Editing Stephen Sondheim (section)

== Career ==
===1954–1959: Early Broadway success===
==== ''West Side Story'' ====
[[Burt Shevelove]] invited Sondheim to a party where Sondheim arrived before him but knew no one else well. He saw a familiar face, [[Arthur Laurents]], who had seen one of the auditions of ''Saturday Night'', and they began talking. Laurents told him he was working on a musical version of ''[[Romeo and Juliet]]'' with [[Leonard Bernstein]], but they needed a lyricist; [[Betty Comden]] and [[Adolph Green]], who were supposed to write the lyrics, were under contract in Hollywood. He said that although he was not a big fan of Sondheim's music, he enjoyed the lyrics from ''Saturday Night'' and he could audition for Bernstein. The next day, Sondheim met and played for Bernstein, who said he would let him know. Sondheim wanted to write music and lyrics; he consulted with Hammerstein, who said, as Sondheim related in a 2008 ''New York Times'' video interview, "Look, you have a chance to work with very gifted professionals on a show that sounds interesting, and you could always write your own music eventually. My advice would be to take the job."{{r|ReferenceA}} ''[[West Side Story]]'', directed by [[Jerome Robbins]], opened in 1957 and ran for 732 performances. Sondheim expressed dissatisfaction with his lyrics, saying they did not always fit the characters and were sometimes too consciously poetic. Initially Bernstein was also credited as a co-writer of the lyrics, but he later offered Sondheim solo credit, as Sondheim had essentially done all of them. ''[[The New York Times]]'' review of the show did not mention the lyrics.<ref name="Times 90th Tribute">{{cite news |title=Isn't He Something |author=Jesse Green | issue=Theater p. AR 11 |work=The New York Times |date=March 15, 2020}}</ref> Sondheim described the division of the royalties, saying that Bernstein received 3% and he received 1%. Bernstein suggested evening the percentage at 2% each, but Sondheim refused because he was satisfied with just getting the credit. Sondheim later said he wished "someone stuffed a handkerchief in my mouth because it would have been nice to get that extra percentage".{{r|ReferenceA}}

After ''West Side Story'' opened, Shevelove lamented the lack of "lowbrow comedy" on Broadway and mentioned a possible musical based on [[Plautus]]'s Roman comedies. Sondheim was interested in the idea and called a friend, [[Larry Gelbart]], to co-write the script. The show went through a number of drafts, and was interrupted briefly by Sondheim's next project.<ref>Dembin, Russell M. [http://www.sondheimreview.com/v18n4.htm "Forum at 50? It's possible! Sondheim 101: ''A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum''] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714145938/http://www.sondheimreview.com/v18n4.htm |date=July 14, 2014 }} sondheimreview.com, 2012</ref>

==== ''Gypsy'' ====
In 1959, Laurents and Robbins approached Sondheim for a musical version of [[Gypsy Rose Lee]]'s memoir after [[Irving Berlin]] and [[Cole Porter]] turned it down. Sondheim agreed, but [[Ethel Merman]] – cast as Mama Rose – had just finished ''[[Happy Hunting (musical)|Happy Hunting]]'' with an unknown composer (Harold Karr) and lyricist (Matt Dubey). Although Sondheim wanted to write the music and lyrics, Merman refused to let another first-time composer write for her and demanded that [[Jule Styne]] write the music.{{sfn|Zadan|1986|p=38}} Sondheim, concerned that writing lyrics again would pigeonhole him as a lyricist, called his mentor for advice. Hammerstein told him he should take the job, because writing a vehicle for a star would be a good learning experience. Sondheim agreed; ''[[Gypsy (musical)|Gypsy]]'' opened on May 21, 1959, and ran for 702 performances.{{r|ReferenceA}}

===1962–1966: Music and lyrics===
==== ''A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum'' ====
The first Broadway production for which Sondheim wrote the music and lyrics was ''[[A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum]]'', which opened in 1962 and ran for 964 performances.<ref>{{cite news|url = https://www.playbill.com/article/look-back-at-the-original-production-of-a-funny-thing-happened-on-the-way-to-the-forum|title = Look Back at the Original Production of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum|work = [[Playbill]]|date = May 8, 2021|access-date = November 28, 2021|last = Skethway|first = Nathan}}</ref> The [[Book musical|book]], based on [[farce]]s by [[Plautus]], was by [[Burt Shevelove]] and [[Larry Gelbart]]. The show won six [[Tony Award]]s (including [[Tony Award for Best Musical|Best Musical]])<ref>{{cite web|year=1963|title=The Tony Award Nominations|url=https://www.tonyawards.com/nominees/year/1963/category/any/show/any/|website=[[Tony Awards]]|access-date=November 28, 2021}}</ref> and had the longest Broadway run of any show for which Sondheim wrote both music and lyrics.{{r|Weber}}

==== ''Anyone Can Whistle'' ====
Sondheim had participated in three straight hits, but his next show—1964's ''[[Anyone Can Whistle]]''—was a nine-performance bomb (although it introduced [[Angela Lansbury]] to musical theater).

==== ''Do I Hear a Waltz?'' ====
''[[Do I Hear a Waltz?]]'', based on Laurents's 1952 play ''[[The Time of the Cuckoo]]'', was intended as another [[Rodgers and Hammerstein]] musical with [[Mary Martin]] in the lead. A new lyricist was needed,<ref>Laurents, Arthur (2000) ''Original Story By'', New York: Alfred A. Knopf {{ISBN|0-375-40055-9}}, p. 212</ref> and Laurents and [[Mary Rodgers]], Rodgers's daughter, asked Sondheim to fill in. Although Richard Rodgers and Sondheim agreed that the original play did not lend itself to musicalization, they began writing a musical version.{{sfn|Secrest|1998|pp=174–175}} The project had many difficulties, including Rodgers's alcoholism. Sondheim later called it the one project he truly regretted writing, given that the reasons he wrote it—as a favor to Mary, as a favor to Hammerstein, as an opportunity to work again with Laurents, and as an opportunity to make money—were not reasons to write a musical. He then decided to work only when he could write both music and lyrics.{{r|rich}}

Sondheim asked author and playwright [[James Goldman]] to join him as [[bookwriter]] for a new musical inspired by a gathering of former [[Ziegfeld Follies]] showgirls: initially titled ''The Girls Upstairs'', it became ''[[Follies]]''.<ref name="Chapin">Chapin, Ted (2003) ''Everything Was Possible: The Birth of the Musical Follies'', New York: Alfred A. Knopf. {{ISBN|978-0-375-41328-5}}</ref>

