Loving You: The Untold Sondheim

Stephen Sondheim longed to be a father. Sadly, this dream was denied him. Yet although Steve never had children of his own, he was a father figure to countless loved ones – and their children. Join Sondheim’s chum Martin Milnes and Steve’s first love Peter E. Jones as they chat to the children – and parents – whose lives were touched by Steve’s love.
“He was terribly into magic. Steve would put on these little magic shows for us. Traditional magic tricks: the wand with the handkerchiefs coming out.” – Walter E. SondheimWhat did Steve’s half-brother Walter accidentally discover about his family history? What was the common bond shared by mother and son Mia and Ronan Farrow in their friendships with Steve? And what has Steve’s love meant to Maria and her children?
“He found a lot of lost souls, lost people searching, and gave them a meaning and a way forward. It gave them an opportunity to find and make friends with themselves as fallible, fractured people.” – Maria Friedman 
00:00 Dame Julie Andrews: ‘Oh, Steve! I’m pregnant!’
02:40 Martin & PJ: Steve’s Regret
04:12 Walter E. Sondheim: ‘Steve’s really my half-brother!’
15:02 Jamie Bernstein: ‘But we didn’t lose Steve!’
24:38 Mia Farrow: ‘The Old Woman in the Shoe’
27:38 Ronan Farrow: ‘This Extraordinary Polymath’ 
35:10 Mia Farrow: ‘I’ll never have anyone remotely like that’
38:38 Maria Friedman: ‘Stephen Song-Guy The Sandwich Man’
48:50 Walter E. Sondheim: ‘We’re going to see Uncle Steve!’
 
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CREDITS
Hosts and Producers: Martin Milnes and Peter E. Jones
Executive Producer: Jason Caffrey
Produced in partnership with: Creative Kin 
Mixing and Mastering: Chris Traves
Directed, Devised and Written by Martin Milnes
 
CAST AND VOICE ACTORS
Daniel Cane, Arthur Magee, Tess Hollins, Rebecca Ridout, James Gower-Smith, Mehran James McCullough

DRAMATIC RE-ENACTMENTS
Written by: Martin Milnes
Produced by: Peter E. Jones
 
MUSIC AND SCORE
Original Score Composed by: Peter E. Jones
Music and Lyrics of Stephen Sondheim: Courtesy of The Stephen Sondheim Trust
Sondheim Instrumental Tracks: Provided by Broadway Studio Orchestra
Music of Stephen Sondheim and Leonard Bernstein: Played by Colm Molloy
‘How Are Things In Glocca Mora?’ (Lane & Harburg) and ‘Somewhere’ (Bernstein & Sondheim): Played by Steve Ross as Herbert Sondheim

FEATURED SONGS & VOCAL PERFORMANCES
‘No One Is Alone’ (Sondheim): Sung by Chip Zien and Kim Crosby
‘Lucky To Be Me’ (Bernstein, Comden & Green): Sung by Lauren Bacall, accompanied by Leonard Bernstein

The world views Steve as an icon – and to many an icon is 'intimidating'. Steve’s presence and reputation seemed to bring theatrical giants to their knees ... but was this label as a scary intellectual really warranted? Join Sondheim’s chum Martin Milnes and Steve’s first love Peter E. Jones for a unique investigation. With the aid of a glittering cast – including Patti LuPone, Mia Farrow, Christine Baranski, Maria Friedman, Adam Guettel, Ronan Farrow and Dame Judi Dench – can Martin and PJ solve the Sondheim mysteries which for decades have baffled and been misunderstood?
 
“His being socially uncomfortable would read to people as if he was mean, or off-putting. It was never that. He just wasn’t a mean guy. The most talented people are the least mean.” – Adam Guettel
Why did Steve object to Mia’s striped socks? How did Christine overcome her fear of singing in front of Steve? And what answers can PJ provide Patti about her bumpy moments with Sondheim ‘The Genius’?
 
“But can I just tell you one thing, now that Steve has passed, that has people laughing their ass off?” – Patti LuPone
CHAPTERS:
00:00 Christine Baranski: ‘That’s what it meant to me’
05:06 ‘Intimidating’ & ‘Prickly’: Debating The Myth
11:25 Andre, Maria & Frank: Understanding Steve
17:31 The Cocktail Party & Adam’s Callers
22:53 Steve & Mary and Mia’s Socks
26:22 Rivalries: Menotti, Lenny and Gilbert
30:43 Introducing Laurence Guittard
32:08 Steve & Larry: ‘An unanswerable question’
43:57 In Praise of ‘Winterset’ 
49:24 Patti LuPone: ‘Steve Sondheim is yelling at me!’
1:00:26 A Black Onyx Heart: Our Investigation Concludes
 
Subscribe to Loving You: The Untold Sondheim on Apple and all good podcast apps to get every episode the moment it is released.
 
