Loving You: The Untold Sondheim

In the second of two deeply special episodes, Peter E. Jones shares the story of his life and love with Stephen Sondheim – for the first time in over 25 years. In what will be PJ’s official – and only – record of events, he shares the honest and accurate story of how their love transformed both their lives.

30 years on, what can Maria and Mia’s observations tell PJ about the relationship? What was the incredible gesture made by Steve to PJ – which, at the time, PJ didn’t even realise was so special? And reflecting on a lifetime of love and friendship with Steve, what would PJ say to Steve now?

CHAPTERS: 

00:00 Maria Friedman: ‘He was in love’

02:08 Steve & PJ - The Story So Far ...

04:16 ‘Passion’ and ‘Peyton Place’

11:15 Maria and Mia

17:56 ‘To PJ, With Love’

20:06 'Just Another Love Story’

31:00 ‘No One Has Ever Loved Me’

34:26 ‘Sunset Boulevard in a Weird Twist’

45:44 PJ & Steve: ‘Songs I Wish I’d Written’

50:01 ‘Bluellow’ from ‘Peyton Place’ by Peter E. Jones

58:13 PJ: ‘You are your choices’

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CREDITS

Hosts and Producers: Martin Milnes and Peter E. Jones

Executive Producer: Jason Caffrey

Produced in partnership with: Creative Kin 

Mixing and Mastering: Chris Traves
Directed, Devised and Written by Martin Milnes

CAST AND VOICE ACTORS

Matt Bartlett, Mehran James McCullough.

DRAMATIC RE-ENACTMENTS
Written by: Martin Milnes
Produced by: Peter E. Jones

MUSIC AND SCORE

Original Score Composed by: Peter E. Jones
Music and Lyrics of Stephen Sondheim: Courtesy of The Stephen Sondheim Trust

Sondheim Instrumental Tracks: Provided by Broadway Studio Orchestra

Music of Stephen Sondheim: Played by Colm Molloy

Theme from Now, Voyager (Steiner): Played by the National Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Charles Gerhardt

FEATURED SONGS & VOCAL PERFORMANCES

Excerpts from Passion (Sondheim): Sung by Maria Friedman, Jere Shea and Marin Mazzie

‘Numbers’ from Numbers (Peter E. Jones): Sung by James Martin, Angela Parks, Diann Hinson and Peter E. Jones

‘Bluellow’ from Peyton Place (Peter E. Jones): Sung by Lauren Jones and Shane O’Riordan. Produced by Chris Traves with Musical Direction by Gareth Valentine and piano accompaniment by Sam Young

In the first of two deeply special episodes, Peter E. Jones shares the story of his life and love with Stephen Sondheim – for the first time in over 25 years. In what will be PJ’s official – and only – record of events, he shares the honest and accurate account of how their love transformed both their lives.

How did a letter from a 24-year-old songwriter lead to Stephen Sondheim falling in love – for the first time in his life? What made this a unique meeting of minds and hearts? And what did Mia Farrow observe about Steve and PJ’s love – which only now PJ can understand for himself?

“He saw what I couldn’t see in me, certainly. He saw an individual. He saw aspects of himself, I would say, of lacking self-worth but being talented” – Peter E. Jones

CHAPTERS:
00:00 Mia Farrow: ‘PJ was the love of his life’

02:00 Introducing Steve & PJ

05:10 PJ in Wyoming and Denver: ‘A Little Songwriter’

15:02 A Letter to Stephen Sondheim

20:14 Meeting Steve at 246

29:39 A Weekend In The Country

38:47 A Meeting Of Minds 

43:10 Steve’s Inner Circle

54:05 PJ & Mia: ‘The Valley Of Regret’

Subscribe to Loving You: The Untold Sondheim on Apple and all good podcast apps to get every episode the moment it is released.
 

SUPPORT THE SHOW:

► SUBSCRIBE to Loving You: The Untold Sondheim in your podcast app and be sure to get every episode the moment it is released.

► RATE & REVIEW Leave a review in your podcast app and tell other Sondheim fans why they should listen.

► SHARE Don't keep it to yourself! Share Loving You: The Untold Sondheim with other Sondheim fans you know.

