Stephen Sondheim

Stephen Sondheim

Born: March 22, 1930
Died: November 26, 2021
in New York City, New York, USA
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Stephen Joshua Sondheim (March 22, 1930 – November 26, 2021) was an American composer and lyricist. Among the most important figures in 20th-century musical theater, Sondheim was praised for having "reinvented the American musical" with shows that tackled "unexpected themes that range far beyond the [genre's] traditional subjects" with "music and lyrics of unprecedented complexity and sophistication". His shows addressed "darker, more harrowing elements of the human experience" with songs often tinged with "ambivalence" about various aspects of life.

Sondheim started his theatre career by writing the lyrics for West Side Story (1957) and Gypsy (1959) before becoming a composer and lyricist. Sondheim's best-known works include A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1962), Company (1970), Follies (1971), A Little Night Music (1973), Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (1979), Merrily We Roll Along (1981), Sunday in the Park with George (1984), and Into the Woods (1987).

Sondheim's accolades include eight Tony Awards (including a Lifetime Achievement Tony in 2008), an Academy Award, eight Grammy Awards, a Pulitzer Prize, a Laurence Olivier Award, and a 2015 Presidential Medal of Freedom. He has a theater named for him both on Broadway and in the West End of London. Sondheim wrote film music, contributing "Goodbye for Now" for Warren Beatty's Reds (1981). He wrote five songs for 1990's Dick Tracy, including "Sooner or Later (I Always Get My Man)", sung in the film by Madonna, which won the Academy Award for Best Original Song. Film adaptations of Sondheim's work include West Side Story (1961), Gypsy (1962), A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1966), A Little Night Music (1977), Gypsy (1993), Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007), Into the Woods (2014), West Side Story (2021), and Merrily We Roll Along (TBD).

Movies for Stephen Sondheim...

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery
Title: Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery
Character: Stephen Sondheim
Released: November 12, 2022
Type: Movie
World-famous detective Benoit Blanc heads to Greece to peel back the layers of a mystery surrounding a tech billionaire and his eclectic crew of friends.
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Keeping Company with Sondheim
Title: Keeping Company with Sondheim
Character: Self
Released: May 27, 2022
Type: Movie
Filmed over two years, this new documentary takes an exclusive inside look at Tony-winning director Marianne Elliott’s creative process of bringing a reimagined gender-swapped production of Stephen Sondheim and George Furth’s musical Company to Broadway during the COVID-19 pandemic. Featuring rehearsal and performance footage, plus new interviews with Elliott, Sondheim, Katrina Lenk, Patti LuPone and members of the original 1970 cast, the broadcast tells the story of the show’s Broadway debut in a city on the verge of bankruptcy to its reimagination 50 years later as both Broadway and New York City emerge from one of the greatest crises in contemporary history.
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The Stories of West Side Story
Title: The Stories of West Side Story
Character: Self
Released: March 2, 2022
Type: Movie
Rejoice in the astonishing all-new footage of Spielberg at work in documentary filmmaker Laurent Bouzereau’s revealing The Stories of West Side Story. Composed of Opening, Prologue, Sharks & Jets, Dance at the Gym, The Romance, America, Gee, Officer Krupke, Cool, From Quintet to the Rumble, I Feel Pretty, Somewhere, Finale, and Tribute.
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Cameron Mackintosh - The First 50 Years
Title: Cameron Mackintosh - The First 50 Years
Character: Self
Released: December 27, 2021
Type: Movie
Archival footage provides a glimpse into the life of Cameron Mackintosh; the storied producer famous for Les Misérables, Phantom of the Opera, Cats and many more.
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Something's Coming: West Side Story
Title: Something's Coming: West Side Story
Character: Self
Released: December 5, 2021
Type: Movie
Incredible video behind-the-scenes with the stars, Steven Spielberg, and see one of the last interviews with the legendary Stephen Sondheim.
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tick, tick... BOOM!
Title: tick, tick... BOOM!
Character: Stephen Sondheim (voice on phone) (uncredited)
Released: November 11, 2021
Type: Movie
On the brink of turning 30, a promising theater composer navigates love, friendship and the pressure to create something great before time runs out.
