Zoe Sachs
Annalise Routenberg
Tessa McManus
November 22, 2010
Advanced Drama C Block
Advanced Drama C Block
Order Out of Chaos: the Life of Stephen Sondheim
Stephen Sondheim has been a fundamental figure in American musical theater for the last thirty years. From his eight Tony Awards, several Grammy Awards, an Academy Award, and a Pulitzer Prize; there is no questioning the extraordinary legacy he has left behind. From his troubling childhood, early start in theater, and the powerful impact he made in American theater, Stephen Sondheim’s life is one like no other.
Stephen Sondheim was born on March 22, 1930 into a very Jewish family. He first lived in New York and then in Pennsylvania. Sondheim did not look back on his childhood as a good one. After his father abandoned him and his mother when he was ten years old, his relationship with his mother was extremely damaged. She was an unstable mother on her own, and became psychologically abusive to her son. Their relationship grew so estranged, Sondheim did not even attend his mother’s funeral in 1992.
Another factor of Sondheim’s childhood that greatly affected him later in life was his relationship with the famous lyricist and playwright, Oscar Hammerstein. Sondheim befriended Hammerstein’s son, Jimmy, right around the time of his parents divorce at the age of ten. Oscar Hammerstein quickly developed into a father figure for Sondheim, removing the young boy from his current family situation as much as he could. As Sondheim’s interest in theater increased, their friendship evolved into a mentorship, where Hammerstein inspired, advised, and taught Sondheim throughout his early theater career.
Sondheim’s relationship with Oscar Hammerstein is one of the main things that made him so interested in theater. He even once said “I would have been a geologist”, if Hammerstein had been, because that is how much he inspired Stephen. The first monumental theater achievement for Sondheim was writing the lyrics to West Side Story, writing along to Leonard Bernstein’s composition. Following that, he wrote the lyrics to Gypsy and A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum. His first musical was Anyone Can Whistle in 1964. This show was not a commercial success but is rememberd as the first starring role for Broadway star, Angela Lansbury.
Following Anyone Can Whistle, Sondheim went on to compose many incredibly successful musicals. He worked with Harold (Hal) Prince, the owner of a remarkable twenty-one tony awards, on most of these musicals. He wrote the “concept musical”, or a musical based on one central idea or concept, Company, in 1970. It was a daring idea, and it was a huge success. Following Company, Stephen went on to write A Little Night Music. The title of the show is a direct translation of Mozart’s song Eine kleine Nachtmusik. This show involves many characters, and along with those characters there are many love interests and triangles. Sondheim wrote the music to Sweeny Todd as well, a show about a demonic barber. This show, set in the 1800’s in London, illustrates the horrific decisions people can make. Sondheim has a wide perception of the world, and he write about so many different times and life experiences. He wrote many other works, including Into The Woods, Merrily We Roll Along, Sunday In The Park With George, and many more.
Sondheim’s inspiration for Sweeny Todd: the Demon Barber of Fleet Street came from his passion for murder mysteries and suspense movies. His personal favorite was a melodrama entitled Hangover Square. The background music in the movie both haunted and ignited a passion inside Sondheim and shortly after seeing a production of Christopher Bond’s version of Sweeny Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street he decided to create a musical. Sondheim describes his reaction in his new book, Finishing the Hat. “It immediately struck me as material for a musical horror story, one which would not be sung-through but which would be held together by ceaseless underscoring that would keep an audience in suspense and maybe even scare the hell out of them. It would, in fact, be my tribute to Bernard Herrmann and Hangover Square.” (332) The musical describes the life of Benjamin Barker, a former barber from London who was sent away by the Judge Turpin so the Judge could marry Barker’s wife. Barker, who now goes under the name of Sweeny Todd, returns to London with the help of his new companion, Anthony with the intent of getting revenge on the Judge. He reunites with his old friend, Nellie Lovett and together they wreck havoc and seek revenge on every citizen in London. Sondheim describes his masterpiece as a “dark operetta”. He explains that “Sweeny Todd is really a movie for the stage.” Sondheim’s masterpiece starts with a shrieking whistle that captures the audience’s attention, and continues to hold them with haunting melodies and shocking plot twists. Every single Sondheim musical has something to bring to its audience, a message that stays with them even after the show itself has ended. Sondheim’s musical Company (1970) forces the audience to face problems they have all become familiar with surrounding relationships and the complications they can bring. His musical, Into the Woods (1987), leaves the audience with the familiar warning, be careful what you wish for because it just might come true. It reminds its viewers of the consequence that lurks behind every hope. Sweeny Todd, however, is a mystery as to what message Sondheim is trying to portray to the audience. He could be reminding them the consequences that come with seeking revenge, or it could be a warning, be cautious of beauty and love and what it can do to a person.
Who else but Sondheim could get us whistling tunes while the characters consume their neighbors who have been baked into pies? Sondheim’s musicals create a range of their own, between lyrics that confess love and anger towards another race to a musical written about assassins and death? Stephen Sondheim can be considered America’s most innovative and unique composer, lyricist, and playwright due to his amazing list of 19 musicals and numerous other plays. With frighteningly sharp lyrics, unique rhythms, and songs that strike fear into the most experienced of singers, Sondheim has really taken his mentor’s words to heart and taken all of musical theater to the next level.
Works Cited
George, By. "Stephen Sondheim Biography - Life, Parents, Story, School, Mother, Young, Son, Information, Born, College, Marriage, Time, Year." Encyclopedia of World Biography. Web. 22 Nov. 2010. <http://www.notablebiographies.com/Sc-St/Sondheim-Stephen.html>.
"Stephen Sondheim Biography -- Academy of Achievement." Academy of Achievement Main Menu. Web. 22 Nov. 2010. <http://www.achievement.org/autodoc/page/son0bio-1>.
Sondheim, Stephen. Finishing the Hat. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2010. Print.