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CREDITS

Hosts and Producers: Martin Milnes and Peter E. Jones

Executive Producer: Jason Caffrey

Produced in partnership with: Creative Kin 

Mixing and Mastering: Chris Traves
Directed, Devised and Written by Martin Milnes

CAST AND VOICE ACTORS

Alistair McGowan, Eddie Andrews, Charlotte Page, Arthur Magee, Victoria Ward, Jonathan Christopher, Mehran James McCullough – and featuring Steven Clar as himself (by special arrangement with Claire Stevens).

DRAMATIC RE-ENACTMENTS
Written by: Martin Milnes
Produced by: Peter E. Jones

 
MUSIC AND SCORE

Original Score Composed by: Peter E. Jones
Music and Lyrics of Stephen Sondheim: Courtesy of The Stephen Sondheim Trust

Sondheim Instrumental Tracks: Provided by Broadway Studio Orchestra

Music of Stephen Sondheim: Played by Colm Molloy

FEATURED SONGS & VOCAL PERFORMANCES

‘Beautiful Briny’ (Sherman & Sherman): Sung by Mike Sammes

‘Perfect Strangers’ (Rodgers & Charnin): Sung by Jane Powell and Hugh O’Brian.

Excerpts from Passion (Sondheim): Sung by Donna Murphy and Peter E. Jones

Stephen Sondheim longed to be a father. Sadly, this dream was denied him. Yet although Steve never had children of his own, he was a father figure to countless loved ones – and their children. Join Sondheim’s chum Martin Milnes and Steve’s first love Peter E. Jones as they chat to the children – and parents – whose lives were touched by Steve’s love.

What did Steve’s half-brother Walter accidentally discover about his family history? What was the common bond shared by mother and son Mia and Ronan Farrow in their friendships with Steve? And what has Steve’s love meant to Maria and her children?

00:00 Dame Julie Andrews: ‘Oh, Steve! I’m pregnant!’

02:40 Martin & PJ: Steve’s Regret

04:12 Walter E. Sondheim: ‘Steve’s really my half-brother!’

15:02 Jamie Bernstein: ‘But we didn’t lose Steve!’

24:38 Mia Farrow: ‘The Old Woman in the Shoe’

27:38 Ronan Farrow: ‘This Extraordinary Polymath’ 

35:10 Mia Farrow: ‘I’ll never have anyone remotely like that’

38:38 Maria Friedman: ‘Stephen Song-Guy The Sandwich Man’

48:50 Walter E. Sondheim: ‘We’re going to see Uncle Steve!’

Subscribe to Loving You: The Untold Sondheim on Apple and all good podcast apps to get every episode the moment it is released.
 

SUPPORT THE SHOW:

► SUBSCRIBE to Loving You: The Untold Sondheim in your podcast app and be sure to get every episode the moment it is released.

► RATE & REVIEW Leave a review in your podcast app and tell other Sondheim fans why they should listen.

► SHARE Don't keep it to yourself! Share Loving You: The Untold Sondheim with other Sondheim fans you know.

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CREDITS

Hosts and Producers: Martin Milnes and Peter E. Jones

Executive Producer: Jason Caffrey

Produced in partnership with: Creative Kin 

Mixing and Mastering: Chris Traves
Directed, Devised and Written by Martin Milnes

CAST AND VOICE ACTORS

Daniel Cane, Arthur Magee, Tess Hollins, Rebecca Ridout, James Gower-Smith, Mehran James McCullough

DRAMATIC RE-ENACTMENTS
Written by: Martin Milnes
Produced by: Peter E. Jones

 
MUSIC AND SCORE

Original Score Composed by: Peter E. Jones
Music and Lyrics of Stephen Sondheim: Courtesy of The Stephen Sondheim Trust

Sondheim Instrumental Tracks: Provided by Broadway Studio Orchestra

Music of Stephen Sondheim and Leonard Bernstein: Played by Colm Molloy

‘How Are Things In Glocca Mora?’ (Lane & Harburg) and ‘Somewhere’ (Bernstein & Sondheim): Played by Steve Ross as Herbert Sondheim

