Peter Sarsgaard as Stephen Sondheim

In the useless idea category... This is no one's thought but mine, but in watching the riveting SHATTERED GLASS last night, he reminded me so strongly of the young Sondheim, circa the infamous COMPANY recording session. Even the lank hair and blotchy skin are dead-on, an eerie match. So hey, if anyone needed a quirky, edgy young character actor to play the musical theater's genius, he should be considered.

Sarsgaard gets my vote as the most chameleon like of the new breed. He can be creepy-freaky, or warm, or both (GARDEN STATE). And speaking of GLASS, what a wonderful performance from that boy who is so wooden in the STAR WARS prequels. Like Natalie Portman, he should run from more Lucas-type tableau vivant work in the future. He's terrific as the pathelogical reporter on The New Republic. (If anyone missed SHATTERED GLASS last year, it's back on cable; check it out. Hank Azaria is also most effective as Michael Kelly, who later died tragically in Iraq.)

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Updated On: 12/6/04 at 04:31 PM

With all the right people on board, a Sondheim bio-pic could be astonishing.

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will it be a musical featuring sondheim songs like the boy from oz cuz' if so I'm out...

Sondheim as AMADEUS?

Do you have a death wish, Blue Wizard?

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although now that I think about it... it would be kinda cool if it was a musical in the same vain as the Cabaret movie. With like restagings of classic scenes and rehersals from musicals and stuff kinda like only have songs take place on stage like the Judy Garland movie has songs in it that were being recorded or filmed... there could be a scene with Angela Landsbury rehersing Sweeney Todd in the background...

Updated On: 12/6/04 at 08:41 PM

and then came BOUNCE...

he has to get naked Sondheim is not a virgin...

amen to that!
i would love to see one done...one that defies the "less-than-magnificent tradition of the genre"

Actually, the M. Seacrest bio of Sondheim proves his life is quite fascinating. Certainly more interesting than the Kevin Kline biopic of Porter, DELOVELY. And of course, Sondheim found love quite late in life, with a far younger man--who later left him, though it was said to be amicable. He wrote PASSION as a kind of tribute to that relationship. Anyway, Sondheim's career spans two eras of musical theater, as has been pointed out by the astute Plum. Mentored by a man from the Golden Age, Oscar H., only to set out and turn the genre on its ear by the time of COMPANY. Stir in lots of dope smoking, and self-esteem issues, a huuuuge crush on Lee Remick that went nowhere, and, you know, an examination of genuius... might actually work. Sargaard's the guy.

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