Thanks to Broadway, Stephen Sondheim's Legacy Will Outlive Us All
When you fall into the musical theater rabbit hole, whether at fourteen or eighty-three, Stephen Sondheim is one of those names you quickly begin to regard like an old friend, his compositions even dearer to you than whatever’s popular on the radio that year.
Since his major break writing the lyrics for West Side Story (1957) at only 27-years-old, the man has been everywhere on Broadway, composing music and lyrics for other successful productions including A Little Night Music (1973), Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (1979), and Into the Woods (1987). Many have become major Hollywood film adaptations, revived in practically every theater in America, high school and otherwise. In fact, as I write this, I’m listening to the new cast recordings from Steven Spielberg’s already-critically acclaimed film adaptation of West Side Story (2021). Even now, though he’s no longer with us, the work that Sondheim left behind continues to shape and be shaped by a world that’s moving on but moving on with him.
In an indirect way, Sondheim was the reason I got into musical theater in the first place. The 1961 version of West Side Story was one of the first musical movies I saw as a kid, and from the first viewing, I became obsessed. There’s certainly a lot that hasn’t aged well since its original release: the brown face make-up used on every actor playing a Puerto Rican character, the fact that Rita Moreno was the only Puerto Rican and Latinx actor on set and faced xenophobic and sexist comments from crew and executives, and the so-called Puerto Rican accents that never feel quite right in anyone’s mouths.
But the musical itself still holds a special place in the Latinx community and for me. I listen to the cast recordings on repeat, have memorized both Tony and Maria’s parts in the balcony scene (which I can still perform perfectly today), have seen countless live productions of it online and in-person, and was inspired to later pursue musical theater in junior high.
Throughout the musical, I love the sweeping, gorgeous score by Leonard Bernstein, the Spanish slang in the songs and scenes, the first glimmers of representation Maria and Anita offered me and the women of my family.
And of course, Sondheim’s lyricism that could be romantic and evocative (“Today, all day I had the feeling / A miracle would happen / I know now I was right / For here you are”), funny and heartfelt (“I feel fizzy and funny and fine / And so pretty / Miss America can just resign”), as well as biting and politically relevant (“Life is all right in America / If you're all white in America”). Sondheim ingeniously captured the Latinx immigrant experience without even being Latinx, the experience of being a woman in love without even being a woman. How many others can say the same?
Then, at thirteen, he changed my life again when I was cast as Cinderella’s stepmother in Into the Woods in eighth grade. After playing Women #2 in Fiddler on the Roof the year before, I was beyond excited to be given my first big role in my (admittedly, short-lived) theater career. I signed up for voice lessons, faithfully attended every practice, and tried to embrace the mean-girl side of me to fit my character.
That year, I was challenged in ways I’d never been before. If you’ve even listened to any of the musical’s cast recordings, you’ll immediately notice the sheer difficulty of humming along with Sondheim’s music, let alone trying to sing it. Lyrics change as fast as you say them, the score is so quick and fast-paced that it’s almost anxiety-inducing, and the actual notes jump from low to high within seconds, which only becomes seamless to perform after hours of practice.
It’s not a musical for the faint of heart and it certainly wasn’t easy, but it was also one of the most fun experiences in the theater I’ve ever had. Not only did I get to make lifelong friends, but I also got to dress up in wildly elaborate costumes and experience the panic of accidentally breaking one of the props during a performance (it was a bloody piece of the stepsister’s heel—if you know, you know).
Nearly a decade on, even though I’ve since discovered writing more my forté than musical theater, West Side Story’s Maria remains my dream on-stage role. I sing along to Broadway songs, especially Sondheim’s, any chance I get. Because once upon a time, his artistry gave me enough confidence to perform on stage, iconic songs I will never forget, a different kind of voice to express my experiences, and a community to enjoy all of it with. Watching, listening to, and performing his work over the years has been one of the great honors of my life, and for that, Stephen, I’ll always be grateful to you.