Stephen Sondheim Essays

Stephen Sondheim V.S. Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber is an interesting debate. According to Geoffrey Block, the author of Enchanted Evenings: The Broadway Musical from 'Show Boat' to Sondheim and Lloyd Webber, Sondheim was a “Critical Success” while Lloyd Webber was “Broadway’s Champion.” Block’s reasoning behind this has to do with popularity versus critical acclaim. Considering the category of popularity, Andrew Lloyd Webber is certainly the winner in that category. While Sondheim’s show's longest Broadway

Sondheim is one of the most respected American composers in the history of musical theater because of his vast contribution of over a dozen musicals, some that are staples in the history of American musical theater, to the ever-growing genre. Sondheim composed and wrote lyrics for nine Broadway shows from 1962 to 1984. According to IBDB.com those shows are: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1962), Anyone Can Whistle (1964), Company (1970), Follies (1971), A Little Night Music (1973)

A Brief Introduction To Stephen Sondheim Stephen Joshua Sondheim is an American songwriter who was born in New York on the 22nd of March 1930. His parents, Herbert and Janet Sondheim, got divorced when he was 12, in 1942. Sondheim then moved to Doylestown, Pennsylvania with his mother. There, he attended George school where he developed interest in practicing songwriting. He also began to learn the piano and organ at a young age. When he got to secondary school, Sondheim began studying the piano

Stephen Sondheim is a well known composer in the Broadway community. His rare talent of writing both music and lyrics has earned him a “cult following.” His followers adore him due to his sophisticated music, topics, and approaches; however, four musicals made a particular impact toward Sondheim’s life, and affected his songwriting career. These four musicals are West Side Story, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, and Sunday in the

Stephen Schwartz is a composer and lyricist known for his work on Godspell (1976), Pippin (1972), The Magic Show (1974), and most recently Wicked (2003). He studied music at Julliard and Carnegie Mellon University, before breaking into the performance industry as a producer. After producing he moved on to writing musicals for Broadway and songs for film. He has written songs for movies, such as Disney’s Pocahontas and The Hunchback of Notre Dame (“Biography The Pieces of My Heart”). But, his big

One such Broadway pioneer, Stephen Sondheim, develops a style that relies on wit and shock factor to make statements about American society. Unlike the musical comedies that initially set a precedent for their gaudy numbers that highlight the performers, Sondheim’s musicals contain strong

Vaughan’s style is very virtuosic. She began her career with an already large range and well-toned voice, but unlike her peers, her vocal diversity grew as she aged. Her quick and prominent slow vibrato was almost operatic in its quality, milking each and every note. (Gridley) Sarah Vaughan had many popular tunes, but her most well-known are "Misty", "Broken-Hearted Melody", and “Send in the Clowns”. "Misty", one of Vaughan's most famous works, was recorded in 1957. It is a song about blind love

Introduction "West Side Story" is a cultural touchstone that has captivated audiences since its debut on Broadway in 1957. Created by a powerhouse team of artists, including composer Leonard Bernstein, lyricist Stephen Sondheim, choreographer Jerome Robbins, and writer Arthur Laurents, the musical reimagines William Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet" against the backdrop of gang rivalry in 1950s New York City. The story centers on the forbidden love between Tony, a former member of the white American

For my final paper, I have decided to analyze the piece "Hoe Down" from Aaron Copland 's ballet, Rodeo. Rodeo is a upbeat piece that is a celebration of the American west and reflects a specific picture we have of ourselves. Rodeo originated from the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, with the music composed by Copland and the dance choreography by Agnes de Mille. The Ballet had it 's premiere at the Metropolitan Opera House on October 16, 1942. The ballet 's scene starts at Burnt Ranch where a cowgirl

Integration dominates musicals, with Richard Rogers and Oscar Hammerstein II credited as the most consistent writers of integrated shows. One of the first musicals they wrote together was an example cited most regularly as highlighting integration and that was Oklahoma! It was to be considered in the early 1960’s that within this period it was mostly associated with integration. Within Oklahoma! music, song, instrumental underscore, orchestra and ballet accompaniment magnifies the dramatic narrative

