Sondheim: The Puzzle-Maker

Another Gay Trips Over Themselves to Eulogize Stephen Sondheim

There are cultural giants who, if they live long enough, seem immortal. We’re so used to seeing brilliance cut down in its prime that when someone as monumental as Stephen Sondheim dies at the ripe old age of 91, it’s almost as if they haven’t left at all. Three weeks have passed since his death, and somehow, he feels more present than ever. The celebration of the man and his work seems to have outlived any lingering grief. Why grieve when there’s still so much of him here?

From his generosity as a teacher and colleague to his masterful command of music and lyrical forms, Sondheim’s legacy is as profound as it is long. In his 91 years, he was responsible for some of the 20th Century’s most important and form-shaking musicals. From the lyrics of West Side Story and Gypsy (which I think might be the most perfect musical ever written), to his complete scores for the revisionist fairy tale and crowd-pleaser Into the Woods, the full-fledged horror show that is Sweeney Todd, meditative pieces like Follies, Company, and Sunday in the Park with George, the romantic travails of A Little Night Music and Passion, the more experimental shows like Pacific Overtures, Merrily We Roll Along, and Assassins, under-sung gems like Evening Primrose and Anyone Can Whistle, broad comedies…