SUPPORT THE SHOW:
► SUBSCRIBE to Loving You: The Untold Sondheim in your podcast app and be sure to get every episode the moment it is released.
► RATE & REVIEW Leave a review in your podcast app and tell other Sondheim fans why they should listen.
► SHARE Don't keep it to yourself! Share Loving You: The Untold Sondheim with other Sondheim fans you know.
► FOLLOW Loving You: The Untold Sondheim on Instagram.
 
CREDITS
Hosts and Producers: Martin Milnes and Peter E. Jones
Executive Producer: Jason Caffrey
Produced in partnership with: Creative Kin 
Mixing and Mastering: Chris Traves
Directed, Devised and Written by Martin Milnes
 
CAST AND VOICE ACTORS
Dame Judi Dench, Yeukayi Ushe, Melissa Redman, Jonny-James Kajoba, Sarah Simmons, Ann Wakefield, Jonathan Christopher, Rebecca Ridout, James Gower-Smith, Mehran James McCullough.

DRAMATIC RE-ENACTMENTS
Written by: Martin Milnes
Produced by: Peter E. Jones
 
MUSIC AND SCORE
Original Score Composed by: Peter E. Jones
Music and Lyrics of Stephen Sondheim: Courtesy of The Stephen Sondheim Trust
Sondheim Instrumental Tracks: Provided by Broadway Studio Orchestra
Music of Stephen Sondheim: Played by Colm Molloy
‘Well, Did You Evah?’ (Porter) and ‘Isn’t It Romantic?’ (Rodgers & Hart): Played by Steve Ross

FEATURED SONGS & VOCAL PERFORMANCES
‘Everybody Wants To Do A Musical’ (Strouse & Maltby): Sung by Christine Baranski
‘Celebration’ (Schmidt & Jones): Sung by Keith Charles
‘Teresa! Oh, Little Word So Glibly Spoken’ from The Mountebanks (Gilbert & Guittard): Sung by Martin Milnes, produced by Chris Traves, with Musical Direction by Gareth Valentine
‘Love Duet’ from Winterset (Guittard): Sung by Rebecca Pitcher and Chad Johnson, with Musical Direction by Jack Lee and piano accompaniment by Jean Browne

What was it like to collaborate with Stephen Sondheim writing musical masterpieces? For actors, how did it feel to work with Steve, interpreting
that art? And what is Steve’s legacy to those close personal friends who were also his dearest colleagues? Join Steve’s chum Martin Milnes, and first love Peter E. Jones, for a series of poignant and intimate chats, as Sondheim's book writers and definitive performers reveal the personal sides to Sondheim’s genius.
“His book writers were his family. They were his brothers, his sisters, his children, his family. They were the gold star. You do not get between him and them.” – Maria Friedman
Discover how Steve’s collaborations with James Lapine and John Weidman developed into enduring friendships; Steve’s lunchtime visit to a high school which became a formative experience for Lin-Manuel Miranda; and how Dame Judi Dench felt about singing ‘Send In The Clowns’ for Steve’s 80th birthday. 
“I would email him the dumbest stuff like an ice-cream truck in Queens that plays ‘Send In The Clowns’ – to which his response was ‘Very upsetting. Thank you so much.’” – Lin-Manuel Miranda
CHAPTERS:
00:00 Side By Side: Millicent Martin & Julia McKenzie
06:58 Introducing Steve’s Collaborators
10:02 ‘Stepbrothers’: James Lapine & John Weidman
25:26 ‘What was it like?’: Lin-Manuel Miranda
31:42 ‘The care that went into it’: Jeremy Sams
38:46 ‘Send In The Clowns’: Len Cariou and Dame Judi Dench
Subscribe to Loving You: The Untold Sondheim on Apple and all good podcast apps to get every episode the moment it is released.
 
