Lectures For Lifelong Learners!

The musical theater was often lightweight entertainment until a protegee of Oscar Hammerstein II came along to challenge our perception of what a musical could be. An ethnic clash of street gangs (West Side Story)? A jaundiced look at marriage through the eyes of a perennial bachelor (Company)? A revenge thriller of a cannibalistic barber (Sweeney Todd)? An exploration of the creative process and a 19th century pointillist painter’s obsessions (Sunday in the Park with George)? Through his intricate music and lyrics, Sondheim changed the breadth and depth of musicals, as this talk will explore, with video examples from his landmark productions.