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The Documentary: Into the Stephen Sondheim archive

Into the Stephen Sondheim archive

05/12/2021 GMT

BBC World Service - The Documentary, Into the Stephen Sondheim archive

The work of composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim explored by actor Maria Friedman

The work of composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim explored by actor Maria Friedman and guests.

Multi-award winning actor, singer and director Maria Friedman has had an association with the musicals of Stephen Sondheim for 30 years ever since she starred in the UK’s  National Theatre’s production of Sunday in the Park With George, in 1990.

In 2019 she was joined by a panel of guests in the BBC Radio Theatre to explore Sondheim programmes in the BBC’s archive, discuss the incredible impact of his work and perform some of the songs from his hit shows. The guests were actor Mark Umbers  who starred in Maria’s revival of Merrily We Roll Along, pianist and composer Jason Carr who has done orchestrations for Sondheim musicals, critic David Benedict who is writing Sondheim's authorised biography and Catherine Jayes who worked as Musical Director on Sondheim shows.

The programme was first broadcast on BBC Radio 4 Extra and following the death of Stephen Sondheim, this revised repeat is being broadcast on World Service.

Written and presented by Maria Friedman
Producer: Emma Kingsley

(Photo: Composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim receives the Freedom of the City of London award in recognition of his outstanding contribution to musical theatre. Credit:Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images)

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