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Stephen Sondheim

In conversation with Frank Rich

Sunday, March 9, 2008 | Herbst Theatre, 7pm

Described by Frank Rich in The New York Times as "the greatest and perhaps best-known artist in the American musical theatre," Stephen Sondheim has upended and reinvented the American musical in his fifty years writing for the stage. Since his 1957 Broadway debut as the twenty-seven year old lyricist for Leonard Bernstein's "West Side Story," Sondheim has stretched the conventions of musical theatre with sophisticated storylines and complex musicality. His innovative concept musical "Company," for instance, featured scenes rather than a more conventional linear plot. Sondheim's landmark shows include "Gypsy," "Follies," "Sweeney Todd," "Into the Woods," "Assassins," and "Passion." His lyrics are known for their intelligence and magnificent rhyme. Critics often praise his use of complex polyphony in vocal parts, such as the reimagined Greek chorus of "A Little Night Music." In his distinguished career, Sondheim has won a Grammy Award for "Sweeney Todd," a Pulitzer Prize for "Sunday in the Park with George," an Academy Award for Best Song, and seven Tony Awards, more than any other composer.

New York Times columnist Frank Rich was the Times chief theater critic from 1980 until 1993. His memoir Ghost Light reveals how theatre gave Rich a new way of understanding the world during his childhood and how it has sustained him in adult life. Rich's work outside of drama writing and a high-profile spot on the Times Opinion page includes commentary in Esquire, The New Republic, and Time, and bestselling books like The Greatest Story Ever Sold.

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