Stephen Sondheim Center for the Performing Arts
Encyclopedia
The Stephen Sondheim Center for the Performing Arts, opened December 7-10, 2007, located with the Fairfield Arts & Convention Center
in Fairfield, Iowa
. The Center opened with 7 notable Broadway stars, including Liz Callaway
and Richard Kind
, all of whom had something to do with one of the many musicals of Stephen Joshua Sondheim. His most famous scores include (as composer/lyricist) A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
, Company
, Follies
, A Little Night Music
, Sweeney Todd
, Sunday in the Park with George
, Into the Woods
, and Assassins
, as well as the lyrics for West Side Story
and Gypsy.
In January 2008, Sondheim Center produced A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum with Richard Kind starring. In Feb. 2008, a new work called "Edges" was produced for one weekend. To close their spring season, Randal K. West directed a completely new vision of Godspell. Orchestrations were completely changed by Justin Hill, the musical director. It starred Ryan Gaffney as Jesus, Mason Davis and Judas, and Stephen Mark Crisp as an apostle singing "All Good Gifts" and "Beautiful City".
Since Randal K. West departure as head of the Stephen Sondheim Center for the Performing Arts, he has began producing works within the building under the company name of Way Off Broadway Inc. He had produced new works like "Open Heart", "Banjo Boy" and a reworked version of "Snoopy" as well as classics like "Annie" "Joseph..." "South Pacific".
To celebrate the opening of the theater, West enlisted the talents of seven Broadway performers who had been original cast members from Stephen Sondheim musicals: Liz Callaway, Len Cariou, Richard Kind, Pamela Meyers, Donna Lynne Champlan, Kristin Huffman and David Malis. They performed the Sondheim Center’s premiere production, A Little Sondheim Music, an original musical revue of the composer’s greatest hits. Sondheim granted grand rights to all of his works, which allowed producer and director Randal West and musical director Justin Hill to draw from the full body of Sondheim’s work for the show’s musical numbers. Joining the all-star Broadway actors were the Encore Players touring company and an 18-piece orchestra.
The center is the first one in the United States named after Stephen Sondheim
.
Fairfield Arts & Convention Center
The Fairfield Arts & Convention Center is a performing arts, convention and meeting, visual arts, and arts education facility, located at Briggs and Main Streets in downtown Fairfield, Iowa...
in Fairfield, Iowa
Fairfield, Iowa
Fairfield is a city and the county seat of Jefferson County, Iowa, United States. The population was 9,464 in the 2010 census, a decline from 9,509 in the 2000 census. - History :...
. The Center opened with 7 notable Broadway stars, including Liz Callaway
Liz Callaway
Liz Callaway is an American actress and singer, famous for providing the singing voices of many female characters in films, such as Anya in Anastasia, Odette in The Swan Princess, and Kiara in The Lion King II:Simba's Pride....
and Richard Kind
Richard Kind
Richard John Kind is an American actor known for his roles in the sitcoms Mad About You and Spin City .- Early life :...
, all of whom had something to do with one of the many musicals of Stephen Joshua Sondheim. His most famous scores include (as composer/lyricist) A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart....
, Company
Company (musical)
Company is a musical with a book by George Furth and music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. The original production was nominated for a record-setting fourteen Tony Awards and won six....
, Follies
Follies
Follies is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and a book by James Goldman. The story concerns a reunion in a crumbling Broadway theatre, scheduled for demolition, of the past performers of the "Weismann's Follies," a musical revue , that played in that theatre between the World Wars...
, A Little Night Music
A Little Night Music
A Little Night Music is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by Hugh Wheeler. Inspired by the Ingmar Bergman film Smiles of a Summer Night, it involves the romantic lives of several couples. Its title is a literal English translation of the German name for Mozart's Serenade...
, Sweeney Todd
Sweeney Todd (musical)
Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street is a 1979 musical thriller with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and libretto by Hugh Wheeler. The musical is based on the 1973 play Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street by Christopher Bond....
, Sunday in the Park with George
Sunday in the Park with George
Sunday in the Park with George is a 1984 musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine. The musical was inspired by the painting "A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte" by Georges Seurat...
, Into the Woods
Into the Woods
Into the Woods is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine. It debuted in San Diego at the Old Globe Theatre in 1986, and premiered on Broadway in 1987. Bernadette Peters' performance as the Witch and Joanna Gleason's portrayal of the Baker's Wife brought acclaim...
, and Assassins
Assassins (musical)
Assassins is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by John Weidman, based on an idea by Charles Gilbert, Jr. It uses the premise of a murderous carnival game to produce a revue-style portrayal of men and women who attempted to assassinate Presidents of the United States...
, as well as the lyrics for West Side Story
West Side Story
West Side Story is an American musical with a script by Arthur Laurents, music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and choreographed by Jerome Robbins...
and Gypsy.
In January 2008, Sondheim Center produced A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum with Richard Kind starring. In Feb. 2008, a new work called "Edges" was produced for one weekend. To close their spring season, Randal K. West directed a completely new vision of Godspell. Orchestrations were completely changed by Justin Hill, the musical director. It starred Ryan Gaffney as Jesus, Mason Davis and Judas, and Stephen Mark Crisp as an apostle singing "All Good Gifts" and "Beautiful City".
Since Randal K. West departure as head of the Stephen Sondheim Center for the Performing Arts, he has began producing works within the building under the company name of Way Off Broadway Inc. He had produced new works like "Open Heart", "Banjo Boy" and a reworked version of "Snoopy" as well as classics like "Annie" "Joseph..." "South Pacific".
To celebrate the opening of the theater, West enlisted the talents of seven Broadway performers who had been original cast members from Stephen Sondheim musicals: Liz Callaway, Len Cariou, Richard Kind, Pamela Meyers, Donna Lynne Champlan, Kristin Huffman and David Malis. They performed the Sondheim Center’s premiere production, A Little Sondheim Music, an original musical revue of the composer’s greatest hits. Sondheim granted grand rights to all of his works, which allowed producer and director Randal West and musical director Justin Hill to draw from the full body of Sondheim’s work for the show’s musical numbers. Joining the all-star Broadway actors were the Encore Players touring company and an 18-piece orchestra.
The center is the first one in the United States named after Stephen Sondheim
Stephen Sondheim
Stephen Joshua Sondheim is an American composer and lyricist for stage and film. He is the winner of an Academy Award, multiple Tony Awards including the Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre, multiple Grammy Awards, a Pulitzer Prize and the Laurence Olivier Award...
.