Lecture Series – The Great American Songbook: What Makes it Great? Special Stephen Sondheim Edition Part 1

Kerrytown Concert House is honored to bring back the enormously popular lecture series, The Great American Songbook: What Makes it Great? featuring the incomparable Brent Wagner (University of Michigan Emeritus Professor of Musical Theatre) with pianist Tyler Driskill (U-M Asst. Prof of Musical Theatre).

Exploring Stephen Sondheim’s work is a natural ‘sequel’ to our Rodgers and Hammerstein presentation, since Oscar Hammerstein was Sondheim’s teacher and mentor. With Sondheim’s passing just 4 years ago, major revivals and re-assessments are proliferating, as we all appreciate anew Sondheim’s monumental achievements. He was surely the most impactful and inventive writer since Oscar Hammerstein himself. 

Our Sondheim program is presented in two parts –

Part One: Sondheim’s early years, including his work with composers Jule Styne (Gypsy), Leonard Bernstein (West Side Story), and Richard Rodgers (Do I Hear a Waltz?), along with his scores for the madcap farce A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum and the zany, eccentric Anyone Can Whistle. All of these were leading to his 1970 landmark, Company.

Part Two (2/15/26): Sondheim’s own “Golden Age” encompasses his work with director Hal Prince, including Company, A Little Night Music, Sweeney Todd, Merrily We Roll Along, and continuing with his collaborations with James Lapine (Sunday in the Park with George, Into the Woods). These works continue to stimulate, entertain, and… astonish!