Celebrating Sondheim with His Iconic Shows

Celebrating Sondheim with His Iconic Shows

Here's to him! In honor of the iconic Stephen Sondheim and his remarkable career, we're inviting you to dive into the librettos of five of his shows. From a comedy in ancient Rome to a weekend in the country, these shows are just a taste of his unparelleld range and his indelible mark on the world.

A Little Night Music
Set in 1900 Sweden, A Little Night Music explores the tangled web of affairs centered around actress, Desirée Armfeldt, and the men who love her: a lawyer by the name of Fredrik Egerman and the Count Carl-Magnus Malcom. When the traveling actress performs in Fredrik's town, the estranged lovers' passion rekindles. 

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum is a nonstop laughfest in which Pseudolus, a crafty slave, struggles to win the hand of a beautiful, but slow-witted, courtesan named Philia for his young master, Hero, in exchange for freedom. The plot twists and turns with cases of mistaken identity, slamming doors and a showgirl or two.

Company
On the night of his 35th birthday, confirmed bachelor, Robert, contemplates his unmarried state. Over the course of a series of dinners, drinks and even a wedding, his friends – "those good and crazy people [his] married friends" – explain the pros and cons of taking on a spouse. 

Merrily We Roll Along
Merrily We Roll Along begins in the present and moves backwards, tracing the lives of wealthy, jaded composer, Franklin Shepard, and his two estranged friends through each milestone of their personal and professional lives (good and bad).

Road Show
From the Alaskan Gold Rush in the 1890s to the Florida real estate boom in the 1930s, Road Show follows Addison and Wilson Mizner, two brothers who are constantly looking for the next way to strike it rich. This quest turns into a test of morality and judgment for the two brothers that will change their lives in unexpected ways.