Broadway lost a titan November 26, as composer-lyricist Stephen Sondheim passed away at the age of 91. In honor of the musical theatre legend, CBS Sunday Morning aired an interview between Sondheim and Patti LuPone, currently starring as Joanne in a revival of his and George Furth's Company on Broadway. The two talk about the composer's legacy, their shared background in performing, and more. Watch the interview above.
The interview was conducted in 2020 ahead of Company's originally planned opening night, which was set to coincide with Sondheim's 90th birthday on March 22. A full Broadway shutdown postponed the production then in previews, which resumed performances November 15, 2021, and is now scheduled to open December 9. The production re-imagines the musical, traditionally about Bobby, a 35 year-old bachelor whose friends all wonder why he's never married, to center on a female protagonist, now named Bobbie.
Devised by director Marianne Elliott, the staging premiered in London's West End in 2018, with LuPone taking on the role of "The Ladies Who Lunch"-singing Joanne, earning an Olivier Award in the process. One of Sondheim's primary interpreters, LuPone has starred in six Sondheim musicals, including Company (both the current revival and a 2011 concert production with New York Philharmonic), Sweeney Todd, Gypsy, Passion, Anyone Can Whistle, and A Little Night Music.