==== ''Evening Primrose'' and other work ====
In 1966, Sondheim semi-anonymously provided lyrics for "[[The Boy From...]]", a parody of "[[The Girl from Ipanema]]" in the off-Broadway revue ''[[The Mad Show]]''. The song was credited to "Esteban Río Nido",<ref>The Mad Show: A Musical Revue Based on Mad Magazine, Samuel French Inc</ref> Spanish for "Stephen River Nest", and in the show's [[Programme (booklet)|playbill]] the lyrics were credited to "[[pen name|Nom De Plume]]". That year Goldman and Sondheim hit a creative wall on ''The Girls Upstairs'', and Goldman asked Sondheim about writing a TV musical. The result was ''[[Evening Primrose (musical)|Evening Primrose]]'', with [[Anthony Perkins]] and [[Charmian Carr]]. Written for the [[anthology series]] ''[[ABC Stage 67]]'' and produced by [[Hubbell Robinson]], it was broadcast on November 16, 1966. According to Sondheim and director [[Paul Bogart]], the musical was written only because Goldman needed money for rent. The network disliked the title and Sondheim's alternative, ''A Little Night Music''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.playbill.com/features/article/144210-I-Remember-Original-Evening-Primrose-Director-Recalls-Making-of-TV-Musical/pg2 |title="I Remember": Original "Evening Primrose" Director Recalls Making of TV Musical |work=Playbill |date=October 22, 2010 |access-date=July 4, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714162610/http://www.playbill.com/features/article/144210-I-Remember-Original-Evening-Primrose-Director-Recalls-Making-of-TV-Musical/pg2 |archive-date=July 14, 2014}}</ref>

After Sondheim finished ''Evening Primrose'', Jerome Robbins asked him to adapt [[Bertolt Brecht]]'s ''[[The Measures Taken]]'' despite the composer's general dislike of Brecht's work. Robbins wanted to adapt another Brecht play, ''[[The Exception and the Rule]]'', and asked [[John Guare]] to adapt the book. Leonard Bernstein had not written for the stage in some time, and his contract as conductor of the [[New York Philharmonic]] was ending. Sondheim was invited to Robbins's house in the hope that Guare would convince him to write the lyrics for a musical version of ''The Exception and the Rule''; according to Robbins, Bernstein would not work without Sondheim. When Sondheim agreed, Guare asked: "Why haven't you all worked together since ''West Side Story''?" Sondheim answered, "You'll see". Guare said that working with Sondheim was like being with an old college roommate, and he depended on him to "decode and decipher their crazy way of working"; Bernstein worked only after midnight, and Robbins only in the early morning. Bernstein's score, which was supposed to be light, was influenced by his need to make a musical statement.<ref name=urga>{{cite book|last=Secrest|first=Meryle|authorlink=Meryle Secrest|title=Stephen Sondheim: A Life|chapter-url={{google books |plainurl=y |id=ndlY6OTKM-sC|page=1188}}|year=2011|publisher=Vintage Books|isbn=978-0-307-94684-3|pages=1188–|chapter=Being Alive}}</ref> [[Stuart Ostrow]], who worked with Sondheim on ''The Girls Upstairs'', agreed to produce the musical, initially titled ''A Pray by Blecht'', then ''[[The Race to Urga]]''. An opening night was scheduled, but during auditions Robbins asked to be excused for a moment. When he did not return, a doorman said he had gotten into a limousine to go to [[John F. Kennedy International Airport]]. Bernstein burst into tears and said, "It's over". Sondheim later said of this experience: "I was ashamed of the whole project. It was arch and didactic in the worst way."<ref>Abernathy, June.[http://www.sondheim.com/commentary/blecht.html "Sondheim's Lost Musical"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120320143349/http://www.sondheim.com/commentary/blecht.html |date=March 20, 2012 }} sondheim.com. Retrieved February 5, 2012.</ref> He wrote one and a half songs and threw them away, the only time he ever did that. Eighteen years later, Sondheim refused Bernstein's and Robbins's request to retry the show.{{r|urga}}

Sondheim lived in a [[Turtle Bay, Manhattan]] [[brownstone]] from his writing of ''[[Gypsy (musical)|Gypsy]]'' in 1959. Ten years later, he heard a knock on the door. His neighbor, [[Katharine Hepburn]], was in "bare feet—this angry, red-faced lady" and told him, "You have been keeping me awake all night!" (she was practicing for her musical debut in ''[[Coco (musical)|Coco]]''). "I remember asking Hepburn why she didn't just call me, but she claimed not to have my phone number. My guess is that she wanted to stand there in her bare feet, suffering for her art".<ref name=wolf>Wolf, Matt. [https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/theatre-dance/features/stephen-sondheim-an-audience-with-a-theatre-legend-8559902.html "Stephen Sondheim: An audience with a theatre legend"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170927052552/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/theatre-dance/features/stephen-sondheim-an-audience-with-a-theatre-legend-8559902.html |date=September 27, 2017 }} ''The Independent'', April 2013</ref>

===1970–1981: Collaborations with Hal Prince===
==== ''Company'' ====
[[File:Stephen Sondheim, New York.jpg|thumb|upright|Sondheim in New York, 1972]]
After ''Do I Hear a Waltz?'', Sondheim devoted himself solely to writing both music and lyrics for the theater—and in 1970, he began a collaboration with director [[Harold Prince]] resulting in a body of work that is considered one of the high water marks of musical theater history, with critic [[Howard Kissel]] writing that the duo had set "Broadway's highest standards".<ref>{{cite book|title = Harold Prince: A Director's Journey|last = Ilson|first = Carol|year = 1989|publisher = [[Rowman & Littlefield|Limelight Editions]]|page = 239|isbn = 978-0879102968}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url = https://www.vox.com/culture/2019/8/1/20748998/hal-prince-dies-at-91-company-cabaret-sondheim-phantom|title = Broadway director Harold Prince left an unparalleled legacy of masterworks|last = Romano|first = Aja|work = [[Vox Media|Vox]]|date = August 1, 2019|access-date = November 28, 2021}}</ref>

