VOICE ONE:
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington,D.C currently is honoring the work of one of America’s finestcomposers. The first of six popular musical shows written by StephenSondheim opened at the center last week. I’m Sarah Long.
VOICE TWO:
And I’m Shirley Griffith. The music of Stephen Sondheim is ourreport today on the VOA Special English program, THIS IS AMERICA.
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VOICE ONE:
Americans love the music of Stephen Sondheim. Many theatercritics say he re-invented American musical plays. This is becausehis plays are different from traditional musicals. His plays areoften about serious subjects. They have more interesting and unusualcharacters. And they are about complex emotions.
The Kennedy Center is presenting six of his most popular musicalshows starring famous Broadway musical performers. The SondheimCelebration will continue through August twenty-fifth.
VOICE TWO:
Stephen Sondheim was born in nineteen-thirty in New York City. Hewas the son of clothing manufacturers. His parents ended theirmarriage when he was ten years old. His mother took Stephen to livein Bucks County, Pennsylvania. They lived near Oscar Hammerstein,who wrote the words to many of the greatest musical plays onBroadway in New York. He helped Stephen develop his musicalabilities.
VOICE ONE:
While still a young man, Stephen Sondheim wrote the words to thesongs Leonard Bernstein composed for the musical “West Side Story.”It opened on Broadway in Nineteen-Sixty. It is considered one of thefinest works of American musical theater.
Sondheim also wrote the words tothe songs in another very successful show, “Gypsy.” Theseproductions helped launch Mister Sondheim in the musical theater.Since the early Nineteen-Sixties, he has written the words and musicto more than one-hundred songs. He has written or helped write abouttwenty musical shows. They have won many awards for the bestmusicals on Broadway.
VOICE TWO:
Now, we tell about the six musicals being performed in theSondheim Celebration in Washington this summer. One of these is”Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.” It was created bySondheim and Broadway producer Hal Prince. It is the story of a manwho was unfairly sent to prison in London. The show tells about howhe punishes his enemies for this injustice. It is funny as well asfrightening. Angela Lansbury and Len Cariou sing “A Little Priest.”
((CUT TWO: “A Little Priest”))
VOICE ONE:
The team of Stephen Sondheim and Hal Prince also wrote “MerrilyWe Roll Along.” This story is about three successful people who oncewere friends. Here, Maria Friedman urges an old friend to remembertheir warm feelings for one another. She sings “Old Friends: Who’sLike Us?”
((CUT THREE: “Old Friends: Who’s Like Us?))
VOICE TWO:
Another Sondheim show being performed in Washington is “Sunday inthe Park with George.” The play is based on a famous nineteenthcentury painting by French artist George Seurat. Mister Sondheimsaid he wrote the musical to prove that creating art is difficult.Mandy Patinkin, as George, thinks about doing something new.Bernadette Peters, as his girlfriend, urges him to do so. They sing”Move On.”
((CUT FOUR: “Move On”))
VOICE ONE:
People at the Kennedy Center also will see “A Little NightMusic.” This musical is based on a movie by Swedish director IngmarBergman. It is about love, foolishness and old age. Jean Simmonssings one of Stephen Sondheim’s most famous and beautiful songs,”Send in the Clowns.”
((CUT FIVE: “Send in the Clowns”))
VOICE TWO:
The Kennedy Center also is presenting the Sondheim musical show,”Passion.” It takes place in Italy during the eighteen-sixties. Inthis story, a young soldier must choose between a beautiful loverand a dying woman. The show is more emotionally complex than otherBroadway musicals. Here, Jere Shea and Marin Mazzie describe theirfeelings for one another in “Happiness.”
((CUT SIX: “Happiness”))
VOICE ONE:
The Sondheim show “Company” tells about an unmarried man namedRobert. Robert sings about the woman he could love. This woman isperfect. She has all the qualities of five of his women friends whoare married. Dean Jones sings “Someone is Waiting.”
((CUT SEVEN: “Someone Is Waiting”))
VOICE TWO:
Thousands of people have bought tickets to the SondheimCelebration. Some are travelling from other cities to see one ormore of the shows. As one critic said, “Stephen Sondheim is thefather of the modern musical theater.”
((THEME))
VOICE ONE:
This program was written by Jerilyn Watson. It was produced byCaty Weaver. Our studio engineer was Darryl Smith. I’m Sarah Long.
VOICE TWO:
And I’m Shirley Griffith. Join us again next week for anotherreport about life in the United States on the VOA Special Englishprogram, THIS IS AMERICA.