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22 March: Stephen Sondheim, Broadway Composer and Lyricist

Theatrical lyricist and composer

b. March 22, 1930

"Art, in itself, is an attempt to bring order out of chaos."

Stephen Sondheim is hailed by The New York Times as the greatest artist in American musical theater. His most famous scores include “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum,” “Sweeney Todd,” and “Into the Woods,” for which he wrote both lyrics and music, and “West Side Story” and “Gypsy," for which he wrote the lyrics.

Sondheim was born in New York City, a son of wealthy dress manufacturers. As a result of his parents’ divorce, he grew up on the Upper West Side of Manhattan and on a farm in Bucks County, Pennsylvania.

Sondheim had the good fortune of befriending Jimmy Hammerstein, son of the well-known lyricist and playwright Oscar Hammerstein II. Entering into an informal apprenticeship with his friend’s father, Sondheim found in Oscar Hammerstein an inspiring mentor as well as a surrogate dad.

At prep school in Pennsylvania, Sondheim wrote a comic musical about the students and faculty. Expecting accolades, Sondheim proudly showed his musical to Hammerstein, who told him it was the worst work he had ever seen, and then offered his help. Sondheim claimed he learned more in that afternoon than in his entire formal education.

Sondheim graduated magna cum laude from Williams College in Massachusetts in 1950 and went on to study composition with composer Milton Babbitt. He found initial success with “West Side Story” (1957), for which he wrote the lyrics. The unexpected rhymes and clever use of language that became Sondheim’s signature helped “West Side Story” win the 1958 Tony Award for Best Musical. In 1961, the musical was adapted for film and won 10 Academy Awards.

Sondheim’s groundbreaking musicals often tackle unconventional topics—like the Victorian murder-revenge story “Sweeney Todd” (1979) and the anti-fairy-tale “Into the Woods” (1986)—or have innovative structures like the nonlinear and plotless “Company” (1970) and the characterless “Pacific Overtures” (1976). Broadway performers such as Chita Rivera, Bernadette Peters, Ethel Merman, Angela Lansbury, Patti LuPone, Nathan Lane and Whoopi Goldberg have starred in his musicals.

Sondheim has won an Academy Award, a Pulitzer Prize, and seven Grammy Awards. A winner of more Tony Awards than any other composer, he was honored with a Tony Lifetime Achievement Award in 2008.

Recordings, DVD

Gypsy: A Musical Fable (1959 )

West Side Story (Full Screen Edition) (1960)

Company (1970)

Follies in Concert

A Little Night Music (1973)

Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street (1979 )

Assassins (1991 Original Off-Broadway Cast)

Other Resources

Broadway: The American Musical (2004)

Websites

Sondheim.com

Rufus Wainwright, Singer/Songwriter

b. July 22, 1973

"It’s important for famous people to be an example for gay teens."

Known for his unique style and daring artistic endeavors, Rufus Wainwright is one of the most accomplished singer/songwriters of his generation. He has produced six albums and is the recipient of two Juno Awards and five GLAAD Media Awards.

Wainwright’s musical talent was shaped by his folksinger parents, Kate McGarrigle and Loudon Wainwright III. He was born in Rhinebeck, New York, and holds dual

United States

and Canadian citizenship. After his parents divorced, he spent most of his youth with his mother in Montreal.

At age 14, Wainwright broke into the entertainment world with a song he composed and sang in the film "Tommy Tricker and the Stamp Traveller," earning him a Juno Award nomination for "Most Promising Male Vocalist of the Year." That same year, he was sexually assaulted by a man he met at a bar. Deeply disturbed by the attack, he remained celibate for seven years.

In 1998, following the release of his first album, Wainwright was named "Best New Artist" by Rolling Stone. He composes music for theater, dance and opera, and has contributed to numerous film soundtracks, including "Moulin Rouge" and "Brokeback Mountain." Additionally, he has acted in "The Aviator" and "Heights," among other films.

As a collaborator, Wainwright has worked on albums with music greats Rosanne Cash and Elton John. John hailed him as "the greatest songwriter on the planet." His first opera, "Prima Donna," premiered in 2009 at the Manchester International Festival and was the subject of a documentary film that premiered on Bravo! in 2010.

Despite fame and success, Wainwright struggled with crystal meth addiction, a habit he eventually recovered from in 2002. With two decades of performing under his belt, Wainwright assures his fans that he won’t be retiring any time soon: “I am a self-sustaining, vibrant, long-term artist, and I’m not going away!”

Bibliography

"About Rufus Wainwright.” The Official Community of Rufus Wainwright. 20 May 2010.
"Kitty Empire talks to Rufus Wainwright." The Guardian. 21 May 2010.
Brown, Lane. "The Inquisition: Rufus Wainwright.” Spin Magazine Online. 19 May 2010.
Ganz, Caryn. "Rufus Wainwright.” Interview Magazine. 19 May 2010.
"Rufus Wainwright Biography.” Contactmusic.com. 19 May 2010.
"Rufus Wainwright Biography.” Biography.com. 19 May 2010.

Music by Rufus Wainwright
Rufus Wainwright Albums
“Moulin Rouge” Soundtrack
“Brokeback Mountain” Soundtrack

Video of Rufus Wainwright
All I Want: A Portrait of Rufus Wainwright

Websites
Rufus Wainwright on MySpace
Rufus Wainwright: NPR

Rufus Wainwright’s Social Network
Rufus Wainwright’s Facebook Fan Page
Rufus Wainwright’s Twitter Page

Stephen Sondheim, Broadway Composer and Lyricist