Wednesday, September 15, 2010

STEPHEN SONDHEIM THEATRE Marquee Lighting

Stephen Sondheim, Patti Lupone and Tom Tuft
Patti Lupone
Nathan Lane
Stephen Sondheim
Stephen Sondheim's name is now in marquee lights of a Broadway theatre. Earlier this evening, the Stephen Sondheim Theatre marquee lighting took place at 124 West 43rd Street. To honor the most celebrated artist in American musical theatre, some of Mr. Sondheim's collaborators were present including Broadway stars, Patti Lupone and Nathan Lane, as well as librettist, John Weidman. Formerly the Henry Miller's Theatre, the newly constructed venue opened in the fall of 2009 and is operated by the Roundabout Theatre. 

ABOUT STEPHEN SONDHEIM (from Playbill.com)

Sondheim has one foot in the Golden Age of the American book musical (withGypsy and West Side Story) and one in the modern world of the concept musical, which sought to tell stories in fresh ways (Company, Follies, Pacific Overtures). Like his mentor, Oscar Hammerstein II, he changed the nature of musical theatre forever, influencing subsequent generations of writers.

Sondheim is the winner of an Academy Award, many Tony Awards, multiple Grammy Awards and a Pulitzer Prize. Some of his other accolades include a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Kennedy Center Honors (1993), the National Medal of Arts (1996), the American Academy of Arts and Letters' Gold Medal for Music (2006) and a special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre (2008).

Sondheim wrote the music and lyrics for Road Show (2008), Passion (1994),Assassins (1991), Into the Woods (1987), Sunday in the Park with George(1984), Merrily We Roll Along (1981), Sweeney Todd (1979), Pacific Overtures (1976), The Frogs (1974), A Little Night Music (1973), Follies(1971; revised in London, 1987), Company (1970), Anyone Can Whistle(1964) and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1962), as well as the lyrics for West Side Story (1957), Gypsy (1959), Do I Hear a Waltz? (1965) and additional lyrics for Candide (1973). Side by Side by Sondheim (1976), Marry Me a Little (1981), You're Gonna Love Tomorrow(1983) and Putting It Together (1993/99) are anthologies of his work, as is the new musical Sondheim on Sondheim. He composed the film scores of "Stavisky" (1974) and "Reds" (1981) and songs for "Dick Tracy" (Academy Award, 1990). He also wrote songs for the television production "Evening Primrose" (1966), co-authored, with Anthony Perkins, the film "The Last of Sheila" (1973) and, with George Furth, the play Getting Away with Murder(1996), and provided incidental music for the plays The Girls of Summer(1956), Invitation to a March (1961) and Twigs (1971). He won Tony Awards for Best Score for a Musical for Passion, Into the Woods, Sweeney Todd, A Little Night Music, Follies and Company. All of these shows won the New York Drama Critics Circle Award, as did Pacific Overtures and Sunday in the Park with George, the latter also receiving the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Saturday Night (1954), his first professional musical, finally had its New York premiere in 1999 at Second Stage Theatre.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Wow, Sondheim has done some great work, just look at the body of work he's produced. If anyone is involved in a local theatere production, or is thinking about starting something, there are some great theatrical supplies available on the web to get you started.