order out of chaos.” ~Stephen Sondheim

  Early Life Early Life  Career Career  Accomplishments Accomplishments  Shows! Shows!  Key Terms Key Terms  Review/Questions Review/Questions Menu

  Born: March 22 nd 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

Lyrics written by Stephen Sondheim

  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 Theatre NYC

  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 "Stephen Sondheim's Career." –  Stephen Sondheim. Web. 06 May  "Stephen Sondheim Biography." Bio.com. A&E Networks Television. Web. 06 May  RichieEastside. "Stephen Sondheim & Andrew Lloyd Webber Dueling Piano." YouTube. YouTube, 05 Jan Web. 06 May Works Cited