FEATURED SONGS & VOCAL PERFORMANCES

‘No One Is Alone’ (Sondheim): Sung by Chip Zien and Kim Crosby

‘Lucky To Be Me’ (Bernstein, Comden & Green): Sung by Lauren Bacall, accompanied by Leonard Bernstein

The world views Steve as an icon – and to many an icon is 'intimidating'. Steve’s presence and reputation seemed to bring theatrical giants to their knees ... but was this label as a scary intellectual really warranted? Join Sondheim’s chum Martin Milnes and Steve’s first love Peter E. Jones for a unique investigation. With the aid of a glittering cast – including Patti LuPone, Mia Farrow, Christine Baranski, Maria Friedman, Adam Guettel, Ronan Farrow and Dame Judi Dench – can Martin and PJ solve the Sondheim mysteries which for decades have baffled and been misunderstood?

Why did Steve object to Mia’s striped socks? How did Christine overcome her fear of singing in front of Steve? And what answers can PJ provide Patti about her bumpy moments with Sondheim ‘The Genius’?

CHAPTERS:
00:00 Christine Baranski: ‘That’s what it meant to me’

05:06 ‘Intimidating’ & ‘Prickly’: Debating The Myth

11:25 Andre, Maria & Frank: Understanding Steve
17:31 The Cocktail Party & Adam’s Callers

22:53 Steve & Mary and Mia’s Socks

26:22 Rivalries: Menotti, Lenny and Gilbert

30:43 Introducing Laurence Guittard

32:08 Steve & Larry: ‘An unanswerable question’

43:57 In Praise of ‘Winterset’ 

49:24 Patti LuPone: ‘Steve Sondheim is yelling at me!’

1:00:26 A Black Onyx Heart: Our Investigation Concludes

Subscribe to Loving You: The Untold Sondheim on Apple and all good podcast apps to get every episode the moment it is released.
 

SUPPORT THE SHOW:

► SUBSCRIBE to Loving You: The Untold Sondheim in your podcast app and be sure to get every episode the moment it is released.

► RATE & REVIEW Leave a review in your podcast app and tell other Sondheim fans why they should listen.

► SHARE Don't keep it to yourself! Share Loving You: The Untold Sondheim with other Sondheim fans you know.

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CREDITS

Hosts and Producers: Martin Milnes and Peter E. Jones

Executive Producer: Jason Caffrey

Produced in partnership with: Creative Kin 

Mixing and Mastering: Chris Traves
Directed, Devised and Written by Martin Milnes

CAST AND VOICE ACTORS

Dame Judi Dench, Yeukayi Ushe, Melissa Redman, Jonny-James Kajoba, Sarah Simmons, Ann Wakefield, Jonathan Christopher, Rebecca Ridout, James Gower-Smith, Mehran James McCullough.

DRAMATIC RE-ENACTMENTS
Written by: Martin Milnes
Produced by: Peter E. Jones

 
MUSIC AND SCORE

Original Score Composed by: Peter E. Jones
Music and Lyrics of Stephen Sondheim: Courtesy of The Stephen Sondheim Trust

Sondheim Instrumental Tracks: Provided by Broadway Studio Orchestra

Music of Stephen Sondheim: Played by Colm Molloy

‘Well, Did You Evah?’ (Porter) and ‘Isn’t It Romantic?’ (Rodgers & Hart): Played by Steve Ross

FEATURED SONGS & VOCAL PERFORMANCES

‘Everybody Wants To Do A Musical’ (Strouse & Maltby): Sung by Christine Baranski

‘Celebration’ (Schmidt & Jones): Sung by Keith Charles

‘Teresa! Oh, Little Word So Glibly Spoken’ from The Mountebanks (Gilbert & Guittard): Sung by Martin Milnes, produced by Chris Traves, with Musical Direction by Gareth Valentine

‘Love Duet’ from Winterset (Guittard): Sung by Rebecca Pitcher and Chad Johnson, with Musical Direction by Jack Lee and piano accompaniment by Jean Browne

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.

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. 

