Class Preparation
- In our final class on November 26 we will look back over the career of Stephen Sondheim and consider his place within the history of American musical theater. Specifically, we will review those from whom he learned his art, consider his chief contemporaries, and look at some of those composers and lyricists who are building on his legacy.
- The handouts will provide you with some lists of composers and their chief works (from 1943 to 2018) as well as some of the shows that have won awards during that period.
- We will also see some remaining sections of two documentaries.
- Finally, we will reveal the aggregated results of the survey of "Top 25" Sondheim songs. Be sure to bring a copy of your list to share with your fellow classmates.
Handouts
- Sondheim in Context This is a list I just couldn't stop adding to, but it helped me think about composers and lyricists in three major categories: those who came before and influenced him, his contemporaries, and those working now. I'm sharing it not because you need it, but because, once I put it all together, I thought, "Why not put it out there?" Here is the information in a set of Timeline Charts. The yellow boxes denote that the show won the Tony Award for Best Original Score, not necessarily the Best Musical Award.
- Tony Award Winners for Best Musical, 1948-2018
- Tony Award Winners for Best Revival of a Musical, 1994-2018
- Class Slides ("short version"--no spoilers)
Additional Class Slides on the Topic of Sondheim in Context:
Video Links Referenced in Class
- Sydney Lucas performs "Ring of Keys" from Fun Home during the 2015 Tony Awards broadcast.
- Lin-Manuel Miranda previews the opening number of Hamilton at the White House in 2009.
- The current cast of Dear Evan Hansen performs "You Will Be Found" on the stage of the Music Box Theatre during CBS's coverage of this year's Thanksgiving Parade.
Class Evaluation
Please complete the online survey that OLLI sill send you.