Stephen Sondheim
Stephen Sondheim was an American composer and lyricist who transformed musical theater in the late twentieth century.
His work emphasized psychological complexity and literary sophistication: Company, Sweeney Todd, Into the Woods, Sunday in the Park with George.
He wrote lyrics for West Side Story and Gypsy before composing his own scores.
Sondheim's intricate rhyme schemes and emotionally precise lyrics set a standard that shaped generations of theater writers.
Matching terminal sounds
- wordplayVerbal wit techniques
- patterQuick rehearsed speech
- syllablesUnits of pronunciation
- witClever, inventive humor
irony · subtext · metaphor · ambiguity · conversational · cleverness · precision · sophistication
Scoring for instrumental ensemble
- melodyPleasing sequence of notes
- harmonyAgreement or musical blend
- counterpointSimultaneous independent melodies
- leitmotifRecurring thematic phrase
score · dissonance · chromaticism · pastiche · modulation · patter · vamp · incidental
Links between individuals
- marriageFormal union between partners
- bachelorUnwed male adult
- BobbyDiminutive of Robert
- commitmentFirm pledge to act
loneliness · Joanne · singlehood · friends · couples · urban · ambivalence · intimacy
Conflicting emotions coexisting
- obsessionPersistent, intrusive preoccupation
- isolationComplete separation from others
- regretSorrow over past actions
- compromiseAgreement through mutual sacrifice
complexity · darkness · mortality · relationships · disillusionment · perfectionism · connection · longing
Venue for live drama
- playbillTheater performance listing
- marqueeTheater entrance canopy
- revivalReturn after decline
- matineeDaytime theatrical performance
auditions · understudy · orchestra · mezzanine · stagehand · proscenium · dramaturgy · showtunes
Blade for removing hair
- meatpieSavory filling in crust
- revengePunishing a wrongdoer
- VictorianOf a prim era
- LondonEngland's capital city
Johanna · Pirelli · vengeance · Toby · asylum · beadle · blood · thriller
Magical stories for children
- CinderellaRags-to-riches heroine
- JackMale court card
- BakerTrade-derived family name
- RapunzelLong-locked captive
woods · beans · giant · wish · consequences · morals · deconstruction · quest
rhyme
Matching terminal sounds
wit · irony · subtext · metaphor · ambiguity · conversational · cleverness · precision · sophistication · diction
orchestration
Scoring for instrumental ensemble
- melodyPleasing sequence of notes
- harmonyAgreement or musical blend
- counterpointSimultaneous independent melodies
leitmotif · score · dissonance · chromaticism · pastiche · modulation · patter · vamp · incidental · underscoring
relationships
Links between individuals
commitment · loneliness · Joanne · singlehood · friends · couples · urban · ambivalence · intimacy
ambivalence
Conflicting emotions coexisting
- obsessionPersistent, intrusive preoccupation
- isolationComplete separation from others
- regretSorrow over past actions
compromise · complexity · darkness · mortality · relationships · disillusionment · perfectionism · connection · longing · loss
theater
Venue for live drama
matinee · auditions · understudy · orchestra · mezzanine · stagehand · proscenium · dramaturgy · showtunes · overture
razor
Blade for removing hair
London · Johanna · Pirelli · vengeance · Toby · asylum · beadle · blood · thriller
fairytales
Magical stories for children
- CinderellaRags-to-riches heroine
- JackMale court card
- BakerTrade-derived family name
Rapunzel · woods · beans · giant · wish · consequences · morals · deconstruction · quest · Bernadette
Seurat
Pointillism's founder
- pointillismDot-based art technique
- paintingPigment on canvas
- artHuman creative expression
George · creation · legacy · obsession · color · light · vision · artist · connection · Mandy
- Pulitzer WinnersToni Morrison, Ernest Hemingway, William Faulkner, John Steinbeck, Harper Lee
- Broadwaymusicals, musical, Tony Award, musical theatre, theaters
- Jewish MusiciansLeonard Bernstein, George Gershwin, Irving Berlin, Barbra Streisand, Benny Goodman
- ComposersBach, Beethoven, Mozart, Brahms, Haydn
- theaterplays, stage, play, onstage, acting
- songwritersBob Dylan, songwriter, lyricists, composer, lyricist
Stephen SondheimAndrew Lloyd Webber
Irving Berlin · Alan Menken · jukebox musical · Richard Rodgers · Oscar Hammerstein II
Stephen SondheimLin-Manuel Miranda
Barry Manilow · Neil Diamond · Jimmy Buffett · crowd-pleaser · easy listening
Stephen Sondheimgreeting card verse
Written sentiment in cards
cliché · prosaic · unsophisticated · artless