Tributes have been flowing since the news broke that legendary composer/lyricist Stephen Sondheim died at his home in Roxburgh, Connecticut on Friday 26 November at the age of 91.
Social media has been flooded with messages from composers, producers, performers and fans honouring the man who is regarded as the most important and influential figure in 20th-century musical theatre.
Stephen Sondheim. Photo @Everett Collection Inc/Alamy Stock Photo
In March 2020, when Sondheim turned 90, Limelight ran a major feature called Show by Show by Sondheim, which traced his career and charted the extraordinary role he played in revolutionising the American musical. “Anyone with a modicum of interest in musical theatre over the last 65 years will know him as the brilliant star that burst over Broadway with lyrics to West Side Story, then as the composer-lyricist who redefined the art form in works like the mould-breaking Follies, the wistful A Little Night Music and the grisly Sweeney Todd,” wrote Clive Paget.
“As a writer, Sondheim epitomises craft. His lyrics are sharp, smart and immaculately formed, a reassuring trove of eloquence, wit and insight.”
When his death was revealed, the Stephen Sondheim Society tweeted, “There are no words. He had them all. And the music. He was incomparable. He was God to many of us.” The tweet was accompanied by three heart emojis, the middle of which was broken.
There are no words. He had them all. And the music.He was incomparable. He was God to many of us. We loved his work. And god he was good. So good. Rest peacefully ❤️💔❤️ pic.twitter.com/A9MKH9NMEm
— Sondheim Society (@SondheimSociety) November 26, 2021
Born in New York on 22 March, 1930 to parents who worked in the fashion industry, Sondheim began playing piano at age seven. His parents divorced when he was ten. Through his mother’s friendship with Dorothy Hammerstein, wife of lyricist and playwright Oscar Hammerstein II, he formed a close friendship with their son James Hammerstein. Oscar went on to become a surrogate father to him, and guided and taught Sondheim as he started writing musicals.
Sondheim first featured on Broadway in 1957 as the lyricist of West Side Story, composed by Leonard Bernstein. He wrote the lyrics for Gypsy, with music by Jule Styne, two years later, and also collaborated with Bernstein on Candide and with Richard Rogers on Do I Hear a Waltz?
But for most of his long career, which spanned more than five decades, he wrote both the lyrics and music for his musicals including A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1962), Anyone Can Whistle (1964), Company (1970), Follies (1971), A Little Night Music (1973), Pacific Overtures (1976), Sweeney Todd (1979), Merrily We Roll Along (1981), Sunday in the Park with George (1984), Into the Woods (1987), Assassins (1990) and Passion (1994).
As The New York Times wrote in its obituary, “His work melded words and music in a way that enhanced them both.” He famously tackled challenging subjects such as Western imperialism in 19th-century Japan in Pacific Overtures, the real-life assassination of American Presidents in Assassins, social inequality in the story of ‘the demon barber of Fleet Street” in Sweeney Todd, and the making of art in Sunday in the Park with George, which drew on a pointillist painting by George Seurat.
Not only were his lyrics dazzlingly clever and insightful, but he played with form in structuring the shows, with Merrily We Roll Along (a season of which is currently running at Sydney’s Hayes Theatre Co) running backwards, for example, and nearly all the music in A Little Night Music, using the three/four time of the waltz.
His musicals were critically acclaimed but rarely proved commercially successful, but such is their appeal they continue to be revived around the world, with Sweeney Todd presented by opera companies as well as musical theatre producers.
During his career Sondheim won eight Tony Awards, eight Grammy Awards, an Academy Award and a Pulitzer Prize. In 2015, he was presented with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, America’s high civilian honour.
Once he himself became famous, Sondheim was supportive of other emerging composers and encouraged and mentored Jonathan Larson and Lin-Manuel Miranda among others.
Miranda said on Twitter: “Future historians: Stephen Sondheim was real. Yes, he wrote Tony & Maria AND Sweeney Todd AND Bobby AND George & Dot AND Fosca AND countless more. Some may theorize Shakespeare’s works were by committee but Steve was real & he was here & he laughed SO loud at shows & we loved him”.
Future historians: Stephen Sondheim was real. Yes, he wrote Tony & Maria AND Sweeney Todd AND Bobby AND George & Dot AND Fosca AND countless more. Some may theorize Shakespeare’s works were by committee but Steve was real & he was here & he laughed SO loud at shows & we loved him
— Lin-Manuel Miranda (@Lin_Manuel) November 27, 2021
Andrew Lloyd Webber described him as “the musical theatre giant of our times, an inspiration not just to two but to three generations”.
Farewell Steve, the musical theatre giant of our times, an inspiration not just to two but to three generations. Your contribution to theatre will never be equalled. – ALW
— Andrew Lloyd Webber (@OfficialALW) November 26, 2021
Cameron Macintosh – who named a theatre after Sondheim – tweeted: “The theatre has lost one of its greatest geniuses and the world has lost one of its greatest and most original writers. Sadly, there is now a giant in the sky. But the brilliance of Stephen Sondheim will still be here as his legendary songs and shows will be performed for evermore. Goodbye old friend and thank you from all of us.”
“The theatre has lost one of its greatest geniuses and the world has lost one of its greatest and most original writers. Sadly, there is now a giant in the sky.
— CameronMackintoshLtd (@CamMackLtd) November 27, 2021
Among hundreds of other tweets, Bernadette Peters, who forged a close working relationship with him, performing in several of his musicals, said: “I am so so sad to lose my friend Steve Sondheim. He gave me so much to sing about. I loved him dearly and will miss him so much. Thank you for all the gifts you gave the world Steve.”
I am so so sad to lose my friend Steve Sondheim He gave me so much to sing about ♥️♥️I loved him dearly and will miss him so much Thank you for all the gifts you gave the world Steve♥️
— Bernadette Peters (@OfficialBPeters) November 26, 2021
Patti LuPone, who is currently performing in Company on Broadway, which is now previewing ahead of its 9 December opening, tweeted: “The last of the great Musical Comedy composers has died. Steve, I will never be able to properly thank you for the lessons learned. You are the Gold Standard.”
The last of the great Musical Comedy composers has died. Steve, I will never be a able to properly thank you for the lessons learned. You are the Gold Standard.
— Patti LuPone (@PattiLuPone) November 27, 2021
On an emotional evening, LuPone and director Marianne Elliott both spoke to the audience before the start of the evening show on the day Sondheim died, as bouquets of roses began to pile up on the steps at the stage door.
Numerous fans tweeted lyrics from Sondheim shows to acknowledge the great loss they felt, such as “Not a day goes by, Not a blessed day, But you’re still somehow part of my life, And you won’t go away” from Merrily We Roll Along.
Among the most moving were lyrics from Into the Woods: “Sometimes people leave you halfway through the wood, do not let it grieve you, no one leaves for good.”
Vale Stephen Sondheim.
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