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Baranski, Streep, McDonald, and More Toast Stephen Sondheim

Baranski, Streep, McDonald, and More Toast Stephen Sondheim

Audra Meryl Christine

Broadway's greatest living composer received a digital musical tribute from stars in Take Me to the World: A Sondheim 90th Birthday Celebration.

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Here's to Stephen Sondheim.

A huge cast of major stars, most of them LGBTQ icons and some of them members of the community, saluted the gay man who can claim the title of greatest living Broadway composer and lyricist with a concert titled Take Me to the World: A Sondheim 90th Birthday Celebration, livestreamed Sunday on Broadway.com.

There were numerous excellent numbers in the show, but the highlight for many viewers was Meryl Streep, Audra McDonald, and Christine Baranski, drinking and clad in bathrobes, performing "The Ladies Who Lunch," originally sung by Elaine Stritch in Sondheim's groundbreaking musical Company in 1970.

And young queer performers Ben Platt (The Politician) and Beanie Feldstein (Booksmart) delivered a fabulous rendition of "It Takes Two" from Into the Woods.

Bi actor Raul Esparza, who played Bobby in the 2006 revival of Company, hosted the event and performed "Take Me to the World" from the 1966 television musical Evening Primrose. Below, watch the full concert, which not only celebrated Sondheim, who turned 90 in March, but raised money for Artists Striving to End Poverty, which forges relationships between artists and underserved communities.

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Trudy Ring

Trudy Ring is The Advocate’s senior politics editor and copy chief. She has been a reporter and editor for daily newspapers and LGBTQ+ weeklies/monthlies, trade magazines, and reference books. She is a political junkie who thinks even the wonkiest details are fascinating, and she always loves to see political candidates who are groundbreaking in some way. She enjoys writing about other topics as well, including religion (she’s interested in what people believe and why), literature, theater, and film. Trudy is a proud “old movie weirdo” and loves the Hollywood films of the 1930s and ’40s above all others. Other interests include classic rock music (Bruce Springsteen rules!) and history. Oh, and she was a Jeopardy! contestant back in 1998 and won two games. Not up there with Amy Schneider, but Trudy still takes pride in this achievement.
Trudy Ring is The Advocate’s senior politics editor and copy chief. She has been a reporter and editor for daily newspapers and LGBTQ+ weeklies/monthlies, trade magazines, and reference books. She is a political junkie who thinks even the wonkiest details are fascinating, and she always loves to see political candidates who are groundbreaking in some way. She enjoys writing about other topics as well, including religion (she’s interested in what people believe and why), literature, theater, and film. Trudy is a proud “old movie weirdo” and loves the Hollywood films of the 1930s and ’40s above all others. Other interests include classic rock music (Bruce Springsteen rules!) and history. Oh, and she was a Jeopardy! contestant back in 1998 and won two games. Not up there with Amy Schneider, but Trudy still takes pride in this achievement.