Celebrate Stephen Sondheim’s Birthday With These Musical Illustrations

Stephen Sondheim was born March 22, an auspicious day for musical theatre lovers everywhere. As we celebrate the great composer-lyricist, who passed away last year in November, Theatrely connected with illustrator Luca Bonacci who shared their tribute featuring key moments from some of Mr. Sondheim’s shows.

“The moment I knew that I had fallen deeply in love with theatre was when I had my first close listen of ‘Finishing the Hat’ from Sunday in the Park with George,” said Bonacci. “The song sheds light on the loneliness and isolation that often goes hand-in-hand with being consumed by your art, the delusion of wholeness that never stretches further than your canvas. It was the first time that I saw myself represented in a musical, showing a mirror to a part of my identity that needed to be found, touched, and healed. Ever since then, Stephen’s work has enriched my life and given me multitudes of chances to see myself through his music. With each illustration, I’ve spent hours and hours pondering, listening, and connecting to the stories and the humanity at the heart of them. These works were handled with great care and I hope that Sondheim would have enjoyed these hats I’ve finally finished.”

Check out the illustrations below, highlighting the musicals Sweeney Todd, West Side Story, Assassins, and more.