Stephen Sondheim

Stephen Sondheim Stephens’s contribution to contemporary music particularly the American musical has been a sensation in many ways. From composing outstanding pieces to influencing people’s participation in music, the composer takes credit for advancing creativity in music in many places across the globe. Even though many people acknowledge the efforts of the composer, few are unaware of his immense contribution to music. This study will highlight the factors that led to Stephens’s success in modern musical theatre. My objective is to give audiences an insight into the life of the composer, as well as the contribution of the lyrists in the musical theatre scene. Throughout the discussions, the paper will also examine the history of the composer…

The Legacy of Sondheim Since his arrival in the 1950’s Stephen Sondheim’s name has become almost synonymous with musical theater. Since his breakout role as the lyricist for West Side Story, which opened in 1957, Sondheim has gone on to contribute music and lyrics to shows such as Into the Woods, Sweeny Todd and Gypsy. His works earned him a total of eight Grammy Awards, one Academy Award, a Pulitzer Prize and eight Tony Awards, more than any other composer. Considering the span of his career,…

Whether your trip to the woods in Ridley High School was to visit your grandmother, sell your cow, or break a spell, no doubt you enjoyed the stay. Into the Woods, by Stephen Sondheim, follows the story of a number of well-known fairy tales - Cinderella, Rapunzel, Jack and the Beanstalk, and Little Red Riding Hood, along with the addition of two original characters, the Baker and his Wife. The first act retells the original stories, with some slight changes, as all of them are intertwined in…

Plains, New York. His parents, Allan and Nanette Larson, were Jewish, which explains some of the content and themes in his work. Larson was musical from a young age. As a child Larson was exposed to music and theater. He sung, played the trumpet, tuba, and piano. He was very musically influenced by the genre of classic rock. In high school he was prominent in acting. Larson played lead roles throughout his high school career. Following high school, Larson went to Adelphi University in Garden…

Critical Analysis: Into the Woods For my first critique paper, I would like to talk about my participation in the play Into the Woods. This play was performed in Meridian Community College’s McCain Theater. The author of Into the Woods is James Lapine; the composer of the music and lyrics is Stephen Sondheim. Lapine is known for bringing the story and characters to life while Sondheim is known for creating the music for this play. Sondheim brings great emotion and humor to this play with his…

story, it would just be a break from the Dialogue. But this song would start a trend in the musical theatre by having the songs tell the story instead of only the Dialogue. This song would go on to be recorded by Frank Sinatra in Nineteen Sixty-Three. After the whole standard popular music started to move into a different direction with Motown and rock music. These popular music elements would influence the new generation of writers. In the seventies and eighties, the popular music scene began…

rehearsing, costuming, memorizing lines, blocking, stepping out on the stage opening night, bowing for curtain call, meeting the audience. I love acting. I live to do it, and it defines me. In college, I hope to pursue theatre as a major and develop my skills, eventually making it into a career. And I will approach all the challenges of college as an actor does by being as dedicated to my studies as I am to my shows and displaying my passion for theatre and education. The dictionary defines…

conventional musical formula. Of the shows discussed in class since the midterm exam, the most conventional show would be Leonard Bernstein’s West Side Story. West Side Story seemed to follow the conventions of the Rodgers and Hammerstein II duos. There are many similarities between this musical and the duos’ shows. For example, there are multiple love affairs involved (Anita and Bernardo, Tony and Maria). There are aspects of the music that help the audience relate to the characters and show…

Jerome Robbins was known as one of the great choreographers of all time, as a genius, as a friend to the rich and famous (and, indeed, “one of them”: He danced with Lauren Bacall at Truman Capote’s Black and White Ball), as one of the four closeted gay Jewish men who made West Side Story , as a person who enjoyed humiliating young male ballet dancers during rehearsals and referring to some of the female ones with the four-letter word that begins with a “c,” as an informer, and as co-founding…

establishing Signature Theatre’s reputation in the theatre world. In the past twenty-five years, Signature has continued to rise and grow, and their excellence grew as they gained attention from audiences and talent around the country. Today, Signature Theatre’s is a leading force in musical theatre known for their “…definitive Sondheim productions, inventive adaptations of overlooked or forgotten works, and investment in fresh new projects.” They have received one of theaters highest…