CHAPTERS:

00:00 Side By Side: Millicent Martin & Julia McKenzie

06:58 Introducing Steve’s Collaborators

10:02 ‘Stepbrothers’: James Lapine & John Weidman

25:26 ‘What was it like?’: Lin-Manuel Miranda

31:42 ‘The care that went into it’: Jeremy Sams

38:46 ‘Send In The Clowns’: Len Cariou and Dame Judi Dench

Subscribe to Loving You: The Untold Sondheim on Apple and all good podcast apps to get every episode the moment it is released.
 

SUPPORT THE SHOW:

► SUBSCRIBE to Loving You: The Untold Sondheim in your podcast app and be sure to get every episode the moment it is released.

► RATE & REVIEW Leave a review in your podcast app and tell other Sondheim fans why they should listen.

► SHARE Don't keep it to yourself! Share Loving You: The Untold Sondheim with other Sondheim fans you know.

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CREDITS

Hosts and Producers: Martin Milnes and Peter E. Jones

Executive Producer: Jason Caffrey

Produced in partnership with: Creative Kin 

Mixing and Mastering: Chris Traves
Directed, Devised and Written by Martin Milnes

CAST AND VOICE ACTORS

Alistair McGowan, Karcsi Wright, Jérôme Giquel, Nathalie Mrgudovic, Mehran James McCullough.

DRAMATIC RE-ENACTMENTS
Written by: Martin Milnes
Produced by: Peter E. Jones

 
MUSIC AND SCORE

Original Score Composed by: Peter E. Jones
Music and Lyrics of Stephen Sondheim: Courtesy of The Stephen Sondheim Trust

Sondheim and Bernstein Instrumental Tracks: Provided by Broadway Studio Orchestra

Music of Jule Styne: Played by Colm Molloy

A rib-tickling whirlwind tour exploring how Stephen Sondheim’s passions for puzzles, games and parties reveal the man behind the myth. Steve’s glorious humour and skill are celebrated by Sondheim’s chum Martin Milnes and Steve’s first love Peter E. Jones, alongside Ronan Farrow, Mia Farrow, Patti LuPone, Adam Guettel, Jamie Bernstein, James Lapine, John Weidman and more.

Discover how Patti bonded with Steve during Mia’s magical ‘Full Moon Parties’; Steve’s excitement over his and Ronan’s favourite video game; why Steve used pot while writing; and much, much more … including untold stories about ‘It’! 

CHAPTERS:

00:00 - Ronan Farrow: Steve & Video Games

02:46 - Games & Puzzles: Steve’s ‘Perspicacity’

12:23 - Cryptics & Treasure Hunts

18:35 - Anagrams & Parlour Games

27:54 - Musical Parties: Steve, Hal & Lena

32:36 - ‘Full Moon’ Parties: Steve, Mia & Patti

37:17 - Steve & Pot: ‘The most audacious thing I had ever seen’

42:26 - Ambivalence, Acceptance & Spatulas

50:23 - Joshua & Mia: ‘It’ and ‘Serious Consideration’

58:13 - Laying Rumours To Rest

Subscribe to Loving You: The Untold Sondheim on Apple and all good podcast apps to get every episode the moment it is released.
 

SUPPORT THE SHOW:

► SUBSCRIBE to Loving You: The Untold Sondheim in your podcast app and be sure to get every episode the moment it is released.

► RATE & REVIEW Leave a review in your podcast app and tell other Sondheim fans why they should listen.

► SHARE Don't keep it to yourself! Share Loving You: The Untold Sondheim with other Sondheim fans you know.

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CREDITS

Hosts and Producers: Martin Milnes and Peter E. Jones

Executive Producer: Jason Caffrey

Produced in partnership with: Creative Kin 

Mixing and Mastering: Chris Traves
Directed, Devised and Written by Martin Milnes

CAST AND VOICE ACTORS

Alistair McGowan, Daniel Cane, Charlotte Page, Arthur Magee, Yeukayi Ushe, Tom Hopcroft, James Gower-Smith, Samuel Black, Rebecca Ridout, Jude Peters, Melissa Redman, Mehran James McCullough, Becky Hopcroft, Maya Post, Rosanna Roscoe, Colm Molloy, Jonathan Christopher, Simon Butteriss. 