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On Broadway
Title: On Broadway
Character: Self (archive footage)
Released: October 12, 2019
Type: Movie
An all-star cast tells the inside story of the Broadway theater, and how it came back from the brink thanks to innovative work, a new attention to inclusion and a sometimes uneasy balance between art and commerce. Legends of the stage and screen—including Helen Mirren, Christine Baranski, August Wilson, James Corden, Alec Baldwin, John Lithgow, Viola Davis, Hugh Jackman and Ian McKellen—take us behind the scenes of Broadway's most groundbreaking and beloved shows, from A Chorus Line to Hamilton. Iconic performances by Lin Manuel Miranda, Patti LuPone, Bernadette Peters, James Earl Jones and Mandy Patinkin lead the way on a hurly burly ride through Times Square, once again the main street of American show business in this documentary directed by Academy-Award nominee Oren Jacoby.
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Harold Prince: The Director's Life
Title: Harold Prince: The Director's Life
Released: November 23, 2018
Type: Movie
Featuring archival clips from his many groundbreaking productions, the performance-documentary includes interviews with many of Prince's collaborators, including Stephen Sondheim, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Mandy Patinkin, John Kander, Susan Stroman, and Angela Lansbury, all sharing their firsthand insights into his pioneering achievements in the theatre.
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West Side Stories: The Making of a Classic
Title: West Side Stories: The Making of a Classic
Character: Self
Released: December 26, 2016
Type: Movie
As the world prepares to celebrate the 60th anniversary of West Side Story in 2017, dancer Bruno Tonioli and broadcaster Suzy Klein go in search of the true stories behind the inception of this classic show. For the first time on television, they hear first-hand from those involved in the show when it opened on Broadway in September 1957, including Sondheim himself, producer Hal Prince and original cast members from both show and movie, including Chita Rivera Carol Lawrence and Rita Moreno. With the BBC Symphony Orchestra and specially cast singers, we re-live some of the wonderful music and, in the company of Suzy and Bruno, we discover how West Side Story placed the 1950s phenomena of racial tension and teenage gangs centre stage to create a hit that changed musical theatre forever.
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Best Worst Thing That Ever Could Have Happened...
Title: Best Worst Thing That Ever Could Have Happened...
Character: Self
Released: October 9, 2016
Type: Movie
This film from acclaimed theater director Lonny Price charts the journey of the original cast of Stephen Sondheim's "Merrily We Roll Along" in the 30-plus years since the musical debuted on Broadway at the Alvin Theatre in 1981.
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Title: The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
Character: Self
Released: September 8, 2015
Type: TV
Stephen Colbert brings his signature satire and comedy to The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, the #1 show in late night, where he talks with an eclectic mix of guests about what is new and relevant in the worlds of politics, entertainment, business, music, technology, and more. Featuring bandleader Jon Batiste with his band Stay Human, the Emmy Award-nominated show is broadcast from the historic Ed Sullivan Theater. Stephen Colbert, Chris Licht, Tom Purcell, and Jon Stewart are executive producers. Barry Julien and Denise Rehrig serve as co-executive producers.must watch
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Six by Sondheim
Title: Six by Sondheim
Character: Self / Joe
Released: December 9, 2013
Type: Movie
This intimate documentary explores the life and career of the stage legend Stephen Sondheim through six of his best-known songs.
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A Place for Us: West Side Story's Legacy
Title: A Place for Us: West Side Story's Legacy
Character: Self
Released: November 15, 2011
Type: Movie
A documentary with stars from the original cast.
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Sondheim! The Birthday Concert
Title: Sondheim! The Birthday Concert
Character: Self - Honoree
Released: November 16, 2010
Type: Movie
Join us for a rousing celebration of the life and works of one of Broadway's greatest legends — the one and only Stephen Sondheim. For the master composer and lyricist's 80th birthday, many of musical theater's brightest stars gathered in March of 2010 to perform more than two dozen sensational numbers from Sondheim's illustrious career, and several of these enduring songs are performed by the original Broadway cast members. David Hyde Pierce hosts this magical event with Stephen Sondheim's longtime collaborator Paul Gemignani conducting the New York Philharmonic. Originally broadcast as an episode of the PBS series "Great Performances" (season 38, episode 2).
