A Birthday Tribute to Stephen Sondheim
We interrupt your regularly scheduled Diva posts and polls with a 24-hour Stephen Sondheim lockdown to recognize an honorary Broadway Diva and certified musical theatre god.
Stephen Joshua Sondheim (1930) was a legendary composer and lyricist who essentially reinvented the American musical with his soaring scores and fiendishly clever lyrics. With Oscar Hammerstein as his mentor, he began his Broadway career writing lyrics for West Side Story (1957) and Gypsy (1959). Throughout his life, he won eight Tony Awards, including a Special Tony, more than any other composer. His dedicating to writing fascinating, flawed, fantastic roles for women (particularly women of a certain age) means his work is some of the most sought-after of our Divas.
Sondheim Theatre and Concert Credits:
I have done the research and pulled together a list of every single role our Divas have played, and every Sondheim concert they have participated in. Here are just a few takeaways.
All together, 64 Divas have had a whopping 245 roles/concerts and counting.
Eleven Divas have never (to my knowledge) performed in a Sondheim or at a Sondheim-specific concert. Seven of those are non-singing actresses, leaving just four musically-inclined Divas bereft. (Brenda Braxton, Lillias White, Linda Eder, Ute Lemper). However, all four Divas have performed Sondheim's songs in their personal concert repertoires
Eighteen Divas have done just one Sondheim, some in particularly obscure contexts.
The most common roles are The Witch (Into the Woods - 9), Mrs. Lovett (Sweeney Todd - 8), Mama Rose (Gypsy - 8), Desiree Armfeldt (A Little Night Music - 8), Phyllis Rogers Stone (Follies - 6). More on that later.
Most Frequent Sondheim Performers:
Bernadette Peters: 21
Highlights include: Sunday in the Park with George, Into the Woods, Follies, Gypsy.
Patti LuPone: 20
Highlights include: Company, Sweeney Todd, Gypsy, Anyone Can Whistle.
Marin Mazzie: 13
Highlights include: Passion, Merrily We Roll Along, Into the Woods, Anyone Can Whistle.
Audra McDonald: 11
Highlights include: Sweeney Todd, Passion, Six by Sondheim, A Little Night Music.
Donna Murphy: 11
Highlights include: Passion, Into the Woods, Anyone Can Whistle, Follies.
Christine Baranski: 11
Highlights include: Company, Sunday in the Park with George, Sweeney Todd, Follies.
Tony Awards and Nominations:
Leading Actress in a Musical:
14 Nominations (exc. wins) | 5 Divas
9 Wins | 4 Divas
Mama Rose in Gypsy is the most-decorated role in musical theatre canon, and arguably the best role for women period. In five productions, every actress has either been nominated (Ethel Merman, Bernadette Peters), or won (Angela Lansbury, Tyne Daly, Patti LuPone).
Both Desiree Armfeldt actresses have won their respective years (Glynis Johns, Catherine Zeta-Jones). Additional winning roles have been Phyllis Rogers Stone (Alexis Smith), Mrs. Lovett (Angela Lansbury), The Baker's Wife (Joanna Gleason), and Fosca (Donna Murphy).
Featured Actress in a Musical:
17 Nominations (exc. wins) | 4 Divas
4 Wins | 1 Diva
Some of the most common roles to be nominated for in a Sondheim show are Amy and Joanne from Company (in the original production, Elaine Stritch competed in Leading Actress), and Louise in Gypsy. No featured role has netted more than one award.
Winners: Patricia Elliott (Charlotte, ALNM), Laura Benanti (Louise, Gypsy), Karen Olivo (Anita, West Side Story), and Patti LuPone (Joanne, Company).