Stephen Sondheim

This is Stephen Sondheim (http://www.youngplaywrights.org/Stephen_Sondheim.jpg)

When I think of a hero there are two names that come to mind. The one name that I am going to be talking about is Stephen Sondheim. Stephen Sondheim is an American musical and film composer and lyricist. He has inspired me by all the wonderful music he has produced.

This is one of his shows (http://www.lakelandartscenter.org/images/07forum01.jpg)

My hero as you read above is Stephen Sondheim; to me he is a hero because of all the extraordinary music and lyrics he has produced. Some of his most famous work is A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Company, Follies, A Little Night Music, Sweeney Todd, Sunday in the Park with George, Into the Woods, and Assassins. At the local theatre, The Players Club of Swarthmore, I have performed in six out of the eight shows listed above. As I was in these shows it really showed me that Sondheim was a very smart musician. Yeah his music is hard to play sometimes but when you get people who can, it really sounds good.

This is another one of his shows (http://www.sondheimguide.com/graphics/sundayrntpb.jpg)

Sondheim was just all of a sudden a great musician. He was influenced by Oscar Hammerstein II. Hammerstein was not only just a musical mentor, but he was a father figure to young Sondheim. Due to the fact that Sondheim's father abandoned him and his mother, Sondheim had not liked his mother. Believe it or not when Sondheim was just nine he went to see his first Broadway production of Very Warm for May. The curtain went up to reveal a piano, then a butler walked in and started dusting the keys. This made the keys hit their notes and this along with Hammerstein inspired him to play the piano.

In the book The Hero's Trail By T. A. Barron there are qualities of a hero. My hero Stephen Sondheim would fit into two categories "A survivor hero" and "A hero to others near and far." Sondheim fits into the category "A survivor hero" because he has suffered through many things in his early childhood, like his father abandoning him and also his mother dying. Sondheim also fits in the category "A hero to others near and far" because a lot of his music has inspired many people.

Now I am the kind of guy who will enjoy any type of music, but for some reason Stephen Sondheim's music just caught my attention. He is also responsible for getting me onstage. As soon as I heard that I could audition I just had to and I loved every last bit of it. I would recommend if you get a chance to listen to his music to go for it, and you will see that it is one of the best around.