Stephen Sondheim is an award winning composer and lyricist that redefined Broadway musicals with his innovative productions. He is known for classics such as Sweeney Todd, a dark musical that tells the story of a vengeful barber, and Westside Story, a modern musical interpretation of Romeo and Juliet. He wrote and co-wrote many other musical and is an inspiration to millions. I am a big fan of musical theater and have over the years memorized all the songs from Sweeney Todd and most of Westside Story. Those two plays changed my view of musical theater and just made it fun to sing along.
I love the haunting and suspenseful the music is in Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. Tim Burton's 2007 adaptation made Sondhiem's musical more accessible to the masses and I quite enjoyed both Johnny Depp's and Helena Bonham Carter's performances in this film. My favorite song is No Place Like London, it's beautiful and tragic, full of hope and dispair.
I love drama and dancing in the 1961 film version of Westside Story. My favorite scene is The Dance at the Gym. The combination of dancing, fight scenes, and the culture clash in New York in the 1950's makes this musical socially significant.
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