He was one of the biggest names in musicals, created shows like ‘Sweeney Todd’, ‘Gypsy’ and ‘Into the Woods’ and won an Oscar for ‘Dick Tracy’ sung by Madonna.
Stephen Sondheim, the co-author of “West Side Story” and one of the most important names in US musicals, died aged 91, the newspaper ‘The New York Times said on Friday (26).
The paper says his lawyer and friend, F. Richard Pappas, announced the death, which he claims happened “suddenly” without disclosing why.
He also appeared on several Hollywood soundtracks, and won an Oscar for the original song in 1991 for “Sooner or Later (I Always Get My Man)”, sung by Madonna in the movie “Dick Tracy”.
“West Side Story” was a collaboration between Leonard Bernstein (songs) and Stephen Sondheim (lyrics). The show was first staged in 1957 and revolutionized Broadway.
Set in 1960s New York, it shows the impossible love between two young people, Maria (Bianca Tadini) and Tony (Fred Silveira). Among them are two rival gangs: the Jets, made up of Americans, and the Sharks, made up of Puerto Ricans.
Besides the musical, there are other versions of “West side story”, such as opera and ballet. But one of the most famous and successful is the film, which won the Brazilian title of “Amor, sublime amor” (1961). Starring Natalie Wood, the production won ten Oscars.
The film will win a December 2021 remake directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Ansel Elgort and Rachel Zegler.
“‘West Side Story’ has set a new standard,” explained Robert Viagas of “Playbill,” Broadway’s landmark magazine, to AFP.
“Before, dancing was just to express exuberance and show off beautiful ballerinas. After ‘West Side Story,’ musicals became a combination of all the arts: dance, music or acting. They became something of a super art.”, said the expert.
With “West Side Story” also for the first time, a musical comedy addressed more obscure themes. “If it weren’t for ‘West Side Story,’ there wouldn’t have been as many serious musicals written for adults like ‘Chicago,” Viagas said.
Although Sondheim spent long hours in solitary work, usually late at night, he often spoke lovingly of the collaborative nature of the theatre. After the first decade of his career, he was never again a hired writer. The contribution to a project was always in the conception and execution. He chose collaborators – notably producer and director Hal Prince, orchestrator Jonathan Tunick and later writer and director James Lapine – who shared his ambition to extend musical form beyond the boundaries of entertainment.
Amelia Warner
Amelia Warner writes all the Latest Articles. She mostly covers Entertainment topics, but at times loves to write about movie reviews as well.