Shrek the Musical is a Broadway musical comedy that is created by DreamWorks Theatricals in 2008. It is adapted from Shrek, a 2001 DreamWorks Animation movie, as well as a 1990 children’s literature Shrek! written by William Steig. The original musical is directed by Jason Moore with book and lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire and music by Jeanine Tesori. After watching the recording version of Shrek the Musical, I consider that it is a successful production if the purpose of this musical is to amuse

“The Rite of Spring” was certainly the most controversial piece of orchestral music of its time. The piece, composed by the Russian Composer Igor Stravinsky, included a great deal of uncommon musical elements. But was it really that uncommon? The world-changing ballet, “The Rite of Spring” was so controversial when it debuted in 1913, because it completely contradicted the common rhythmic and harmonic languages of the music at the time. The choreography and costumes were a main part of the reason

Shrek the Musical is a Broadway musical comedy that is created by DreamWorks Theatricals in 2008. It is adapted from Shrek, a 2001 DreamWorks Animation movie, as well as a 1990 children’s literature Shrek! written by William Steig. The original musical is directed by Jason Moore with book and lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire and music by Jeanine Tesori. After watching the recording version of Shrek the Musical, I consider that it is a successful production if the purpose of this musical is to amuse

Accompanying Charles Kane success, failure, and death the music in “Citizen Kane” is an indispensable factor for its triumph. Citizen Kane is one of the greatest films to ever be produced believe many critics. Well, it is definitely a 1941 American Masterpiece attributed to Orsan Welles. In addition to directing the film, Welles produced, co-wrote, and starred in Citizen Kane. It is praised for its innovation in visual techniques, narrative methods and of course music. In this paper I will examine

Although some of Sondheim’s musicals did not achieve a great deal of success, nearly all of his musicals have only become more popular as times goes on. With such a broad range of styles and content, almost anyone could find one Sondheim musical that they like. Anyone Can Whistle was highly experimental musically and lyrically. Company, a concept musical, allowed for a whole new kind of musical to break through. Sunday in the Park with George brought a complexity to musical composition that had

Wicked is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz based on a book by Winnie Holzman. The musical is told from the perspective of the witches of the Land of Oz. Wicked celebrated its tenth anniversary on Broadway on 30 October 2013. It is the 9th longest-Broadway show, surpassing Beauty and the Beast. A typical performance runs for approximately two hours and thirty minutes. Wicked is famous for a long history, mighty messages and admirable songs. Wicked is a splendid show and have a

“The Broadway Musical” confirms that in 1968, the most expensive Broadway ticket price was eleven dollars. Today’s biggest price is around 140 dollars, but people can pay around 477 dollars for a premium orchestra seat. Because the national media has averted their attention away from Broadway, it is easier to sell shows based on a hit movie (Terry Teachout). Musicals are the heart and soul of Broadway. “Broadway Theatre” notes that The Black Crook, which debuted in New York on September 12, 1866

Harold Prince was born on January 30, 1928 in New York city. Since a young age, Harold Prince was surrounded by theater. He was taken to a broadway show by his theater loving parents, and it was then that he discovered his love and interest for theater. He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania at age 19, hoping to make his debut in the theater world. He started off with a sole interest in serious drama, however, in 1945 after seeing the musical On the Town, he found himself drawn to musical

the partnership of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II. This duo wrote many renowned musical plays, of which the majority share similar themes and ideals. Later in the twentieth century, the show Gypsy was created by Arthur Laurents, Steven Sondheim, and Jule Stein. This new musical shared some of the themes of the Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals, but also diverged from them in some ways. The 1959 musical Gypsy demonstrates the Rodgers and Hammerstein ideals of integration, character development

Steven Avery was born July 9th, 1962 in Manitowoc County, Wisconsin. In 1985 Steven Avery was convicted of raping and attempted murder of Penny Beernsten. On July 29th 1985, Penny Beernsten was forced into the woods and sexually assaulted by an unknown man. Penny’s description was altered by the police, linking the crime to Steven Avery. The Manitowoc County Police Department drew a photo of Steven Avery’s mugshot and showed the drawing to Penny asking if this man fit her description. They then proceeded