Me And You, Pal | Sondheim's Collaborators & Interpreters

About this episode

The episode explores the personal experiences of Sondheim's collaborators and interpreters, highlighting their relationships and stories with the legendary composer.

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…

People in this episode

Hosts: Martin Milnes, Peter E. Jones

Topics covered

• collaboration
• musical theatre
• Sondheim's legacy
• personal stories
• friendship
• interpretation

Keywords

• Sondheim
• musical masterpieces
• collaborators
• actors
• legacy
• friendship
• interpretation
• theatre

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Send In The Clowns

More episodes of Loving You: The Untold Sondheim

• Move On | 'Goodbye for Now' from Sondheim's Friends and Family · May 21, 2026 · 1h 31m
• No One Has Ever Loved Me | The Love Story of Stephen Sondheim and Peter E. Jones: Act Two · May 14, 2026 · 1h 6m
• Something Just Broke | The Love Story of Stephen Sondheim and Peter E. Jones: Act One · May 7, 2026 · 1h 1m
• Children and Art | Sondheim: The Father Figure · April 30, 2026 · 54 min
• You Could Drive A Person Crazy | Sondheim: Intimidating & Prickly? · April 23, 2026 · 1h 6m
• Come Play Wiz Me | Sondheim's Parties, Puzzles, Games & Ambivalence · April 9, 2026 · 1h 4m