It’s hard to believe he is gone. I last saw him a few years back in a lecture series. The depth of his humanity, grace and wry humor was palpable. His presence filled the lecture hall.
When I was just a teenager I was in a production of Forum. I look back on it as one of the highlights of my life. Another life highlight, somewhat later, was attending the astonishing production of Sweeney Todd with Angela Lansbury and Len Cariou. It’s amazing to realize that the same person wrote the lyrics and music for both of those shows.
So many Sondheim moments to remember in my life. And so much of the reason musicals are now taken seriously rests on the shoulders of this one man.
We need to keep learning from his words and we need to keep singing his songs. Children will listen.