Stephen Sondheim

STEPHEN SONDHEIM d2021. American composer and lyricist. Regarded as one of the most important figures in 20th-century musical theater, he is credited for reinventing the American musical. With his frequent collaborations with Hal Prince and James Lapine, his Broadway musicals tackled unexpected themes. He began his career by writing the lyrics for West Side Story (1957) and Gypsy (1959). He transitioned to writing both music and lyrics for the theater, with his best-known works including ; A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1962) / Company (1970) / Follies (1971) / A Little Night Music (1973) / Sweeney Todd : The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (1979) / Merrily We Roll Along (1981) / Sunday in the Park with George (1984) and Into the Woods (1987). His numerous awards and nominations include ; eight Tony Awards (including a Lifetime Achievement Tony in 2008) / an Academy Award / eight Grammy Awards / an Olivier Award and a Pulitzer Prize. Film adaptations of his works include ; West Side Story (1961) / A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1966) / A Little Night Music (1977) / Sweeney Todd : The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007) / Into the Woods (2014) and West Side Story (2021). He died in Connecticut aged 91 on November 26th 2021