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Stephen Sondheim
Born March 22, 1930 in New York, Stephen Joseph Sondheim was the son of Etta Janet and Herbert Sondheim. His parents were a clothing designer and a dress manufacturer, respectively.
The two divorced early in Sondheim’s adolescence.
Biography stephen sondheim lyrics company
After the divorce, Sondheim moved to Bucks County, Pennsylvania and attended a private Quaker school — where he wrote his first musical: Bye George. After graduating in 1946, he attended Williams College until 1950.
At the age of 10, Stephen Sondheim became friends with James Hammerstein, son of Oscar Hammerstein II, and became a mentee and protégé of the lyricist and playwright.
Sondheim spent time with the composer as he worked on plays like Carousel and Allegro - watching his mentor create both greatly successful pieces and struggle with pieces that had less acclaim. Sondheim also stated that had it not been for Hammerstein insisting, he would not have written the lyrics for West Side Story or Gypsy.
He joked that “had Ha