Saturday 27 November 2021

Stephen Sondheim has died

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/26/theater/stephen-sondheim-dead.html refers. It seemed as if he could go on forever, but it was not to be. The Broadway family which embraced him as he escaped from his chaotic natural family will miss him, as will the thousands - possibly millions - he entertained as well as stimulated over the years.

He acknowledged a special debt of gratitude to British audiences who appreciated many of his shows before they became established in America. I'm glad the NYT obituary mentions his love of cryptic crosswords and word games. I recall an interview (probably on Radio 4) in which he confessed to seeing anagrams everywhere. He had recently passed a cinema showing "2001: a Space Odyssey" and spotted instantly that "Cinerama" is an anagram of "American". He was the best of America.



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