Stephen Sondhei m

1. Stephen Sondheim

2. Stephen Sondheim • Born Stephen Joshua Sondheim in New York City on March 22, 1930. • Parents: Herbert and Etta Janet Sondheim, who worked together as dress designers and makers • Had a good bit of money as a child… however… • As an only child he felt emotionally neglected at times • Once his father left his mother, his mother turned physically abusive • Educated at Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts

3. Stephen Sondheim • True father figure was famous musical playwright, Oscar Hammerstein II. Hammerstein also became Sondheim’s play writing mentor. • Hammerstein wrote the version of Cinderella which has Brandy in the starring role.

4. Stephen Sondheim • Hammerstein trained Sondheim to write four musicals based on the following instructions: • Base it on a play he already admired • Base it on a play he liked, but thought was flawed • Base it on an existing short story or novel that had yet to be made into a play • Write a completely original play • (These plays were never produced, but it helped Sondheim develop his art)

5. Stephen Sondheim • Started out his adult life living with his father, writing for a television series called “Topper.” • First big break came in 1957 when he wrote the lyrics to West Side Story • In 1959 he wrote Gypsy • 1985 – won the Pulitzer Prize for drama along with James Lapine for their musical Sunday in the Park with George • Into the Woods (also co-written by James Lapine) won three Tony Awards and four Drama Desk Awards

6. West Side Story • Setting: the late 1950s • A musical which is loosely based on Romeo and Juliet. A boy and girl from two very different families (Polish and Puerto Rican) meet each other and fall in love amidst gang violence in New York City. • Opened on Broadway on September 26, 1957 • Won three Tony Awards and two Theatre World Awards over the course of its first run and two Broadway revivals