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Just watched Stephen Sondheim's 80th birthday celebration (had to wait till it recorded properly to the DVR). I cried like a baby.

Yes, I'm a musical theatre nerd.

And when that man dies, I am not just going to cry, I am going to go into mourning.

Stephen Sondheim, as a composer and lyricist, is and was so important to me. He is a lot of why I wanted to be a performer. Perhaps I can blame him for my financial misery. If so, I can also blame him for so much joy and brilliant catharsis. Because of him, it was always worth it.

If you do not know the works of Mr. Sondheim, you should. Sweeney Todd is one place to start (the show, not the movie), or maybe Follies, or Into The Woods, or Sunday In The Park With George, or A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum, or the songs he wrote for Dick Tracy, and maybe go onto Company, or Merrily We Roll Along, or Pacific Overtures, or A Little Night Music, and maybe end with Assassins or obscure stuff like Evening Primrose. And there's more.

There are video recordings of several of his shows, and that's a good way to see what's he was doing.

Listen to Mandy Patinkin singing "Finishing the Hat" from Sunday in the Park With George for the best expression I've ever heard of loving and believing in some thing (your art, your passion) more than a person.

Do it. Please.


Love to you...