The first Sondheim show with Prince as director was 1970's ''[[Company (musical)|Company]]''. A show about a single man and his married friends, ''Company'' (with a book by [[George Furth]]) lacked a straightforward plot, instead centering on themes such as marriage and the difficulty of making an emotional connection with another person. It opened on April 26, 1970, at the [[Alvin Theatre]], running for 705 performances after seven previews, and won [[Tony Awards]] for [[Tony Award for Best Musical|Best Musical]], Best Music, and Best Lyrics.<ref name = Franklin>{{cite news|url = https://www.playbill.com/article/look-back-at-the-original-production-of-company-on-broadway|title = Look Back at the Original Production of Company on Broadway
|last = Franklin|first = Marc J.|date = April 26, 2021|access-date = November 28, 2021|work = [[Playbill]]}}</ref> The original cast included [[Dean Jones (actor)|Dean Jones]], [[Elaine Stritch]], and [[Charles Kimbrough]]. Popular songs include "[[Company (Broadway song)|Company]]", "The Little Things You Do Together", "Sorry-Grateful", "You Could Drive a Person Crazy", "Another Hundred People", "[[Getting Married Today (song)|Getting Married Today]]", "Side by Side", "[[The Ladies Who Lunch (song)|The Ladies Who Lunch]]", and "[[Being Alive]]". [[Walter Kerr]] of ''[[The New York Times]]'' praised the production, the performances, and the score, writing, "Sondheim has never written a more sophisticated, more pertinent, or—this is the surprising thing in the circumstances—more melodious score".<ref>{{cite news|url= https://www.nytimes.com/1970/05/03/archives/company-original-and-uncompromising-company-is-uncompromising.html|title= Company: Original and Uncompromising|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date= May 3, 1970|access-date= November 3, 2023|last=Kerr|first=Walter|author-link=Walter Kerr}}</ref>

Documentary filmmaker [[D. A. Pennebaker]] captured the making of the [[original cast recording]] shortly after the show opened on Broadway in his 1970 film ''[[Original Cast Album: Company]]''.<ref>{{Cite magazine|last=Brody|first=Richard|title=The Unstrung Power of Elaine Stritch in "Original Cast Album: Company"|url=https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-front-row/the-unstrung-power-of-elaine-stritch-in-original-cast-album-company|access-date=August 6, 2020|magazine=The New Yorker|date=July 10, 2020|language=en-us}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Saltz|first=Rachel|date=October 11, 2014|title=Invincible Bunch, 44 Years Later|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/12/movies/invincible-bunch-44-years-later-.html|access-date=August 6, 2020}}</ref> Stritch, Sondheim, and producer [[Thomas Z. Shepard]] are featured prominently. ''Company'' was revived on Broadway in 1995, 2006, and 2020/2021 (the last revival began previews in March 2020, but shut down before resuming in November 2021 due to the ongoing [[COVID-19 pandemic]]; in this revival, the main character was a woman, Bobbie, portrayed by [[Katrina Lenk]]).{{r|Franklin}} The 2006 and 2021 productions won the [[Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical]].

==== ''Follies'' ====
''[[Follies]]'' (1971), with a book by [[James Goldman]], opened on April 4, 1971, at the [[Winter Garden Theatre]] and ran for 522 performances after 12 previews.<ref>{{cite news|url = https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-04-07-vl-43340-story.html|title = Theater Review : Conejo ''Follies'' Not Same Old Song, Dance : The Sondheim musical may have fizzled on Broadway, but the local production spotlights the show's strengths|newspaper= [[Los Angeles Times]]|date = April 7, 1994|access-date = November 28, 2021|last = Everett|first = Todd}}</ref> The plot centers on a reunion, in a crumbling Broadway theater scheduled for demolition, of performers in ''Weismann's'' ''Follies'' (a musical revue, based on the ''[[Ziegfeld Follies]]'', that played in that theater between the world wars). The production also featured choreography and co-direction by [[Michael Bennett (theater)|Michael Bennett]]'','' who later created ''[[A Chorus Line]]''.

The original production starred [[Dorothy Collins]], [[John McMartin]], [[Alexis Smith]], and [[Gene Nelson]]. It included the songs "[[I'm Still Here (Follies song)|I'm Still Here]]", "[[Could I Leave You? (song)|Could I Leave You?]]", and "[[Losing My Mind]]". The production earned 11 [[Tony Award]] nominations, including Best Musical. It won 7 Tony Awards, including [[Tony Award for Best Original Score|Best Original Score]]. The show was revived on Broadway in 2001 and 2011.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.playbill.com/production/follies-belasco-theatre-vault-0000010759|title = Follies|year = 2001|website = [[Playbill]]|access-date = November 28, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url = https://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/13/theater/reviews/follies-on-broadway-review.html|title = Darkness Around the Spotlight|date = September 13, 2011|access-date = November 28, 2021|last = Brantley|first = Ben|author-link = Ben Brantley|newspaper= [[The New York Times]]}}</ref>

==== ''A Little Night Music'' ====
''[[A Little Night Music]]'' (1973), based on [[Ingmar Bergman]]'s ''[[Smiles of a Summer Night]]'' and with a score primarily in [[Time signature|waltz time]], was among Sondheim's greatest commercial successes. ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' magazine called it his "most brilliant accomplishment to date".<ref name="perf">{{cite magazine|url = http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,906953,00.html|title = A Precious Fancy|magazine = Time|date = March 19, 1973|access-date = March 19, 2007|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070930141833/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,906953,00.html|archive-date = September 30, 2007|url-status = dead}}</ref> The original cast included [[Glynis Johns]], [[Len Cariou]], [[Hermione Gingold]], and [[Judy Kahan]]. The show opened on Broadway at the [[Shubert Theatre (New York City)|Shubert Theatre]] on February 25, 1973, and ran for 601 performances and 12 previews.<ref>{{IBDB title|3176|A Little Night Music}}</ref> Clive Barnes of ''[[The New York Times]]'' wrote, "''A Little Night Music'' is soft on the ears, easy on the eyes, and pleasant on the mind. It is less than brash, but more than brassy, and it should give a lot of pleasure. It is the remembrance of a few things past, and all to the sound of a waltz and the understanding smile of a memory. Good God!—[an] adult musical!"<ref>{{cite news|url= https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/books/98/07/19/specials/sondheim-night.html|title= The Theater: ''A Little Night Music''|author=[[Clive Barnes]]|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=December 18, 2024}}</ref>

