... for his actors." On closer inspection of Stephen Sondheim, we now see that he and his works have been greatly influenced by wonderful past playwrights such as Shakespeare and Plautus. If one were to take a look at Stephen Sondheim's works, he or she would notice these similarities quite easily ... Sweeney Todd (which Stephen also wrote), Mama Mia, The Phantom of the Opera, and Rent just to name a few. Another show influenced by earlier playwrights is "West Side Story." Upon a closer inspection, the popular musical, one would begin to realize that the production is actually an operatic for...

• Word Count: 1723
• Approx Pages: 7
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School