By nature, theatre is ephemeral, but thanks to the small screen, some of Stephen Sondheim’s genius has been captured for all time. There have been TV broadcasts of Sunday in the Park With George, Into the Woods, Sweeney Todd, Passion, and more; Tony wins and Tony Award tributes; birthday concert celebrations; profiles from 60 Minutes and other news programs; a Kennedy Center Honors evening; and even a duet with fellow musical theatre composer Andrew Lloyd Webber.
Watch some of these memorable, magical Sondheim moments below. (Read the complete obituary for Mr. Sondheim, who passed away November 26 at the age of 91 here.)
Stephen Sondheim Wins His First Two Tony Awards for Company in 1973
Richard Chamberlain and Bernadette Peters Duet on Company’s “Barcelona” From PBS’ Musical Comedy Tonight in 1979
Beth Howland, Dorothy Loudon, Robert Guillaume, and More Pay Tribute to Sondheim at the 1984 Tony Awards
Mandy Patinkin and Bernadette Peters in “Sunday,” First Act Finale From Sunday in the Park With George, Broadcast on Showtime and PBS in 1986
Diane Sawyer Profiles Sondheim for 60 Minutes in 1988
Joanna Gleason Sings “Moments in the Woods” From the 1991 PBS Broadcast of Into the Woods
Betty Buckley and the Harlem Boys Choir Perform “Children Will Listen” at 1992’s Sondheim: A Celebration at Carnegie Hall
Angela Lansbury, Bernadette Peters, and More Salute Sondheim at the 1993 Kennedy Center Honors
Sondheim and Andrew Lloyd Webber Honor Producer Cameron Mackintosh With New Lyrics for “Send in the Clowns” and “Music of the Night” at 1998’s Hey, Mr. Producer!
Audra McDonald and Michael Cerveris Sing “Happiness” in Concert Staging of Passion, Broadcast on PBS in 2005
Patti LuPone, Marin Mazzie, Audra McDonald, Donna Murphy, Bernadette Peters, and Elaine Stritch Perform at 2010’s Sondheim! The Birthday Concert
Anika Noni Rose Performs “Another Hundred People” From the 2011 Concert Version of Sondheim’s Company