The production earned 12 [[Tony Award]] nominations and won 6 awards, including [[Tony Award for Best Musical|Best Musical]] and [[Tony Award for Best Original Score|Best Original Score]]. "[[Send in the Clowns]]", a song from the musical, was a hit for [[Judy Collins]] and became Sondheim's best-known song. It has since been covered by [[Frank Sinatra]], [[Barbra Streisand]], and [[Judi Dench]]. The production was adapted to screen in the [[A Little Night Music (film)|1977 film of the same name]] starring [[Elizabeth Taylor]], [[Dianna Rigg]], [[Len Cariou]], and [[Hermione Gingold]]. It was revived on Broadway in 2009 in a production starring [[Catherine Zeta-Jones]] and [[Angela Lansbury]].<ref>{{cite news|url = https://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/14/theater/reviews/14little.html|title = A Weekend in the Country With Eros and Thanatos|work = [[The New York Times]]|date = December 14, 2009|access-date = November 28, 2021|last = Brantley|first = Ben|author-link = Ben Brantley}}</ref>

==== ''Pacific Overtures'' ====
''[[Pacific Overtures]]'' (1976), with a book by [[John Weidman]], was one of Sondheim's most unconventional efforts: it explored the westernization of Japan, and was originally presented in a mock-[[Kabuki]] style.<ref>{{cite news|url = https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2002-jul-15-et-swed15-story.html|title = Cultural Fine-Tuning of ''Pacific Overtures''|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date = July 15, 2002|access-date = November 28, 2021|last = Swed|first = Mark|author-link=Mark Swed}}</ref> The show closed after a run of 193 performances,<ref>{{IBDB title|3785|Pacific Overtures}}</ref> and was revived on Broadway in 2004.<ref>{{cite news|url = https://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/03/theater/reviews/repatriating-the-japanese-sondheim.html|title = Repatriating the Japanese Sondheim|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date = December 3, 2004|access-date = November 28, 2021|last = Brantley|first = Ben|author-link = Ben Brantley}}</ref>

==== ''Sweeney Todd'' ====
''[[Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street]]'' (1979), with a score by Sondheim and a book by [[Hugh Wheeler]], is based on [[Christopher Bond]]'s 1973 stage play derived from the [[Victorian era|Victorian]] original.<ref>Berkvist, Robert. [https://www.nytimes.com/books/98/07/19/specials/sondheim-guignol.html "Stephen Sondheim Takes a Stab at Grand Guignol"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170929044520/http://www.nytimes.com/books/98/07/19/specials/sondheim-guignol.html |date=September 29, 2017 }}. ''The New York Times'', February 25, 1979</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sondheim.com/works/sweeney_todd/|title=Sweeney Todd|publisher=Sondheim.com|access-date=September 28, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141116040932/http://www.sondheim.com/works/sweeney_todd/|archive-date=November 16, 2014|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>Wheeler, Hugh; Sondheim, Stephen. "''Sweeney Todd'' script, Introduction by Christopher Bond". Hal Leonard Corporation, 1991, {{ISBN|1-55783-066-5}}, p. 1</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sondheimguide.com/sweeney.html|title='Sweeney Todd' listing" "Based on a Version of "Sweeney Todd" by Christopher Bond|publisher=Sondheimguide.com|access-date=September 28, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160525042858/http://www.sondheimguide.com/sweeney.html|archive-date=May 25, 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>Brown, Larry. [http://larryavisbrown.homestead.com/files/Sondheim/sweeneytodd.htm "'Sweeney Todd' Notes"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090307034807/http://larryavisbrown.homestead.com/files/Sondheim/sweeneytodd.htm |date=March 7, 2009 }}. Larryavisbrown.homestead.com. Retrieved March 22, 2010.</ref> The original production starred [[Angela Lansbury]], [[Len Cariou]], [[Victor Garber]], and [[Edmund Lyndeck]]. Popular songs from the musical include "The Ballad of Sweeney Todd", "The Worst Pies in London", "Pretty Women", "A Little Priest", "[[Not While I'm Around (song)|Not While I'm Around]]", "By the Sea", and "Johanna". The production earned 9 [[Tony Award]] nominations and won 8 awards, including [[Tony Award for Best Musical|Best Musical]], Best Original Score, Best Actress, and Best Actor. Richard Eder of ''[[The New York Times]]'' wrote: "Mr. Sondheim's lyrics can be endlessly inventive. There is a hugely amusing recitation of the attributes given by the different professions—priest, lawyer, and so on—to the pies they contribute to. At other times the lyrics have a black, piercing poetry to them."<ref>{{cite web|url= https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/books/98/07/19/specials/sondheim-todd.html|title= Stage: Introducing ''Sweeney Todd''|author=[[Richard Eder]]|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|access-date= November 3, 2023}}</ref>

Lansbury's performance was captured alongside [[George Hearn]] in the Los Angeles production, which was filmed and shown on [[PBS]] as part of ''[[Masterpiece Theatre]]''. It later earned five [[Primetime Emmy Award]] nominations. It has been revived on Broadway in 1989, 2005, and 2023. The 2023 production starred [[Josh Groban]], [[Annaleigh Ashford]], [[Jordan Fisher]], and [[Gaten Matarazzo]]. A [[Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007 film)|film adaptation]] was made in 2007 directed by [[Tim Burton]] and starring [[Johnny Depp]], [[Helena Bonham Carter]], and [[Alan Rickman]].

