Capped by Tyler Michaels King and Dieter Bierbrauer's monumental "Ballad of Booth," sung in the aftermath of the murder of President Abraham Lincoln, it was a painful portrait of a country gone wrong. Theater Latte Da's 2018 production grappled with the epidemic of gun violence and the hurt that has led some of history's most notorious criminals to make terrible choices. Here are nine I've been thinking about most fondly: In the Twin Cities, we're lucky to have memories of many excellent Sondheim productions and the possibility of more in the future (Artistry's "Into the Woods," directed by Sally Wingert, opens in January). But the depth and complexity of his music and lyrics in shows such as "Sweeney Todd," "Into the Woods" and "Assassins" (and others such as "Gypsy" and "West Side Story," for which he wrote just the lyrics) assure that his work will be performed as long as theater exists. Sondheim, who died Friday at age 91, always was quick to credit collaborators (he generally wrote the songs while artists such as James Lapine or John Weidman created the book). It's not overreaching to put the Pulitzer Prize, Tony Award and Oscar winner in the company of drama's all-time greats. A meme that made the rounds last week, within minutes of the death of musical theater titan Stephen Sondheim, read simply, "Shakespeare.
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