SONDHEIM, STEPHEN. Considered the leading composer/lyricist of the modern musical theater; b. New York, New York, .
Sondheim’s shows, usually with Harold Prince as producer and director, have expanded the art of the musical as have those of few of his contemporaries. Sondheim’s style is unmistakably his own. The hallmarks of his work are intricate rhythms and melodies composed without concern about Tin Pan Alley. These tunes exist solely for the exigencies of the plot and...