==== ''Merrily We Roll Along'' ====
''[[Merrily We Roll Along (musical)|Merrily We Roll Along]]'' (1981), with a book by [[George Furth]], is one of Sondheim's most traditional scores; songs from the musical were recorded by [[Frank Sinatra]] and [[Carly Simon]]. According to Sondheim's music director [[Paul Gemignani]], "Part of Steve's ability is this extraordinary versatility". The show was not the success their previous collaborations had been: after a chaotic series of preview performances, it opened to widely negative reviews, and closed after a run of less than two weeks. Due to the high quality of Sondheim's score, the show has been repeatedly revised and produced in the ensuing years. [[Martin Gottfried]] wrote, "Sondheim had set out to write traditional songs ... But [despite] that there is nothing ordinary about the music."{{sfn|Gottfried|1993|pp=146–147}} Sondheim later said: "Did I feel betrayed? I'm not sure I would put it like that. What did surprise me was the feeling around the Broadway community—if you can call it that, though I guess I will for lack of a better word—that they wanted Hal and me to fail."{{r|wolf}} Sondheim and Furth continued to revise the show in subsequent years. An acclaimed feature documentary on the show and its aftermath, ''[[Best Worst Thing That Ever Could Have Happened]]'', directed by ''Merrily'' cast member Lonny Price, and produced by [[Bruce David Klein]], Kitt Lavoie, and Ted Schillinger, premiered at the New York Film Festival on November 18, 2016. A [[Merrily We Roll Along (film)|film adaptation]] of ''Merrily We Roll Along'', directed by [[Richard Linklater]], began production in 2019 and is planned to continue for the next two decades to allow the actors to age in real time.<ref>{{cite news|url = https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/richard-linklater-film-merrily-we-roll-along-be-shot-20-years-1235414/|title = Richard Linklater Musical to Be Filmed Over 20-Year Span|last = Galuppo|first = Mia|work = [[The Hollywood Reporter]]|access-date = November 28, 2021|date = August 29, 2019}}</ref> An off-Broadway revival starring [[Jonathan Groff]], [[Daniel Radcliffe]], and [[Lindsay Mendez]] ran from November 2022 to January 2023 at the [[New York Theatre Workshop]]; it moved to Broadway in fall 2023. ''Merrily'' won 2024 Tony Awards for Best Revival of a Musical, Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical (Jonathan Groff), Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical (Daniel Radcliffe), and Best Orchestrations ([[Jonathan Tunick]]).<ref>[https://www.tonyawards.com/winners/year/2024/category/any/show/any/ "Winners 2024"], Tony Awards</ref>

''Merrily''{{'}}s failure greatly affected Sondheim; he was ready to quit theater and do movies, create video games or write mysteries: "I wanted to find something to satisfy myself that does not involve Broadway and dealing with all those people who hate me and hate Hal."{{sfn|Gottfried|1993|p=153}} After ''Merrily'', Sondheim and Prince did not collaborate again until their 2003 production of ''[[Bounce (musical)|Bounce]]''.<ref>{{Cite magazine|last1=Simonson|first1=Robert|last2=Jones|first2=Kenneth|date=June 30, 2003|title=Sondheim and Prince Bounce Back After 20 Years with Goodman Theatre Premiere, June 30|url=http://www.playbill.com/article/sondheim-and-prince-bounce-back-after-20-years-with-goodman-theatre-premiere-june-30-com-113986|access-date=November 29, 2021|magazine=[[Playbill]]}}</ref>

===1984–1994: Collaborations with James Lapine===
==== ''Sunday in the Park with George'' ====
Sondheim decided "that there are better places to start a show" and found a new collaborator in [[James Lapine]] after he saw Lapine's ''[[Twelve Dreams]]'' off-Broadway in 1981: "I was discouraged, and I don't know what would have happened if I hadn't discovered ''Twelve Dreams'' at the [[Public Theatre]]";{{r|wolf}} Lapine has a taste "for the [[avant-garde]] and for visually oriented theater in particular". Their first collaboration was ''[[Sunday in the Park with George]]'' (1984), with Sondheim's music evoking [[Georges Seurat]]'s [[pointillism]]. Sondheim and Lapine won the 1985 [[Pulitzer Prize for Drama]] for the play,<ref name="pulitzer.org">{{Cite web|title=1985 Pulitzer Prizes|url=https://www.pulitzer.org/prize-winners-by-year/1985|access-date=November 29, 2021|website=pulitzer.org|language=en}}</ref> and it was revived on Broadway in 2008, and again in a limited run in 2017.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Zinoman|first=Jason|author-link=Jason Zinoman|date=February 17, 2008|title=Who's That Kid Staging Sondheim?|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/17/theater/17zino.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080218235152/http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/17/theater/17zino.html |archive-date=February 18, 2008 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|access-date=November 29, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=McPhee|first=Ryan|date=February 23, 2017|title=Jake Gyllenhaal-Led Sunday in the Park With George Opens on Broadway Feb. 23|url=http://www.playbill.com/article/jake-gyllenhaal-sunday-in-the-park-with-george-opens-on-broadway-feb-23|access-date=November 29, 2021|website=Playbill|language=en}}</ref>

==== ''Into the Woods'' ====
They collaborated on ''[[Into the Woods]]'' (1987), a musical based on several [[Brothers Grimm]] [[fairy tale]]s. Although Sondheim has been called the first composer to bring [[rap music]] to Broadway (with the Witch in the opening number of ''Into the Woods''), he attributed the first rap in theater to [[Meredith Willson]]'s "Rock Island" from ''[[The Music Man]]'' (1957).{{r|Bermel}} ''Into the Woods'' was revived on Broadway in 2002<ref>{{Cite news|last=Pressley|first=Nelson|date=May 1, 2002|title=A Spruced-Up 'Into the Woods' Grows on Broadway|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/2002/05/01/a-spruced-up-into-the-woods-grows-on-broadway/fe46862c-9c17-4ab4-bdeb-1c0e014373c1/|access-date=November 29, 2021}}</ref> and at the [[St. James Theatre]] in 2022.

==== ''Passion'' ====
Sondheim's and Lapine's last collaboration on a musical was the rhapsodic ''[[Passion (musical)|Passion]]'' (1994), adapted from [[Ettore Scola]]'s Italian film ''[[Passion of Love|Passione D'Amore]]''. With a run of 280 performances, ''Passion'' was the shortest-running show to win a [[Tony Award for Best Musical]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424127887323384604578328292325351774 |title=A Theater Group Breaks Into Song |work=[[The Wall Street Journal]] |last=Simon |first=Lizzie |date=February 26, 2013 |access-date=August 9, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171111183252/https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424127887323384604578328292325351774 |archive-date=November 11, 2017 |url-status=live }}</ref>

