Oh no! Damn, I had just been re-listening to all of his cast albums the past couple of months. And had been intrigued by a new stage musical project (Square One) that he was working on.
It was his music that got me interested in musicals back in 1987; I retain that cast album collecting as a hobby to this day.
91 years old and, until today, a living link to the days of his mentor Oscar Hammerstein II - Sondheim's passing also marks the death of Golden Age Broadway.
Interesting: A U.K. production of "Company" had an man play the role of "Amy," as "Jamie." Sondheim apparently approved the change. He sang "Getting Married Today," with a few lyric changes.
I wonder what changes they made to "Somewhere There's Someone" where the main character refers to Amy as a fantasy spouse.
A huge loss, but a great life lived. Was there a more peerless man living during his later years? Even Andrew Lloyd Webber can hardly compete with the successes and genius of Sondheim in his field.
Quite a shame this thread has such few responses. I can never quite understand the interests of this message board group. Are there a lot of younger users among us now?
I've re-watched Original Cast Album two times since news of his passing. It's such a lively and engaging documentary. Available to watch on YouTube for those who've never seen it!
A huge loss, but a great life lived. Was there a more peerless man living during his later years? Even Andrew Lloyd Webber can hardly compete with the successes and genius of Sondheim in his field.
I don't think the good lord himself would argue he could compete with Sondheim's genius, but he's certainly had more success in his career. Some of Andrew's blockbuster musicals have ran on Broadway and the West End for decades. He's also sold millions of cast albums and numerous big hit singles. Sondheim never had that. Some of his shows are constantly revived obviously but not to the extent of Andrew's successes.
Anyway here's that funny clip from some years ago of them together paying tribute to Cameron Mackintosh...
A huge loss, but a great life lived. Was there a more peerless man living during his later years? Even Andrew Lloyd Webber can hardly compete with the successes and genius of Sondheim in his field.
I think I have all of his major shows up until "Into the Woods". What do you have, Nutsie?
Even if music gets wiped out by some weird evil force, Sondheim will live on in the phrase he (he claims) coined that passed into the language as slang:
