Stephen Sondheim finding a real synthesis. A good deal of pop music has interesting lyrics, but they are not theater lyrics". A musical-theatre composer "must have a sense of what is theatrical, of how you use music to tell a story, as opposed to writing a song. Jonathan understood that instinctively." Around 2008, Sondheim approached Lin-Manuel Miranda to work with him translating "West Side Story" lyrics into Spanish for an upcoming Broadway revival. Miranda then approached Sondheim with his new project "Hamilton", then called "The Hamilton Mixtape", which Sondheim gave notes on. Sondheim was originally wary of the project saying he was
Stephen Sondheim With Stephen Sondheim" (which sold out in three minutes) was hosted by the Academy for New Musical Theatre in Hollywood. An avid fan of games, in 1968 and 1969 Sondheim published a series of cryptic crossword puzzles in "New York" magazine. In 1987 "Time" called his love of puzzlemaking "legendary in theater circles," adding that the central character of Anthony Shaffer's play "Sleuth" was inspired by the composer. According to a rumor (denied by Shaffer in a March 10, 1996 "New York Times" interview), "Sleuth" had the working title "Who's Afraid of Stephen Sondheim?" His love of puzzles and mysteries