Today Stephen Sondheim turns 88 (the number of keys on the piano!) and Andrew Lloyd Webber turns 70. Sondheim made his Broadway debut at the age of 26 in 1956 , Lloyd Webber at 23 in 1971, and, along with John Kander (who turned 91 four days ago), and Jerry Herman (who turns 87 on July 10th) they are at the very least the dominant musical theater composers of their generation, inspiring new generations of theater makers, their work continually produced around the world and in New York — Sondheim, currently with Sweeney Todd; Lloyd Webber, with Phantom of the Opera and School of Rock.
Occasionally their music is heard together — such as in the recent Prince of Broadway and in this vid
Stephen Sondheim’s Musicals
Saturday Night (1954, produced 1997): Book by Julius and Philip Epstein
West Side Story (1957): Music by Leonard Bernstein, book by Arthur Laurents, directed by Jerome Robbins. Sondheim is the lyricist.
Gypsy (1959): Music by Jule Styne, book by Arthur Laurents, directed by Jerome Robbins. Sondheim is the lyricist.
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1962): Book by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart, directed by George Abbott
Anyone Can Whistle (1964): Book and direction by Arthur Laurents
Do I Hear a Waltz? (1965): Music by Richard Rodgers, book by Arthur Laurents,
Company (1970): Book by George Furth
Follies (1971): Book by James Goldman
A Little Night Music (1973): Book by Hugh Wheeler
The Frogs (1974): Book by Burt Shevelove (2004 version book by Nathan Lane)[112]
Pacific Overtures (1976): Book by John Weidman
Sweeney Todd (1979): Book by Hugh Wheeler
Merrily We Roll Along (1981): Book by George Furth
Sunday in the Park with George (1984): Book and direction by James Lapine
Into the Woods (1987): Book and direction by James Lapine
Assassins (1990): Book by John Weidman
Passion (1994): Book and direction by James Lapine
Road Show (2008): Book by John Weidman (formerly titled Bounce, Wise Guys, and Gold!)
Work in progress with David Ives, tentatively titled Buñuel,
Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Musicals
The Likes of Us (1965)
Lyrics by Tim Rice
Not produced until 2005
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (1968)
Lyrics by Tim Rice
Jesus Christ Superstar (1970)
Lyrics by Tim Rice
Jeeves (1975)
Lyrics by Alan Ayckbourn
Revised in 1996 as By Jeeves
Evita (1976)
Lyrics by Tim Rice
Tell Me on a Sunday (1979)
Lyrics by Don Black
Cats (1981)
Lyrics based on Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats by T. S. Eliot
Additional lyrics after Eliot by Richard Stilgoe and Trevor Nunn
Song and Dance (1982)
Lyrics by Don Black (revised by Richard Maltby, Jr. for Broadway)
Combination of Variations (1978) and Tell Me On A Sunday (1979)
Starlight Express (1984)
Lyrics by Richard Stilgoe
Later revisions by Don Black and David Yazbek
Inspired by the Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends books by The Rev. W. Awdry.
Cricket (1986)
Lyrics by Tim Rice
First performed for Queen Elizabeth II’s 60th birthday
The Phantom of the Opera (1986)
Lyrics by Charles Hart
Additional Lyrics by Richard Stilgoe
Based on the Gaston Leroux novel
Aspects of Love (1989)
Lyrics by Don Black and Charles Hart
Based on the David Garnett novel
Sunset Boulevard (1993)
Book and lyrics by Christopher Hampton and Don Black
Based on the Billy Wilder film (1950)
Whistle Down the Wind (1996)
Lyrics by Jim Steinman
The Beautiful Game (2000)
Lyrics by Ben Elton
Updated as The Boys in the Photograph (2009)
The Woman in White (2004)
Lyrics by David Zippel
Based on the Wilkie Collins novel
Love Never Dies (2010)
Book & Lyrics by Glenn Slater
Book by Ben Elton & Frederick Forsyth
Additional lyrics by Charles Hart
The Wizard of Oz (2011)
Book by Andrew Lloyd Webber & Jeremy Sams
Music by Harold Arlen
Lyrics by E.Y. Harburg
Additional music by Andrew Lloyd Webber
Additional lyrics by Tim Rice
Based on the 1939 motion picture The Wizard of Oz
Based on the 1900 novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum
Stephen Ward the Musical (2013)
Book and lyrics by Christopher Hampton and Don Black
School of Rock (2015)
Lyrics by Glenn Slater
Book by Julian Fellowes
Based on the 2003 film
