According to Daniel Okrent’s new biography of Stephen Sondheim, nearly every achievement by the musical theater talent came with an unpleasant glitch. His Broadway debut as a lyricist for the landmark “West Side Story” (1957) was burdened with endless production arguments with his creative collaborators.
Sondheim was frustrated at snagging the lyricist’s job for “Gypsy” (1959). Ethel Merman refused to consider him a composer because of his newcomer status. He was a lyricist and composer for “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” (1962). This time, he was snubbed in the Tony Awards nominations and not acknowledged by the show’s producers when they accepted the Best Musical Award.
