“Everybody faces a blank piece of paper, no matter what they’ve written or painted or composed before. I can’t imagine approaching every single new project without doubt.” -- legendary composer / lyricist Stephen Sondheim (3/22/1930 - 11/26/2021). Mentored by Oscar Hammerstein II, Sondheim wrote the lyrics for the hit Broadway musicals "West Side Story", "Gypsy", and the music and lyrics for "A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum", "A Little Night Music", and "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street." He is seen as reinventing the American musical through his innovative themes and lyrical sophistication.
The winner of eight Tony Awards, eight Grammy awards, an Oscar, and the Pulitzer Prize, Sondheim was awarded the Kennedy Center Honors, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The doubts he faced with the blank piece of paper were fortunately set aside in the memorable work he created.
(photo: Douglas Elbinger/Getty Images)
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