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Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street - Burton + Carter + Depp = Todd
Title: Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street - Burton + Carter + Depp = Todd
Character: Self
Released: April 1, 2008
Type: Movie
A general making-of piece featuring principal members of the cast and crew. A brief history of the demon barber is provided, as well as the actors' preparation for their singing roles and glimpses of the set design and general production.
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Witness to 'Reds'
Title: Witness to 'Reds'
Character: Self
Released: October 17, 2006
Type: Movie
Cast and crew of "Reds" revisit their memories and stories while making the film.
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Title: The Colbert Report
Released: October 17, 2005
Type: TV
The Colbert Report is an American satirical late night television program that airs Monday through Thursday on Comedy Central. It stars political humorist Stephen Colbert, a former correspondent for The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. The Colbert Report is a spin-off from and counterpart to The Daily Show that comments on politics and the media in a similar way. It satirizes conservative personality-driven political pundit programs, particularly Fox News' The O'Reilly Factor. The show focuses on a fictional anchorman character named Stephen Colbert, played by his real-life namesake. The character, described by Colbert as a "well-intentioned, poorly informed, high-status idiot", is a caricature of televised political pundits. The Colbert Report has been nominated for seven Primetime Emmy Awards each in 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012, two Television Critics Association Awards Awards, and two Satellite Awards. In 2013, it won two Emmys. It has been presented as non-satirical journalism in several instances, including by the Tom DeLay Legal Defense Trust and by Robert Wexler following his interview on the program. The Report received considerable media coverage following its debut on October 17, 2005, for Colbert's coining of the term "truthiness", which dictionary publisher Merriam-Webster named its 2006 Word of the Year.
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Title: Broadway: The American Musical
Character: Self
Released: October 19, 2004
Type: TV
This six part documentary miniseries presents the evolution of the Broadway musical from its inception in 1893 to current day 2004. It presents those influential players both on stage and behind the scenes, as well as a variety of influential Broadway shows, a handful which are known to have transformed the musical into what the audience knows it to be today.
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Camp
Title: Camp
Character: Self
Released: September 5, 2003
Type: Movie
Misfits in their lives back home, a group of young people live it up at musical-theater camp. While the sports counselor is completely ignored, the kids' spend all their time in rehearsal for a grueling schedule that involves a new show every two weeks. Several personal stories come to the fore.
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West Side Memories
Title: West Side Memories
Character: Self
Released: April 1, 2003
Type: Movie
Documentary attached to the 50th anniversary MGM Blu-ray collection of "West Side Story" (1961). Details how this successful stage production was reared and molded into a beautiful cinematic one. Deep-dives into Jerome Robbins' choreography and Leonard Bernstein's score-making processes.
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Broadway: The Golden Age, by the Legends Who Were There
Title: Broadway: The Golden Age, by the Legends Who Were There
Character: Self
Released: January 1, 2003
Type: Movie
Broadway: The Golden Age is the most important, ambitious and comprehensive film ever made about America's most celebrated indigenous art form. Award-winning filmmaker Rick McKay filmed over 100 of the greatest stars ever to work on Broadway or in Hollywood. He soon learned that great films can be restored, fine literature can be kept in print - but historic Broadway performances of the past are the most endangered. They leave only memories that, while more vivid, are more difficult to preserve. In their own words — and not a moment too soon — Broadway: The Golden Age tells the stories of our theatrical legends, how they came to New York, and how they created this legendary century in American theatre. This is the largest cast of legends ever in one film.
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The Making of Sweeney Todd at the San Francisco Symphony
Title: The Making of Sweeney Todd at the San Francisco Symphony
Character: Self
Released: May 1, 2002
Type: Movie
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Hey, Mr. Producer! The Musical World of Cameron Mackintosh
Title: Hey, Mr. Producer! The Musical World of Cameron Mackintosh
Character: Self
Released: November 7, 1998
Type: Movie
'Hey, Mr Producer!' features selected scenes from the productions of the world's most successful musical producer, Cameron Mackintosh - classic songs from classic musicals performed by the ultimate cast.
