Sondheim shows and biography
Sondheim shows and biography children.
Stephen Sondheim
1930-2021
Who Was Stephen Sondheim?
After early practice at songwriting, Stephen Sondheim's knowledge of musical theater was influenced by master lyricist Oscar Hammerstein II, who served as a mentor.
Sondheim shows and biography
Sondheim's contributions to West Side Story and Gypsy in the 1950s brought him recognition as a rising star of Broadway. Known for the startling complexity of his lyricism and music, his major works for the theater also include A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Sweeney Todd, Sunday in the Park With George and Into the Woods.
Early Life and Musical Interests
Stephen Joshua Sondheim was born on March 22, 1930, in New York City.
His parents, Herbert and Janet (née Fox) Sondheim, worked in New York's garment industry; his father was a dress manufacturer and his mother was a designer. They divorced in 1942 and Sondheim moved to Doylestown, Pennsylvania, with his mother.
He began studying piano and organ at a young age, and he was already p