A treasure trove of sketches, lyrics, and musical drafts now open to researchers
The Library of Congress has officially added over 5,000 items from the personal archive of composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim, offering an in-depth look into the creative process of one of musical theatre’s most celebrated figures. The collection includes lyric sketches, music manuscripts, unpublished scripts, and rare personal items.
Sondheim decided to bequeath his papers following a meaningful visit to the Library in 1993, where he was shown manuscripts connected to his artistic influences. One item — George Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess manuscript — moved him to tears and cemented his decision.
A near disaster and a miraculous survival
A house fire in Sondheim’s home less than two years later nearly destroyed the collection. Stored in cardboard boxes on wooden shelves near the blaze, the papers somehow remained untouched. Their preservation is now seen as near miraculous.
Among the notable materials is a thick folder with 40 pages of discarded rhyme ideas for the song “A Little Priest” from Sweeney Todd. Sondheim’s meticulous revisions appear throughout — including handwritten changes on typed lyrics, such as the line “we have some shepherd’s pie peppered with actual shepherd.”
One standout piece is a two-page internal monologue that he wrote for actress Glynis Johns to accompany her performance of “Send in the Clowns” in A Little Night Music. It reveals emotional subtext never spoken on stage.
A lasting dialogue with musical greats
Now housed alongside archives from Gershwin, Oscar Hammerstein II, and even younger talents like Rent creator Jonathan Larson, Sondheim’s papers create a continuum of musical storytelling. The collection offers future generations a window into the artistry, discipline, and endless refinement that shaped modern American musical theatre.