===1990–2021: Later work===
==== ''Assassins'' ====
''[[Assassins (musical)|Assassins]]'' opened off-Broadway at [[Playwrights Horizons]] on December 18, 1990, with a book by [[John Weidman]]. The show explored, in [[revue|revue form]], a group of historical figures who tried (with varying success) to assassinate the President of the United States. The musical closed on February 16, 1991, after 73 performances. The ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' reported the show "has been sold out since previews began, reflecting the strong appeal of Sondheim's work among the theater crowd."<ref>Fox, David.[https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-01-29-ca-251-story.html "Critics Say 'Assassins' Will Have to Bite the Bullet : Stage: Some reviewers find Stephen Sondheim's Off Broadway musical fails to hit the target."] ''Los Angeles Times'', January 29, 1991</ref> In his review for ''[[The New York Times]]'', [[Frank Rich]] wrote, "''Assassins'' will have to fire with sharper aim and fewer blanks if it is to shoot to kill."<ref>Evans, Greg. "Crix Hang 'Assassins;' B'way Out of Range?" Variety (February 4, 1991): 95. Rpt. in Contemporary Literary Criticism. Ed. Jeffrey W. Hunter. Vol. 147. Detroit: Gale Group, 2002</ref><ref>Rich, Frank.[https://www.nytimes.com/1991/01/28/theater/review-theater-sondheim-and-those-who-would-kill.html?scp=1&sq=&pagewanted=1 "Review/Theater; Sondheim and Those Who Would Kill"], ''The New York Times'', January 28, 1991.</ref> ''Assassins'' was eventually staged on Broadway in 2004.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Grady|first=Constance|date=November 26, 2021|title=In Sondheim's Assassins, cornball Americana can't cover a seething mass of violent rage|url=https://www.vox.com/culture/22796368/assassins-review-stephen-sondheim-john-doyle-classic-stage-company|access-date=November 29, 2021|website=[[Vox (website)|Vox]]|language=en}}</ref>

''Saturday Night'' was shelved until its 1997 production at London's [[Bridewell Theatre]]. The next year, its score was recorded; a revised version, with two new songs, ran off-Broadway at [[Second Stage Theatre]] in 2000 and at London's [[Jermyn Street Theatre]] in 2009.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.playbill.com/news/article/119611-Sondheims-Saturday-Night-to-Play-Londons-Jermyn-Street-Theatre-in-2009 |title=Sondheim's Saturday Night to Play London's Jermyn Street Theatre in 2009 |work=Playbill |access-date=October 18, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111227144112/http://www.playbill.com/news/article/119611-Sondheims-Saturday-Night-to-Play-Londons-Jermyn-Street-Theatre-in-2009 |archive-date=December 27, 2011}}</ref>

==== ''Road Show'' ====
Sondheim and Weidman reunited during the late 1990s for ''Wise Guys'', a musical comedy based on the lives of colorful businessmen [[Addison Mizner|Addison]] and [[Wilson Mizner]]. A Broadway production starring [[Nathan Lane]] and [[Victor Garber]], directed by [[Sam Mendes]], and planned for spring 2000,<ref>{{cite news|last=Bahr|first=David|url=http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1589/is_1999_Oct_12/ai_55983616|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130807171726/http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1589/is_1999_Oct_12/ai_55983616|url-status=dead|archive-date=August 7, 2013|title=Everything's coming up Sondheim|publisher=The Advocate|date=October 12, 1999 |access-date=March 19, 2007 }}</ref> was delayed. Renamed ''Bounce'' in 2003, the show premiered at the [[Goodman Theatre]] in Chicago and the [[Kennedy Center]] in Washington, D.C., in a production directed by Harold Prince, his first collaboration with Sondheim since 1981.<ref name="Jones">{{cite news |last1=Jones |first1=Kenneth |title=Sondheim and Prince Reunite for Musical Comedy, Bounce, Bowing in Chicago Prior to DC |url=https://www.playbill.com/article/sondheim-and-prince-reunite-for-musical-comedy-bounce-bowing-in-chicago-prior-to-dc-com-113869 |access-date=December 5, 2021 |work=Playbill |date=June 20, 2003}}</ref> Poor reviews prevented ''Bounce'' from reaching Broadway, but a revised version opened off-Broadway as ''[[Road Show (musical)|Road Show]]'' at [[the Public Theater]] on October 28, 2008. Directed by [[John Doyle (director)|John Doyle]], it closed December 28, 2008.<ref>{{cite news
|last=Jones |first=Kenneth |url=http://www.playbill.com/article/sondheim-weidmans-bounce-is-now-called-road-show-cast-announced-com-152408 |title=Sondheim & Weidman's ''Bounce'' Is Now Called ''Road Show''; Cast Announced |work=Playbill |date=August 12, 2008 |access-date=June 24, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.publictheater.org/content/view/145/153 |title=Public Theater 2008–09 listing |publisher=[[The Public Theater]] |access-date=August 2, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080801000300/http://www.publictheater.org/content/view/145/153 |archive-date=August 1, 2008 |url-status=dead
}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Hetrick |first=Adam |url=https://www.playbill.com/article/sondheim-and-weidmans-road-show-pulls-into-the-public-oct-28-com-154657|title=Sondheim and Weidman's ''Road Show'' Pulls Into the Public Oct. 28 |work=Playbill |date=October 28, 2008}}</ref> The production won the 2009 [[Obie Award]] for Music and Lyrics<ref>{{cite news |last=Jones |first=Kenneth |url=http://www.playbill.com/article/groff-nottage-sondheim-cromer-pisoni-korins-among-2009-obie-award-winners-com-161006# |title=Groff, Nottage, Sondheim, Cromer, Pisoni, Korins Among 2009 OBIE Award Winners |work=Playbill |date=May 19, 2009 |access-date=June 24, 2019}}</ref> and the [[Drama Desk Award]] for Outstanding Lyrics.<ref>{{cite news |last=Gans |first=Andrew |url=http://www.playbill.com/article/ruined-and-billy-elliot-win-top-honors-at-drama-desk-awards-com-160988# |title=Ruined and Billy Elliot Win Top Honors at Drama Desk Awards |work=Playbill |date=May 18, 2009 |access-date=April 27, 2019}}</ref>

==== ''Sondheim on Sondheim'' and ''Six by Sondheim'' ====
Asked about writing new work, Sondheim replied in 2006: "No ... It's age. It's a diminution of energy and the worry that there are no new ideas. It's also an increasing lack of confidence. I'm not the only one. I've checked with other people. People expect more of you and you're aware of it and you shouldn't be."<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Edwardes |first=Jane |date=May 9, 2006 |title=Stephen Sondheim: Interview |url=https://www.timeout.com/london/theatre/features/303.html |magazine=[[Time Out (magazine)|Time Out]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081228091937/http://www.timeout.com/london/theatre/features/303.html |archive-date=December 28, 2008}}</ref> In December 2007, he said that in addition to continuing work on ''Bounce'', he was "nibbling at a couple of things with John Weidman and James Lapine".<ref>{{cite web |title=2007 Interview: Stephen Sondheim for "Sweeney Todd" |url=http://darkhorizons.com/news07/sondheim.php |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071214180303/http://www.darkhorizons.com/news07/sondheim.php |archive-date=December 14, 2007 |access-date=September 28, 2014 |publisher=Darkhorizons.com}}</ref>

