Stephen Sondheim

Stephen Joshua Sondheim (born March 22, 1930) is an American musical theater lyricist and composer.

Early life

Sondheim was born to a Jewish family in New York City and grew up on the Upper West Side of Manhattan and later on a farm in Pennsylvania. An only child of well-to-do parents living in a high-rise apartment on Central Park West, Sondheim's childhood has been described as isolated and emotionally neglected. His parents, Herbert and Janet "Foxy" Sondheim, were non-religious Jews, though Foxy had grown up in an Orthodox family; Sondheim had no formal religious education or association, did not have a Bar Mitzvah, and reportedly did not set foot in a synagogue until he was 17. He graduated from Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts in 1950.

Related Topics:
Jewish - New York City - Upper West Side - Manhattan - Pennsylvania - Williams College - Williamstown, Massachusetts - 1950

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When Stephen was ten years old, his father Herbert -- always a somewhat distant figure -- abandoned him and his mother, a traumatic event which would have major repercussions on both his private life and his public work. Under the laws of the day, Sondheim's mother retained full custody, which was perhaps unfortunate for her son; Foxy Sondheim was narcissistic, emotionally abusive, and a hypochondriac. After the departure of her husband, she became sexually predatory towards her son as a substitute for his absent father: she would suggestively lower her blouse or spread her legs in front of him, she would lounge about and absently ask him to make her drinks, she would hold his hand and stare at him through the entirety of a Broadway show. Many have speculated that it was this early intense love/hate relationship with his monstrous mother that would re-emerge in many of Sondheim's later works, which often treat love and commitment as claustrophobic and smothering, most notably in his musical Company. Perhaps also as a result of his relationship with his mother, Sondheim would become known for giving words and music to a series of strong, manipulative, somewhat unstable female characters, including Mamma Rose in ', Mrs. Lovett in Sweeney Todd, and the Witch in Into the Woods, all of whom are obsessive about keeping a hold on their child or lover.

Related Topics:
Company - Sweeney Todd - Into the Woods

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