Sondheim, Stephen

The Tony Award-winning actor starred in the Broadway musicals Mame, Gypsy and Sweeney Todd, as well as the TV series Murder, She Wrote. Lansbury died Oct. 11. Originally broadcast in 1980 and 2000.

James Lapine worked with Stephen Sondheim on Sunday in the Park with George, Into the Woods and Passion. In Putting it Together, he draws on interviews with Sondheim and members of the cast and crew.

"I always considered song parody kind of cheap," the Emmy-nominated lyricist and performer says. "But ... I've gotten [such a] response from others ... that I'm appreciating it as an art form."

Actress Anna Kendrick got her start in the business at the age of six. She has a new memoir Scrappy Little Nobody, a collection of humorous essays about growing up in Maine and becoming a performer. Her film credits include Trolls, Pitch Perfect and Up In The Air, for which she was nominated for an Academy Award.

HBO's new TV special is part biography, part music-appreciation lesson and part performance piece. Critic David Bianculli says it's a superbly compiled work, overseen by two of the people most intimately familiar with the composer himself.

The political satirist and comedian talks about his Broadway performance (and performance anxieties).

This interview was originally broadcast on June 14, 2011.

The actress is nominated for her fifth Tony Award for the Broadway musical Porgy and Bess. "There's very few quiet moments for Bess," she says. "They're all very big, very emotional. ... And to commit to that night after night is very difficult.

Burstein has played a wide range of roles, from casino owner Lolly Steinman in HBO's Boardwalk Empire, to his current role as Buddy Plummer in the Broadway revival of Follies. He talks about his lengthy career on stage, screen and television.

Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz reviews a new CD of Stephen Sondheim's private demo recordings. Proceeds from the album go to raise money for a fund to help young playwrights.

Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz reviews a new six-DVD set of fully staged and concert performances of Stephen Sondheim musicals, The Stephen Sondheim Collection. He also reviews the new book about Sondheim by Ted Chapin, Everything Was Possible.

Peters has a new album, "I'll Be Your Baby Tonight." She made her theatrical debut at the age of 9. Since then she's been on Broadway with "Sunday in the Park with George," "Into the Woods." She's starred in 14 movies including, "Silent Movie," "The Jerk," "Pennies from Heaven" and "Impromptu."

Writer, producer, and director Arthur Laurents. Laurents wrote the stories for the plays "Gypsy" and "West Side Story" and the screenplays for the movies "The Way We Were" and "The Turning Point." Laurents is currently directing the Broadway revival of "Gypsy," starring Tyne Daly.

Orchestrator and composer Jonathan Tunick. Though best known for his orchestrations of Stephen Sondheim musicals like "Sweeney Todd" and "Into the Woods," Tunic is increasingly gaining recognition for his own compositions.

Record producer Thomas Z. Shepard, one of the most imaginative and successful producers of Broadway and classical recordings. Shepard has produced the cast recordings for "Sweeney Todd," "Ain't Misbehavin'," "La Cage Aux Folles," and "Me and My Girl," which has just been nominated for a Grammy.

Jack Eric Williams played one of the villains in Stephen Sondheim's Sweeney Todd, and found success during a run of Kurt Weill's Threepenny Opera. He has written a musical of his own called Mrs. Farmer's Daughter, about the life of actress Frances Farmer, which is now in production in Philadelphia.

George Hearn is an actor currently starring in the tour of "Sweeney Todd," playing now in Philadelphia. "Sweeney Todd" is a musical with music by Stephen Sondheim based on the legend of "The Demon Barber of Fleet Street," a barber whose quest for revenge leads to murder. Hearn plays the title role. He joins the show to discuss the musical, playing Sweeney Todd, and his career in theater, television, and film. (INTERVIEW BY DANNY MILLER).

Angela Lansbury is an actress who is currently starring in the tour of "Sweeney Todd," playing now in Philadelphia. "Sweeney Todd" is a musical with music by Stephen Sondheim based on the legend of "The Demon Barber of Fleet Street," a barber whose quest for revenge leads to murder. Lansbury stars as his accomplice, and won a Tony for the role. She joins the show to discuss the musical and working with Sondheim, singing, and acting.