Saturday 22 March 2008

Let Me Entertain You



Happy birthday today to the genius that is Stephen Sondheim.

Words can hardly express how influential this man is - his work encompasses the greatest of all musical theatre, and he remains unsurpassed in the complexity and intelligence of his repertoire. West Side Story, Gypsy, Sweeney Todd, Company, A Little Night Music, Follies, Sunday In The Park With George - all brilliant, and I love each and every one of them!

Every queen can sing along to at least one Sondheim number - be it Losing My Mind, Send In The Clowns, Broadway Baby or Let Me Entertain You, and his place in history as one of the most successful gay men in entertainment is assured.

Subject of numerous tribute galas and revues (Side By Side by Sondheim being my particular favourite, produced by the sadly-missed Ned Sherrin), Sondheim has been rightly lauded by every significant performer on the musical stage - Elaine Stritch, Barbara Cook, Eartha Kitt, Liza Minnelli, Maria Friedman, Barbra Streisand, Ethel Merman, Hermione Gingold, Madeline Kahn, Angela Lansbury, Lauren Bacall, Cleo Laine, Glynis Johns, Lee Remick, Patti LuPone, Julia McKenzie, Judi Dench, John Barrowman, Michael Ball, Elaine Paige, Bernadette Peters and even Elizabeth Taylor have all queued up to sing his songs.

A god worthy of adulation!





Stephen Sondheim biography

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