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Title: Inside the Actors Studio
Character: Self
Released: August 14, 1994
Type: TV
James Lipton sits down with some of the world's most accomplished actors and directors for penetrating, fascinating interviews.
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Sondheim: A Celebration at Carnegie Hall
Title: Sondheim: A Celebration at Carnegie Hall
Character: Self
Released: June 10, 1992
Type: Movie
This program features the music of Broadway composer Stephen Sondheim in a 1992 performance at Carnegie Hall. An American Musical Theatre writer for over 40 years, Stephen Sondheim has created the scores for hits such as Passion, Assassins, Bounce, Into The Woods, Sunday In The Park With George, Merrily We Roll Along, Sweeney Todd and Pacific Overtures. Featuring: Liza Minnelli, Patti LuPone, Bernadette Peters, Glenn Close and many more.
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Title: Pebble Mill
Character: Self
Released: October 14, 1991
Type: TV
Pebble Mill was a re-launched version of the 1970s daily chat show Pebble Mill (also known as Pebble Mill At One for a while) which aired on BBC1 in the United Kingdom. The series premiered on October 14, 1991. The show was a mixture of celebrity guests and music. Alan Titchmarsh was a presenter on the show throughout it's complete run. Other presenters included Judi Spiers, Gloria Hunniford and Ross King.
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Assassins: A Conversationpiece
Title: Assassins: A Conversationpiece
Character: Self
Released: June 1, 1991
Type: Movie
Stephen Sondheim and librettist John Weidman discuss their stage musical Assassins, and offer advice for future productions. Sondheim, seated at a piano, focuses on the arrangement of his score, singing excerpts from the show's songs as examples. Weidman focuses on his text and the meaning of individual sequences. Scenic designer Loren Sherman, who designed the set for the 1990 Off-Broadway production of the show at Playwrights Horizons, displays his model for the set and offers advice on dealing with the scenic design challenges presented by the show. Each man appears separately and addresses the camera directly, with no interviewer present.
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Into the Woods: A Conversationpiece
Title: Into the Woods: A Conversationpiece
Character: Self
Released: May 15, 1990
Type: Movie
Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine discuss their stage musical Into the Woods
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Sunday in the Park with...Stephen
Title: Sunday in the Park with...Stephen
Released: March 20, 1990
Type: Movie
Documentary that follows Stephen Sondheim, during his spell as visiting professor of drama at Oxford University, as he takes students through the creative process of writing a musical. The film was made during rehearsals for the UK premiere of Sunday in the Park with George, which won the Olivier Award for best musical in 1991.
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Title: The Simpsons
Character: Stephen Sondheim (voice)
Released: December 17, 1989
Type: TV
Set in Springfield, the average American town, the show focuses on the antics and everyday adventures of the Simpson family; Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie, as well as a virtual cast of thousands. Since the beginning, the series has been a pop culture icon, attracting hundreds of celebrities to guest star. The show has also made name for itself in its fearless satirical take on politics, media and American life in general.
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Follies: In Concert
Title: Follies: In Concert
Character: Self- Composer
Released: March 14, 1986
Type: Movie
A backstage documentary film including footage from the legendary 1985 concert performance of Stephen Sondheim's classic musical at Lincoln Center's Avery Fisher Hall. The plot of the musical centers around a reunion of showgirls who appeared in an annual Follies extravaganza when it was staged between the wars.
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Putting it Together: The Making of the Broadway Album
Title: Putting it Together: The Making of the Broadway Album
Character: Himself
Released: January 1, 1985
Type: Movie
In 1985, Barbra Streisand released "The Broadway Album," which remains one of her most popular records. Barbra's first television special on HBO debuted in 1986. The special—which combined an interview with director William Friedkin with documentary footage of Barbra in the recording studio making 'The Broadway Album' - was only 40 minutes long. The best of Broadway comes to life in the tour, as Streisand rehearses "Putting it Together," "Can't Help Lovin' That Man of Mine" and "If I Loved You." Also included is the music video for "Somewhere."
