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At 75, Stephen Sondheim Looks Back... and Forward

 Stephen Sondheim
Stephen Sondheim

Broadway composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim turns 75 on March 22. The living legend will be honored with a 12-hour performance of his works, Wall-to-Wall Sondheim, Saturday at New York's Symphony Space.

He composed stage classics including Sweeney Todd, Into the Woods, Company and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum; and he provided the lyrics for shows such as West Side Story and Gypsy.

After so many songs, numerous Tony Awards, a Pulitzer Prize and an Oscar (for best original song, 1990's Dick Tracy), Sondheim might not be blamed for enjoying a quiet retirement. But he continues to work: Bounce was produced in Washington, D.C. in 2003. And an album of Sondheim singing his own music -- recorded in the 1950s and '60s -- is due out in May.

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