Stephen Sondheim - Honors and Awards

Honors and Awards

Sondheim at 80

Several benefits and concerts were performed to celebrate Sondheim's 80th birthday in 2010. Among them were the New York Philharmonic's Sondheim: The Birthday Concert, which was held March 15 and 16, 2010 at Lincoln Center's Avery Fisher Hall and hosted by David Hyde Pierce. The concert included Sondheim music and songs performed, in some cases, by the original performers. Lonny Price directed, with Paul Gemignani conducting. The performers included: Laura Benanti, Matt Cavenaugh, Michael Cerveris, Victoria Clark, Jenn Colella, Jason Danieley, Alexander Gemignani, Joanna Gleason, Nathan Gunn, George Hearn, Patti LuPone, Marin Mazzie, Audra McDonald, John McMartin, Donna Murphy, Karen Olivo, Laura Osnes, Mandy Patinkin, Bernadette Peters, Bobby Steggert, Elaine Stritch, Jim Walton, Chip Zien, the 2009 Broadway revival cast of West Side Story and a ballet performed by Blaine Hoven and Maria Riccetto set to Stephen Sondheim's score of Warren Beatty's Reds. Jonathan Tunick also made a special appearance to pay tribute to his longtime collaborator. The concert was telecast on the PBS "Great Performances" show during November 2010, and the DVD of the performance was released on November 16, 2010.

The Roundabout Theatre Company benefit Sondheim 80 was held on March 22, 2010. The evening included a performance of Sondheim on Sondheim, plus dinner and a show at the New York Sheraton. There was "a very personal star-studded musical tribute" with new songs by contemporary musical theatre writers. The composers, who sang their own songs, included Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey, Michael John LaChiusa, Andrew Lippa, Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Lin-Manuel Miranda (accompanied by Rita Moreno), Duncan Sheik, and Jeanine Tesori and David Lindsay-Abaire. Bernadette Peters performed a song (unnamed) that was dropped from a Sondheim show.

The New York City Center birthday celebration and benefit concert on April 26, 2010 featured (in order of appearance): Michael Cerveris, Alexander Gemignani, Donna Murphy, Debra Monk, Joanna Gleason, Maria Friedman, Mark Jacoby, Len Cariou, B.D. Wong, Claybourne Elder, Alexander Hanson, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Raul Esparza, Sutton Foster, Nathan Lane, Michele Pawk, the original cast of Into the Woods; Kim Crosby, Chip Zien, Danielle Ferland, & Ben Wright, Angela Lansbury, and Jim Walton. This concert was directed by John Doyle and co-hosted by Mia Farrow. During the concert, greetings were read. These greetings were written by: Sheila Hancock, Julia McKenzie, Milton Babbitt, Judi Dench, and Glynis Johns. After Catherine Zeta-Jones performed "Send in the Clowns," a recorded greeting from Julie Andrews was played. During her greeting, she sang a little of "Not a Day Goes By." Patti LuPone, Barbara Cook, Bernadette Peters, Tom Aldredge and Victor Garber were originally scheduled to perform, but withdrew from the concert. One of the beneficiaries of the concert was Young Playwrights Inc.

On July 31, 2010, a BBC Proms concert was held to celebrate Sondheim's 80th Birthday at the Royal Albert Hall in London. It featured songs from many of his musicals, including a performance of "Send in the Clowns" from A Little Night Music by Judi Dench (reprising her role as Desirée from the 1995 production of that musical), and performances from many other stars of opera, Broadway, stage and screen, including Bryn Terfel and Maria Friedman.

On November 19, 2010, The New York Pops performed at Carnegie Hall to celebrate Sondheim's 80th birthday, led by Steven Reineke. Kate Baldwin, Aaron Lazar, Christiane Noll, Paul Betz, Renee Rakelle, Marilyn Maye (singing "I’m Still Here"), and Alexander Gemignani were all on hand to sing songs including "I Remember", "Another Hundred People", "Children Will Listen", and "Getting Married Today". Sondheim made an on-stage appearance during the concert's encore of his song "Old Friends".

Honors

Sondheim has received the following honors:

• Hutchinson Prize for Music Composition (at college graduation, 1950)
• Elected to The American Academy of Arts and Letters (1983)
• Kennedy Center Honors, Lifetime Achievement, (1993)
• The Algur H. Meadows Award, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas (November 12, 1994, taped and televised on the A&E television network January 12, 1995)
• Special Award, Olivier Award, 2011, "in recognition of his contribution to London theatre"; the award was presented at the ceremony by Cameron Mackintosh and Angela Lansbury.
• UK's Critics' Circle 2011 Award for Distinguished Services to the Arts, March 2012, for "what is effectively a lifetime achievement award", as Mark Shenton (Drama section chairman) commented.

Awards

He has won these awards:

• Pulitzer Prize in Drama, Sunday in the Park with George (1985)
• Academy Award for Best Song, "Sooner or Later (I Always Get My Man)" from Dick Tracy (1990)

Grammy Awards

• Company (1970, Best Score from an Original Cast Album)
• A Little Night Music (1973, Best Score from an Original Cast Album)
• "Send in the Clowns" (1975, Song of the Year)
• Sweeney Todd (1979, Best Cast Show Album)
• Sunday in the Park With George (1984, Best Cast Show Album)
• Into the Woods (1988, Best Musical Cast Show Album)
• Passion (1994, Best Musical Cast Show Album)
• West Side Story (2010, Best Musical Cast Show Album)

Tony Awards

• A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1963, Best Musical)
• Company (1971, Best Score, Best Lyrics)
• Follies (1972, Best Score)
• A Little Night Music (1973 Best Score)
• Sweeney Todd (1979, Best Score)
• Into The Woods (1988, Best Score)
• Passion (1994 Best Score)
• Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre (2008)

Drama Desk Awards

• Company (1969–70, Best Musical, Outstanding Music, Outstanding Lyrics)
• Follies (1970–71, Outstanding Music, Outstanding Lyrics)
• A Little Night Music (1972–73, Outstanding Music and Lyrics)
• Sweeney Todd (1978–79, Outstanding Musical, Outstanding Music, Outstanding Lyrics)
• Sunday in the Park with George (1983–84, Outstanding Musical, Outstanding Lyrics)
• Into the Woods (1987–88, Outstanding Musical, Outstanding Lyrics)
• Passion (1993–94, Outstanding Musical, Outstanding Music, Outstanding Lyrics)

OBIE Awards

• Road Show (2009, Music and Lyrics)

Laurence Olivier Awards

• Sweeney Todd (1980, Best New Musical)
• Follies (1987, Best New Musical)
• Candide (1988, Best New Musical)
• Sunday in the Park with George (1991, Best New Musical)
• Merrily We Roll Along (2001, Best New Musical)
• Society of London Theatre Special Award, Stephen Sondheim (Honorary Award)