DRAMATIC RE-ENACTMENTS
Written by: Martin Milnes
Produced by: Peter E. Jones

 
MUSIC AND SCORE

Original Score Composed by: Peter E. Jones
Music and Lyrics of Stephen Sondheim: Courtesy of The Stephen Sondheim Trust

Sondheim and Bernstein Instrumental Tracks: Provided by Broadway Studio Orchestra

Music of Stephen Sondheim: Played by Colm Molloy

‘Come Play Wiz Me’ (Sondheim): Played by The National Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by John Owen Edwards

The Good Life Theme Music: Composed by Burt Rhodes 

 FEATURED SONGS & VOCAL PERFORMANCES

"Thanks A Lot, But No Thanks” (Previn, Comden & Green): Sung by Dolores Gray

Presenting the exclusive story of Stephen Sondheim’s Oxford University Masterclass. For six months in 1990, Steve personally mentored 13 hand-picked young composer-lyricists in a classroom setting. In this episode, for the first time ever, Steve’s protegees’ reunite to share their never-before-heard testimony about how Steve shaped not just their careers – but their entire lives.

Steve always said ‘Teaching is the sacred profession’ – but how did it feel to receive Sondheim’s committed mentorship? For his students, what was the long-term personal impact of Steve’s dedicated teaching? And discover how Steve’s six months in Oxford became just as important to him as it did to his protegees.

Join Sondheim’s chum Martin Milnes – and first love Peter E. Jones – for a unique tribute to Steve The Mentor. With guest appearances from Sondheim protegee Lin-Manuel Miranda, Steve’s contemporaries Maltby & Shire, and Olivier Award-winning choreographer Bill Deamer.

CHAPTERS:

00:00 - Lin-Manuel: Larson & Sondheim

02:01 - The Sacred Profession: Maltby & Shire and Bill Deamer

09:24 - Introducing The 1990 Oxford Masterclass

13:56 - ‘He changed our lives’: Ed Hardy and Leslie Arden

19:43 - January 1990: The Masterclass Begins

25:41 - Sondheim: The Teacher

30:49 - Steve Meets Julian and Lionel

33:24 - A Day In The Death of Joe Egg

37:59 - Sunday & Ed’s Confession

45:26 - The Masterclass Concludes

48:32 - ‘Move On’: Life after Oxford

53:00- ‘What That Masterclass Meant To Us’

Subscribe to Loving You: The Untold Sondheim on Apple and all good podcast apps to get every episode the moment it is released.
 

SUPPORT THE SHOW:

► SUBSCRIBE to Loving You: The Untold Sondheim in your podcast app and be sure to get every episode the moment it is released.

► RATE & REVIEW Leave a review in your podcast app and tell other Sondheim fans why they should listen.

► SHARE Don't keep it to yourself! Share Loving You: The Untold Sondheim with other Sondheim fans you know.

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CREDITS

Hosts and Producers: Martin Milnes and Peter E. Jones

Executive Producer: Jason Caffrey

Produced in partnership with: Creative Kin 

Mixing and Mastering: Chris Traves
Directed, Devised and Written by Martin Milnes

CAST AND VOICE ACTORS
Susan Fleet, Jonny-James Kajoba, Rebecca Ridout, James Gower-Smith, James Bentham, Mehran James McCullough – and – Sondra Lee.

DRAMATIC RE-ENACTMENTS
Written by: Martin Milnes
Produced by: Peter E. Jones

 
MUSIC AND SCORE

Original Score Composed by: Peter E. Jones
Music and Lyrics of Stephen Sondheim: Courtesy of The Stephen Sondheim Trust

Sondheim Instrumental Tracks: Provided by Broadway Studio Orchestra

Music of Stephen Sondheim, Jonathan Larson & Jule Styne: Played by Colm Molloy

Selections from Salad Days (Slade & Reynolds): Played by Julian Slade on Minnie The Magic Piano