Lapine prepared the multimedia production ''iSondheim: aMusical Revue'', which was scheduled to open in April 2009 at the [[Alliance Theatre]] in [[Atlanta]]; it was canceled due to "difficulties encountered by the commercial producers attached to the project&nbsp;... in raising the necessary funds".<ref>Hetrick, Adam. [https://playbill.com/article/lapine-to-create-isondheim-amusical-revue-for-alliance-theatre-com-153257 "Lapine to Create iSondheim: aMusical Revue for Alliance Theatre"] ''Playbill'', September 12, 2008.</ref><ref>Hetrick, Adam. [https://playbill.com/article/liz-callaway-cast-in-world-premiere-of-isondheim-amusical-revue-com-157672 "Liz Callaway Cast in World Premiere of iSondheim: aMusical Revue"] ''Playbill'', February 4, 2009.</ref><ref>Gans, Andrew and Hetrick, Adam. [https://www.playbill.com/article/atlantas-alliance-theatre-cancels-isondheim-revue-brel-will-play-instead-com-158415 "Atlanta's Alliance Theatre Cancels Sondheim Revue; Brel Will Play Instead"] ''Playbill'', February 26, 2009.</ref> Later revised as ''[[Sondheim on Sondheim]]'', the revue was produced at [[Studio 54]] by the [[Roundabout Theatre Company]]; previews began on March 19, 2010, and ran from April 22 to June 13. The revue's cast included [[Barbara Cook]], [[Vanessa L. Williams]], [[Tom Wopat]], [[Norm Lewis]], and [[Leslie Kritzer]].<ref>Jones, Kenneth. [https://www.playbill.com/article/sondheim-on-sondheim-a-new-musical-reflection-of-a-life-in-art-begins-on-broadway-com-166910 "Sondheim on Sondheim, a New Musical Reflection of a Life in Art, Begins on Broadway"] ''Playbill'', March 19, 2010.</ref>

[[File:Danya Polykov and Stephen Sondheim, 04.2014, NYC (cropped).jpg|thumb|upright|Stephen Sondheim (2014)]]
In 2013, Lapine directed the HBO feature-length documentary ''[[Six by Sondheim]]'', which he executive produced with former ''New York Times'' theater critic [[Frank Rich]], a longtime champion of Sondheim's work.<ref name="Rooney2013">{{cite news |last1=Rooney |first1=David |title=Six by Sondheim: TV Review |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-reviews/six-by-sondheim-tv-review-660845/ |access-date=November 29, 2021 |work=The Hollywood Reporter |date=December 2, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211129000729/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-reviews/six-by-sondheim-tv-review-660845/ |archive-date=November 29, 2021 |url-status=live }}</ref> Sondheim himself acts and sings in the documentary as Joe, the cynical theater producer in the song "Opening Doors".<ref name="Wontorek2013">{{cite web |last1=Wontorek |first1=Paul |title=James Lapine on Making Six by Sondheim, His Hollywood Dreams for Sunday in the Park and Getting Sondheim to Actually Sing on Screen |url=https://www.broadway.com/buzz/173143/james-lapine-on-making-six-by-sondheim-his-hollywood-dreams-for-sunday-in-the-park-and-getting-sondheim-to-actually-sing-on-screen/ |website=Broadway.com |access-date=November 29, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131211043052/http://www.broadway.com/buzz/173143/james-lapine-on-making-six-by-sondheim-his-hollywood-dreams-for-sunday-in-the-park-and-getting-sondheim-to-actually-sing-on-screen/ |archive-date=December 11, 2013 |language=en |date=December 8, 2013}}</ref>

Sondheim collaborated with [[Wynton Marsalis]] on ''A Bed and a Chair: A New York Love Affair'', an [[Encores!]] concert on November 13–17, 2013, at [[New York City Center]]. Directed by [[John Doyle (director)|John Doyle]] with choreography by Parker Esse, it consisted of "more than two dozen Sondheim compositions, each piece newly reimagined by Marsalis".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.playbill.com/news/article/181139-Stephen-Sondheim-and-Wynton-Marsalis-Collaboration-for-City-Center-Has-New-Title-Parker-Esse-Will-Choreograph |title=Stephen Sondheim and Wynton Marsalis' Collaboration for City Center Has New Title; Parker Esse Will Choreograph |work=Playbill |access-date=September 28, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131109192533/http://www.playbill.com/news/article/181139-Stephen-Sondheim-and-Wynton-Marsalis-Collaboration-for-City-Center-Has-New-Title-Parker-Esse-Will-Choreograph |archive-date=November 9, 2013}}</ref> The concert featured [[Bernadette Peters]], [[Jeremy Jordan (actor, born 1984)|Jeremy Jordan]], [[Norm Lewis]], [[Cyrille Aimée]], four dancers, and the [[Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra]] conducted by [[David Loud]].<ref>Champion, Lindsay. [http://www.broadway.com/buzz/172920/meet-the-jazzy-cast-of-sondheim-marsalis-a-bed-and-a-chair-starring-bernadette-peters-jeremy-jordan/ "Meet the Jazzy Cast of Sondheim & Marsalis' 'A Bed and a Chair', Starring Bernadette Peters & Jeremy Jordan"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131109052417/http://www.broadway.com/buzz/172920/meet-the-jazzy-cast-of-sondheim-marsalis-a-bed-and-a-chair-starring-bernadette-peters-jeremy-jordan/ |date=November 9, 2013 }} broadway.com, November 7, 2013</ref> In ''Playbill'', Steven Suskin called the concert "neither a new musical, a revival, nor a standard songbook revue; it is, rather, a staged-and-sung chamber jazz rendition of a string of songs&nbsp;... Half of the songs come from ''Company'' and ''Follies''; most of the other Sondheim musicals are represented, including the lesser-known ''Passion'' and ''Road Show''".<ref>Suskin, Steven. [http://www.playbill.com/news/article/184418-Stephen-Sondheim-and-Wynton-Marsalis-Offer-a-Comfortable-Bed-and-a-Chair-at-City-Center?tsrc=hph "Stephen Sondheim and Wynton Marsalis Offer a Comfortable Bed and a Chair at City Center"] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131212104538/http://www.playbill.com/news/article/184418-Stephen-Sondheim-and-Wynton-Marsalis-Offer-a-Comfortable-Bed-and-a-Chair-at-City-Center?tsrc=hph |date=December 12, 2013 }} playbill.com, November 14, 2013</ref>