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Sweeney Todd: Scenes from the Making of a Musical
Title: Sweeney Todd: Scenes from the Making of a Musical
Character: Self
Released: July 26, 1980
Type: Movie
Opening with the first day of rehearsals of the London production of "Sweeney Todd", this ninety-minute documentary focuses on the rehearsal process with the musical's director, composer and actors.
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Title: The Kennedy Center Honors
Character: Self
Released: December 28, 1978
Type: TV
The Kennedy Center Honors is an annual honor given to those in the performing arts for their lifetime of contributions to American culture.
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Title: Previn and the Pittsburgh
Character: Self
Released: February 27, 1977
Type: TV
Renowned composer, conductor, and pianist Andre Previn welcomes one or more musical guests for conversation and performance, either accompanied by Mr. Previn on piano or in concert with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. Produced by WQED and syndicated nationally on PBS, the series was notable among musical performance programs for its deft camera work and editing. The episode The Music That Made the Movies was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Music Direction.
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Title: Live from Lincoln Center
Character: Self
Released: January 30, 1976
Type: TV
Since premiering in 1976, the landmark series has sought to democratize the world of the performing arts by making Lincoln Center's historic concerts and events available for public broadcast across the country. And it continues to push the boundaries, both technical and creative, of what is possible in the realm of stage performance capture.
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June Moon
Title: June Moon
Character: Maxie Schwartz
Released: January 30, 1974
Type: Movie
In this rousing satire a native upstate New York clerk comes to 1920s Manhattan with dreams of making in big on Tin Pan Alley.
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The Last of Sheila Featurette
Title: The Last of Sheila Featurette
Character: Self
Released: January 1, 1973
Type: Movie
A short documentary released as pre-publicity for the 1973 murder mystery, The Last of Sheila.
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Sondheim: A Musical Tribute
Title: Sondheim: A Musical Tribute
Released: January 1, 1973
Type: Movie
A short documentary concerning the preparations and rehearsals for the March 11, 1973 benefit tribute to Stephen Sondheim. Includes a photo-montage of the concert finale in which Sondheim sings Anyone Can Whistle.
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Title: Great Performances
Character: Self
Released: January 28, 1971
Type: TV
The best in the performing arts from across America and around the world including a diverse programming portfolio of classical music, opera, popular song, musical theater, dance, drama, and performance documentaries.
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Title: Great Performances
Character: Maxie Schwartz
Released: January 28, 1971
Type: TV
The best in the performing arts from across America and around the world including a diverse programming portfolio of classical music, opera, popular song, musical theater, dance, drama, and performance documentaries.
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Original Cast Album: Company
Title: Original Cast Album: Company
Character: Self
Released: October 28, 1970
Type: Movie
In 1970, right after the triumphant premiere of Stephen Sondheim’s groundbreaking concept musical Company, the renowned composer and lyricist, his director Harold Prince, the show’s stars, and a large pit orchestra all went into a Manhattan recording studio as part of a time-honored Broadway tradition: the making of the original cast album. What ensued was a marathon session in which, with the pressures of posterity and the coolly exacting Sondheim’s perfectionism hanging over them, all involved pushed themselves to the limit.
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Title: The Merv Griffin Show
Character: Self
Released: October 1, 1962
Type: TV
The Merv Griffin Show is an American television talk show, starring Merv Griffin. The series ran from October 1, 1962 to March 29, 1963 on NBC, September 20, 1965 to August 15, 1969 in first-run syndication, from August 18, 1969 to February 11, 1972 at 11:30 PM ET weeknights on CBS and again in first-run syndication from February 14, 1972 to September 5, 1986.
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Title: Tony Awards
Character: Self - Nominee
Released: April 1, 1956
Type: TV
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway productions and performances, and an award is given for regional theatre.
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Title: The Oscars
Character: Self (archive footage)
Released: March 19, 1953
Type: TV
An annual American awards ceremony honoring cinematic achievements in the film industry. The various category winners are awarded a copy of a statuette, officially the Academy Award of Merit, that is better known by its nickname Oscar.