Dispatch #306: Sondheim's Sanctum

 

Stephen Sondheim's music room.

   The works of composer Stephen Sondheim (1930-2021) have long enjoyed a special place in my heart—with their sublime melodies and lyrics ranging from devilishly witty to deeply moving.

  Many believe the creative genius displayed during his decade-long collaboration with producer Hal Prince in the 1970s—which included Company (1970), Follies (1971), A Little Night Music (1973), Pacific Overtures (1976), and Sweeney Todd (1979)—will never be equaled on Broadway. 

   After his passing, Sondheim's 5-story townhouse in Manhattan's exclusive Turtle Bay (where at one time his neighbors included actress Katherine Hepburn) appeared in online real estate listings, giving curious fans a glimpse inside what was the composer's home from 1960 to his death in 2021.

  Jokingly known as "The House That Gypsy Built"—because Sondheim bought it with profits accrued from writing the lyrics for the hit 1959 Broadway musical—it features a 2nd story music studio with a baby grand piano.

 When I think of all the incredible songs born in that room: Another Hundred People, I'm Still Here, Send in the Clowns, Someone in a Tree, Pretty Women, Sunday, Old Friends, Children Will Listen, The Gun Song, (to name just a few) I get the chills.

   According to Broadway lore, my all-time favorite Sondheim show, Sunday in the Park With George, was actually written not in that 2nd floor music studio but outside on the adjoining 30-foot terrace. It's certainly lovely spot—one that inspired (in my humble opinion) the most beautiful compositions in Sondheim's oeuvre.

    There's more to come in the next dispatch.

    ©2023 SummitCityScribe