FEATURED SONGS & VOCAL PERFORMANCES

"The Morning After” (Maltby & Shire): Sung by Barbra Streisand

"I Want It All” (Maltby & Shire): Sung by Beth Fowler

"If I Sing” (Maltby & Shire): Sung by George Dvorsky

"Robert Dreams” (Arden): Sung by Leslie Arden

“Move On” (Sondheim): Sung by Bernadette Peters and Mandy Patinkin

"Intelligent Beautiful Person” (James & Mason): Sung by John Winfield, Guitar by Richard Bolton, Drums by Ralph Salmins 

"Isn’t She Sweet?” (James & Mason): Sung by Paul James 

Join Steve’s chum Martin Milnes and first love Peter E. Jones to explore Sondheim’s life both behind – and in front – of the camera. From directing Leonard Bernstein’s family in home movies and acting in his own work on screen, through to writing screenplays, his Oscar-win, and investigating the abandoned Hollywood movie of a cult Sondheim musical. 

How did Madonna react to Warren Beatty choosing Steve’s songs over hers? What did Steve feel about the Oscar-winning movie versions of his shows? And just what exactly happened that memorable night between Katharine Hepburn, Michael Jackson, Tom Stoppard and Steve? 

CHAPTERS:
00:00 - Jamie Bernstein: Steve The Director
04:03 - James Lapine: Sondheim Acts in ‘Opening Doors’

06:53 - Tom Fitzsimmons: Sondheim Acts in June Moon

11:05 - Steve & Martin: Movie Wordplay Puzzles

18:33 - Katharine Hepburn: The Prickly Next-Door-Neighbour

25:44 - Anthony Perkins: Co-writing The Last of Sheila

27:18 - Madonna & The Oscar: ‘Sooner Or Later’

31:25 - Lin-Manuel Miranda: Movie Versions of Steve’s Shows

35:30 - Exploring The Sondheim Movie-That-Never-Was

44:37 - Follies: 1974

50:50 - Steve & Martin: ‘A Beautiful Friendship’

Subscribe to Loving You: The Untold Sondheim on Apple and all good podcast apps to get every episode the moment it is released.
 

SUPPORT THE SHOW:

► SUBSCRIBE to Loving You: The Untold Sondheim in your podcast app and be sure to get every episode the moment it is released.

► RATE & REVIEW Leave a review in your podcast app and tell other Sondheim fans why they should listen.

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CREDITS

Hosts and Producers: Martin Milnes and Peter E. Jones

Executive Producer: Jason Caffrey

Produced in partnership with: Creative Kin 

Mixing and Mastering: Phoebe Murdoch, Chris Traves
Directed, Devised and Written by Martin Milnes

CAST AND VOICE ACTORS
Alistair McGowan, Charlotte Page, Eddie Andrews, James Gower-Smith, Rebecca Ridout, Daniel Cane and Mehran James McCullough. With Special Appearances by Tom Fitzsimmons, Gary Raymond – and – Elizabeth Seal.

DRAMATIC RE-ENACTMENTS
Written by: Martin Milnes
Produced by: Peter E. Jones

Follies Screenplay by: Hugh Wheeler (with thanks to the Estate of Hugh Wheeler)
 
MUSIC AND SCORE

Original Score Composed by: Peter E. Jones
Music and Lyrics of Stephen Sondheim: Courtesy of The Stephen Sondheim Trust

Sondheim and Bernstein Instrumental Tracks: Provided by Broadway Studio Orchestra
Music of Stephen Sondheim: Played by Colm Molloy

"Give Another Regis Toomey" and Music by Ravel: Played by Gareth Valentine

"Night and Day" and "From This Moment On" (Porter): Played by Steve Ross

FEATURED SONGS & VOCAL PERFORMANCES

"Vissi D’arte” (Puccini): Sung by Maria Callas

"The Glory of Love” (Hill): Played by Benny Goodman and his Orchestra

"Love Me Tonight” (Rodgers & Hart): Sung by Jeanette MacDonald

"I Love The Way You Say Goodnight” (Wyle & Pola): Sung by Doris Day and Gene Nelson

"Our Language of Love” (Monnot, More, Henecker & Norman): Sung by Elizabeth Seal

"Always Mademoiselle” (Previn & Lerner): Attempted by Katharine Hepburn 

In this unprecedented exploration, hosts Martin Milnes and Peter E. Jones discover – in Sondheim’s own words – how Golden Age Hollywood profoundly shaped his personal world view in addition to his work. Featuring never-before-released emails between Steve and Martin, a 1953 letter from Steve in Hollywood, and the premieres of two unknown Sondheim songs in their first official recordings.