For the [[Into the Woods (film)|2014 film adaptation of ''Into the Woods'']], Sondheim wrote the new song "She'll Be Back", sung by The Witch, which was cut from the film.<ref>{{cite news|url = https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/VIDEO-Meryl-Streep-Performs-INTO-THE-WOODS-Deleted-Song-Shell-Be-Back-20150227|title = Video: Meryl Streep Performs ''Into the Woods'' Deleted Song 'She'll Be Back'!|work = [[BroadwayWorld]]|date = February 27, 2015|access-date = November 27, 2021|last = Robbins|first = Caryn}}</ref>

==== ''Here We Are'' ====
Sondheim began collaborating with [[David Ives]] in 2014 on a musical based on the [[Luis Buñuel]] films ''[[The Exterminating Angel]]'' and ''[[The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie]]'', initially slated for previews at the [[Public Theater]] in 2017.<ref>{{cite web|date=October 12, 2014|title=Stephen Sondheim and David Ives at Work on New Musical Based on Films of Luis Buñuel|url=http://www.playbill.com/news/article/stephen-sondheim-and-david-ives-at-work-on-new-musical-based-on-films-of-luis-buuel-333041|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141115141429/http://www.playbill.com/news/article/stephen-sondheim-and-david-ives-at-work-on-new-musical-based-on-films-of-luis-buuel-333041|archive-date=November 15, 2014|access-date=November 29, 2014|work=Playbill}}</ref> That date was cast into doubt after an August 2016 reading for the musical had only the first act finished.<ref>Riedel, Michael [https://nypost.com/2016/08/23/stephen-sondheim-is-halfway-done-with-his-new-musical/ "Stephen Sondheim is halfway done with his new musical"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180209063845/https://nypost.com/2016/08/23/stephen-sondheim-is-halfway-done-with-his-new-musical/|date=February 9, 2018}} New York Post, August 26, 2016</ref> A November 2016 workshop included [[Matthew Morrison]], [[Shuler Hensley]], [[Heidi Blickenstaff]], [[Sierra Boggess]], [[Gabriel Ebert]], [[Sarah Stiles]], [[Michael Cerveris]], and [[Jennifer Simard]].<ref>Viagas, Robert. [http://www.playbill.com/article/matthew-morrison-says-sondheims-new-bunuel-musical-is-challenging# "Matthew Morrison Says Sondheim's New Buñuel Musical Is "Challenging" "] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180116081313/http://www.playbill.com/article/matthew-morrison-says-sondheims-new-bunuel-musical-is-challenging|date=January 16, 2018}} Playbill, January 4, 2017</ref> After media outlets mistakenly reported that the show had the working title ''Buñuel'', Sondheim said that it still lacked a title in 2017.<ref>Wong, Wayman. [https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/BWW-Exclusive-Sondheim-Knocks-Riedels-Reporting-Says-His-New-Musical-Was-Never-Called-BUNUEL-20170426 "BWW Exclusive: Sondheim Knocks Riedel's Reporting; Says His New Musical Was Never Called Bunuel"]. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180209064205/https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/BWW-Exclusive-Sondheim-Knocks-Riedels-Reporting-Says-His-New-Musical-Was-Never-Called-BUNUEL-20170426|date=February 9, 2018}} ''BroadwayWorld.com'', April 26, 2017</ref> The Public Theatre denied reports that the show would be part of its 2019–20 season, but hoped to produce the musical "when it is ready".<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Paulson|first1=Michael|date=June 6, 2019|title='For Colored Girls' and 'Soft Power' Will be Part of Public Theater Season|newspaper=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/06/theater/public-theater-season.html|url-status=live|access-date=July 24, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190724220907/https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/06/theater/public-theater-season.html|archive-date=July 24, 2019}}</ref> Development reportedly ceased for a time,<ref>{{cite web|last=Gans|first=Andrew|date=April 27, 2021|title=Stephen Sondheim Musical Buñuel No Longer in Development|url=http://www.playbill.com/article/stephen-sondheim-musical-bunuel-no-longer-in-development|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210501180053/https://www.playbill.com/article/stephen-sondheim-musical-bunuel-no-longer-in-development|archive-date=May 1, 2021|access-date=May 2, 2021|website=Playbill}}</ref> but resumed for a September 2021 reading of the show, then called ''Square One''.<ref>Sondheim shared news of the reading during a September 15, 2021, appearance on ''[[The Late Show with Stephen Colbert]]''. {{Citation|title=Stephen Sondheim Is Still Writing New Works, As "Company" Returns To Broadway| date=September 16, 2021 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKSYeMgamIA| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211030/GKSYeMgamIA| archive-date=October 30, 2021|language=en|access-date=September 16, 2021}}{{cbignore}}</ref> [[Nathan Lane]] and [[Bernadette Peters]] were involved in a reading of this new work,<ref>{{Cite web|last=Major|first=Michael|title=Video: Nathan Lane Talks Reading of a New Sondheim Musical With Bernadette Peters|url=https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/VIDEO-Nathan-Lane-Talks-Reading-of-a-New-Sondheim-Musical-With-Bernadette-Peters-20210915|access-date=September 16, 2021|website=BroadwayWorld.com|language=en|archive-date=September 16, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210916144446/https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/VIDEO-Nathan-Lane-Talks-Reading-of-a-New-Sondheim-Musical-With-Bernadette-Peters-20210915|url-status=live}}</ref> and Sondheim discussed adapting the Buñuel films in the final interview before his death.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Paulson|first=Michael|date=November 27, 2021|title=Days Before Dying, Stephen Sondheim Reflected: 'I've Been Lucky'|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/26/theater/stephen-sondheim-final-interview.html|access-date=November 29, 2021|ref=none}}</ref> A posthumous production of the collaboration, directed by [[Joe Mantello]], premiered at [[The Shed (arts center)|The Shed]] in September 2023 as ''[[Here We Are (musical)|Here We Are]]''.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Evans |first=Greg |date=March 16, 2023 |title=Final Stephen Sondheim Musical ''Here We Are'' to Make Off Broadway World Premiere This Fall with Joe Mantello Directing |url=https://deadline.com/2023/07/stephen-sondheim-final-musical-here-we-are-off-broadway-joe-mantello-1235301303/ |access-date=March 16, 2023 |website=[[Deadline Hollywood]]}}</ref>