Stephen Sondheim

22 March 1930 – 26 November 2021

Stephen Sondheim was an American composer and lyricist who worked primarily in musical theatre. He first gained wide attention as the lyricist for West Side Story and Gypsy before writing both music and lyrics for works including Company, Follies, A Little Night Music, Sweeney Todd, Sunday in the Park with George and Into the Woods. His shows received numerous Tony Awards, and Sunday in the Park with George received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.

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Well-documented people whose lives overlapped with Stephen Sondheim.

Life events

Born in New York City
22 March 1930

Sondheim was born in New York City to Herbert and Janet Sondheim.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
Birth ✓
Graduated from Williams College
1950

He studied music at Williams College and won a prize that funded further study with composer Milton Babbitt.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
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Wrote the lyrics for West Side Story
1957

He provided the lyrics for the Leonard Bernstein musical, which opened on Broadway in 1957.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
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Wrote the lyrics for Gypsy
1959

He wrote the lyrics to Jule Styne's score for Gypsy, which opened on Broadway in 1959.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
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A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum opened on Broadway
1962

This was the first Broadway production for which he wrote both music and lyrics, and it won the Tony Award for Best Musical.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
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Company opened on Broadway
1970

Company, directed by Harold Prince, began a series of collaborations between the two and won the Tony Award for Best Musical.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
Achievement ✓
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street opened on Broadway
1979

The musical thriller won the Tony Award for Best Musical and has since been widely staged by opera companies.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
Achievement ✓
Awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Drama for Sunday in the Park with George
1985

He shared the prize with the show's book writer and director, James Lapine.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
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Married Jeff Romley
2017

Sondheim married his longtime partner Jeff Romley in 2017.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
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Died in Roxbury, Connecticut
26 November 2021

He died at his home in Roxbury, Connecticut, at the age of 91.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
Death ✓