From “West Side Story” and “Gypsy” to “Sweeney Todd” and “Into The Woods”, no one has changed the landscape of the American musical theatre in the last 50 years more than Stephen Sondheim.  Combining the lessons learned from his mentor, Oscar Hammerstein, Sondheim tackled unusual subjects with a depth, maturity, and humor that set a new standard for the field.  This unique lecture utilizes examples from the great legacy of musical theatre writers, demonstrating Sondheim’s remarkable reinvention of the form, his skills as a musical dramatist, and his unsurpassed ability to write penetrating and perceptive lyrics.

Please check the OLLI web site for additional lectures in the series "American Music: How Did We Get Here?" Thursdays, October 30 - December 11.