SUPPORT THE SHOW:
► SUBSCRIBE to Loving You: The Untold Sondheim in your podcast app and be sure to get every episode the moment it is released.
► RATE & REVIEW Leave a review in your podcast app and tell other Sondheim fans why they should listen.
► SHARE Don't keep it to yourself! Share Loving You: The Untold Sondheim with other Sondheim fans you know.
► FOLLOW Loving You: The Untold Sondheim on Instagram.
 
CREDITS
Hosts and Producers: Martin Milnes and Peter E. Jones
Executive Producer: Jason Caffrey
Produced in partnership with: Creative Kin 
Mixing and Mastering: Chris Traves
Directed, Devised and Written by Martin Milnes
 
CAST AND VOICE ACTORS
Alistair McGowan, Karcsi Wright, Jérôme Giquel, Nathalie Mrgudovic, Mehran James McCullough.

DRAMATIC RE-ENACTMENTS
Written by: Martin Milnes
Produced by: Peter E. Jones
 
MUSIC AND SCORE
Original Score Composed by: Peter E. Jones
Music and Lyrics of Stephen Sondheim: Courtesy of The Stephen Sondheim Trust
Sondheim and Bernstein Instrumental Tracks: Provided by Broadway Studio Orchestra
Music of Jule Styne: Played by Colm Molloy

A rib-tickling whirlwind tour exploring how Stephen Sondheim’s passions for puzzles, games and parties reveal the man behind the myth. Steve’s glorious humour and skill are celebrated by Sondheim’s chum Martin Milnes and Steve’s first love Peter E. Jones, alongside Ronan Farrow, Mia Farrow, Patti LuPone, Adam Guettel, Jamie Bernstein, James Lapine, John Weidman and more.
“What happens when two dames from Planet S come from Outer Space hit Earth? Your sides will explode with merry Martian marital mix-ups!” – Stephen Sondheim
Discover how Patti bonded with Steve during Mia’s magical ‘Full Moon Parties’; Steve’s excitement over his and Ronan’s favourite video game; why Steve used pot while writing; and much, much more … including untold stories about ‘It’! 
 
“He loved games because there are solutions. There are solutions that there aren't in real life. There's a way to get the answer. There's no bloody answer in real life.” – Maria Friedman
CHAPTERS:
00:00 - Ronan Farrow: Steve & Video Games
02:46 - Games & Puzzles: Steve’s ‘Perspicacity’
12:23 - Cryptics & Treasure Hunts
18:35 - Anagrams & Parlour Games
27:54 - Musical Parties: Steve, Hal & Lena
32:36 - ‘Full Moon’ Parties: Steve, Mia & Patti
37:17 - Steve & Pot: ‘The most audacious thing I had ever seen’
42:26 - Ambivalence, Acceptance & Spatulas
50:23 - Joshua & Mia: ‘It’ and ‘Serious Consideration’
58:13 - Laying Rumours To Rest
 
Subscribe to Loving You: The Untold Sondheim on Apple and all good podcast apps to get every episode the moment it is released.
 
SUPPORT THE SHOW:
► SUBSCRIBE to Loving You: The Untold Sondheim in your podcast app and be sure to get every episode the moment it is released.
► RATE & REVIEW Leave a review in your podcast app and tell other Sondheim fans why they should listen.
► SHARE Don't keep it to yourself! Share Loving You: The Untold Sondheim with other Sondheim fans you know.
► FOLLOW Loving You: The Untold Sondheim on Instagram.
 
CREDITS
Hosts and Producers: Martin Milnes and Peter E. Jones
Executive Producer: Jason Caffrey
Produced in partnership with: Creative Kin 
Mixing and Mastering: Chris Traves
Directed, Devised and Written by Martin Milnes
 
CAST AND VOICE ACTORS
Alistair McGowan, Daniel Cane, Charlotte Page, Arthur Magee, Yeukayi Ushe, Tom Hopcroft, James Gower-Smith, Samuel Black, Rebecca Ridout, Jude Peters, Melissa Redman, Mehran James McCullough, Becky Hopcroft, Maya Post, Rosanna Roscoe, Colm Molloy, Jonathan Christopher, Simon Butteriss. 

