For He's A Jolly Good Fellow...

  Celebrating the man who's been called 

"possibly the great lyricist ever"...

Stephen Sondheim, born March 22, 1930.

Stephen grew up on the Upper West Side of Manhattan,

and later (when his parents divorced)

in Doylestown, PA.

Oscar Hammerstein lived "right down the road" in Doylestown,

and that connection, and later mentorship,

helped put the young Sondheim on a musical theatre path.

I'll stop talking like Wikipedia soon.

He attended Williams College in Mass.,

and studied with Robert Barrow:

" ... everybody hated him because he was very dry, 

and I thought he was wonderful because he was very dry. 

And Barrow made me realize that all my romantic views of art were nonsense. 

I had always thought an angel came down and sat on your shoulder 

and whispered in your ear 'dah-dah-dah-DUM.' 

Never occurred to me that art was something worked out. 

And suddenly it was skies opening up."

 Sondheim began as a lyricist,

working with Leonard Bernstein on West Side Story (1957)

with Jule Styne on Gypsy (1959),

and Richard Rodgers on Do I Hear A Waltz?(1965).

But in 1962, Sondheim began writing both words and music for

A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum.

 Above, John Carradine, Jack Gilford, David Burns and Zero Mostel. 

The show won 6 Tonys (including Best Musical),

but the score wasn't well received, 

and Sondheim's music got nary a nom! 

 What a buncha mugs!

From the movie of Forum (1966):

Zero, Buster Keaton, Phil Silvers, and Jack. 

Nathan Lane starred in the 1996 revival,

and won himself a Tony playing Pseudolus.

Above, with Brad Aspel, Cory English,

and Ray Roderick. 

  Anyone Can Whistle (1964)

brought Angela Lansbury to the musical stage,

well...at least 9 times!

Below Arthur Laurents (who wrote the book) and Sondheim

in the midst of recording the cast album.

Back in "the day",

even Broadway flops got cast albums 

(thank the theatre gods!).

 Along with Angela, Lee Remick and Harry Guardino

starred. 

The show's message was called

"trite and its absurdist style difficult to comprehend."

But we DID get the title song,

"Everybody Says Don't",

and "There Won't Be Trumpets"

out of it! 

 Lee played Nurse Hapgood...

here looking much less "nursie".

 Much better luck with Company!

1970, directed by Hal Prince 

(a collaboration that would last til 1981)...

Stephen actually wanted Follies produced before Company,

but Hal talked him into an order change.

Best Musical, Best Book, Best Score, Best Lyrics,

Best Direction, and Best Scenic Design.

 The show was based on 11 one-act plays

written by George Furth for Kim Stanley to star in.

Stephen and Hal agreed that it would be a good basis for a 

concept musical,

with short vignettes focused on marriage and the 

main character's inability to commit.

Above, Larry Kert as Robert

(Larry replaced Dean Jones when he dropped out of the show).

 In the recording studio

(which made for a fascinating documentary by

D.A. Pennebaker),

Stephen with Steve Elmore and Beth Howland,

probably between takes of 

"Getting Married Today".

 Elaine Stritch as Joanne

and Dean Jones, the original Robert.

 Above, the 2011 New York Philharmonic production of Company,

directed by Lonny Price,

and whatta cast!

Neil Patrick Harris, Steven Colbert, Patti LuPone, Christina Hendricks,

John Cryer, etc.

 And sometimes, casts play their own accompaniment!

 And sometimes they gender-swap!

Running in London right now,

Robert as played by Rosalie Craig

and Patti LuPone as Joanne.

 More birthday party pics

(and cake)

tomorrow,

I promise!