Stephen Sondheim 2009 Broadway revival cast of "West Side Story". A ballet was performed by Blaine Hoven and María Noel Riccetto to Sondheim's score for "Reds", and Jonathan Tunick paid tribute to his longtime collaborator. The concert was broadcast on PBS' "Great Performances" show in November, and its DVD was released on November 16. "Sondheim 80", a Roundabout Theatre Company benefit, was held on March 22. The evening included a performance of "Sondheim on Sondheim", dinner and a show at the New York Sheraton. "A very personal star-studded musical tribute" featured new songs by contemporary musical-theatre writers. The composers (who sang their
Stephen Sondheim They spent the rest of the day going over the musical, and Sondheim later said, "In that afternoon I learned more about songwriting and the musical theater than most people learn in a lifetime." Hammerstein designed a course of sorts for Sondheim on constructing a musical. He had the young composer write four musicals, each with one of the following conditions: None of the "assignment" musicals was produced professionally. "High Tor" and "Mary Poppins" have never been produced: The rights holder for the original "High Tor" refused permission, and "Mary Poppins" was unfinished. Sondheim began attending Williams College, a liberal