DRAMATIC RE-ENACTMENTS
Written by: Martin Milnes
Produced by: Peter E. Jones
 
MUSIC AND SCORE
Original Score Composed by: Peter E. Jones
Music and Lyrics of Stephen Sondheim: Courtesy of The Stephen Sondheim Trust
Sondheim and Bernstein Instrumental Tracks: Provided by Broadway Studio Orchestra
Music of Stephen Sondheim: Played by Colm Molloy
‘Come Play Wiz Me’ (Sondheim): Played by The National Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by John Owen Edwards
The Good Life Theme Music: Composed by Burt Rhodes 

 FEATURED SONGS & VOCAL PERFORMANCES
"Thanks A Lot, But No Thanks” (Previn, Comden & Green): Sung by Dolores Gray

Presenting the exclusive story of Stephen Sondheim’s Oxford University Masterclass. For six months in 1990, Steve personally mentored 13 hand-picked young composer-lyricists in a classroom setting. In this episode, for the first time ever, Steve’s protegees’ reunite to share their never-before-heard testimony about how Steve shaped not just their careers – but their entire lives.
 
“To a musical theatre writer, studying with Stephen Sondheim is like a Christian meeting Jesus. And I measure my life in before and after.” Leslie Arden
 Steve always said ‘Teaching is the sacred profession’ – but how did it feel to receive Sondheim’s committed mentorship? For his students, what was the long-term personal impact of Steve’s dedicated teaching? And discover how Steve’s six months in Oxford became just as important to him as it did to his protegees.
 
“This is not just about musicals. He changed our lives. He changed the direction and scent of our lives.” Ed Hardy 
Join Sondheim’s chum Martin Milnes – and first love Peter E. Jones – for a unique tribute to Steve The Mentor. With guest appearances from Sondheim protegee Lin-Manuel Miranda, Steve’s contemporaries Maltby & Shire, and Olivier Award-winning choreographer Bill Deamer.
 
CHAPTERS:
00:00 - Lin-Manuel: Larson & Sondheim
02:01 - The Sacred Profession: Maltby & Shire and Bill Deamer
09:24 - Introducing The 1990 Oxford Masterclass
13:56 - ‘He changed our lives’: Ed Hardy and Leslie Arden
19:43 - January 1990: The Masterclass Begins
25:41 - Sondheim: The Teacher
30:49 - Steve Meets Julian and Lionel
33:24 - A Day In The Death of Joe Egg
37:59 - Sunday & Ed’s Confession
45:26 - The Masterclass Concludes
48:32 - ‘Move On’: Life after Oxford
53:00- ‘What That Masterclass Meant To Us’
  
Subscribe to Loving You: The Untold Sondheim on Apple and all good podcast apps to get every episode the moment it is released.
 
SUPPORT THE SHOW:
► SUBSCRIBE to Loving You: The Untold Sondheim in your podcast app and be sure to get every episode the moment it is released.
► RATE & REVIEW Leave a review in your podcast app and tell other Sondheim fans why they should listen.
► SHARE Don't keep it to yourself! Share Loving You: The Untold Sondheim with other Sondheim fans you know.
► FOLLOW Loving You: The Untold Sondheim on Instagram.
 
CREDITS
Hosts and Producers: Martin Milnes and Peter E. Jones
Executive Producer: Jason Caffrey
Produced in partnership with: Creative Kin 
Mixing and Mastering: Chris Traves
Directed, Devised and Written by Martin Milnes
 
CAST AND VOICE ACTORS
Susan Fleet, Jonny-James Kajoba, Rebecca Ridout, James Gower-Smith, James Bentham, Mehran James McCullough – and – Sondra Lee.

DRAMATIC RE-ENACTMENTS
Written by: Martin Milnes
Produced by: Peter E. Jones
 
MUSIC AND SCORE
Original Score Composed by: Peter E. Jones
Music and Lyrics of Stephen Sondheim: Courtesy of The Stephen Sondheim Trust
Sondheim Instrumental Tracks: Provided by Broadway Studio Orchestra
Music of Stephen Sondheim, Jonathan Larson & Jule Styne: Played by Colm Molloy
Selections from Salad Days (Slade & Reynolds): Played by Julian Slade on Minnie The Magic Piano

FEATURED SONGS & VOCAL PERFORMANCES
"The Morning After” (Maltby & Shire): Sung by Barbra Streisand
"I Want It All” (Maltby & Shire): Sung by Beth Fowler
"If I Sing” (Maltby & Shire): Sung by George Dvorsky
"Robert Dreams” (Arden): Sung by Leslie Arden
“Move On” (Sondheim): Sung by Bernadette Peters and Mandy Patinkin
"Intelligent Beautiful Person” (James & Mason): Sung by John Winfield, Guitar by Richard Bolton, Drums by Ralph Salmins 
"Isn’t She Sweet?” (James & Mason): Sung by Paul James