Steve and Martin’s mutual encyclopaedic knowledge of old movies sparked ‘a beautiful friendship’ unlike any since Steve’s college days with his movie-mad chums. From playing chess with Humphrey Bogart and imitating Bette Davis, to being star-struck around obscure character actors, Martin and PJ affectionately celebrate Steve’s unexpected love of camp and glittering life among the stars.

With special appearances from renowned Script Supervisor Angela Allen (who met Sondheim in 1952 on the set of a notorious camp classic) and Broadway legend Patti LuPone, who recalls how Steve shared with her the original musical version of Sunset Boulevard.

CHAPTERS:

00:00 - “And Introducing” Steve, Martin, Spielberg & Hitler 

05:34 - Steve’s Love of Gossip and “Life In Movie Terms” 

15:58 - Steve’s Home Movie and The Origins of Pot in Company

20:26 - “Let’s Go To The Movies”: Influencing Steve’s Work

29:27 - Sunset Boulevard: Swanson, Steve & Patti

34:14 - “I’ll Never Forgive Myself”: Steve’s Shyness

37:01 - Bette Davis: Mayhem at Williams College 

42:27 - Margaret Sullavan: “No Sad Songs For Me”
47:05 - Maggie at “The Party Of The Stars”: A Sondheim World Premiere

53:50 - “Lunch With Hats”: The College Chums

56:43 - Torch Song: Steve’s Letter From Hollywood, 1953

Subscribe to Loving You: The Untold Sondheim on Apple and all good podcast apps to get every episode the moment it is released.
 

SUPPORT THE SHOW:

► SUBSCRIBE to Loving You: The Untold Sondheim in your podcast app and be sure to get every episode the moment it is released.

► RATE & REVIEW Leave a review in your podcast app and tell other Sondheim fans why they should listen.

► SHARE Don't keep it to yourself! Share Loving You: The Untold Sondheim with other Sondheim fans you know.

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CREDITS

Hosts and Producers: Martin Milnes and Peter E. Jones

Executive Producer: Jason Caffrey

Produced in partnership with: Creative Kin 

Mixing and Mastering: Phoebe Murdoch, Chris Traves
Directed, Devised and Written by Martin Milnes

CAST AND VOICE ACTORS
Alistair McGowan, Daniel Cane, Michael Aspel, Harry James-Taylor, Pauline Milnes, Martin’s Niece Tess, Melissa Redman, Rebecca Ridout, Rosanna Roscoe, Victoria Ward, Arthur Magee, Rosalind Russell, Karsci Wright, Theo Bracey, Sam Trotman, Jonathan Christopher, Samuel Black, Mehran James McCullough – and – legendary 1930s child star of British movie musicals – Hazel Ascot.

DRAMATIC RE-ENACTMENTS
Written by: Martin Milnes
Produced by: Peter E. Jones
 
MUSIC AND SCORE

Original Score Composed by: Peter E. Jones
Music and Lyrics of Stephen Sondheim: Courtesy of The Stephen Sondheim Trust

Songs Produced & Mastered by: Chris Traves

Musical Direction: Gareth Valentine

Sondheim Instrumental Tracks: Provided by Broadway Studio Orchestra

Music of Stephen Sondheim: Played by Colm Molloy

Main Title from Beyond The Forest: Composed by Max Steiner

“Concerto Macabre” from Hangover Square: Composed by Bernard Herrmann

Music from Deception: Composed by Erich Wolfgang Korngold

FEATURED SONGS & VOCAL PERFORMANCES

"My Funny Valentine” (Rodgers & Hart): Sung by Mary Martin

"I’m Still Here” (Sondheim): Sung by Nancy Walker

"Let’s Go To The Movies” (Styne & Sondheim), “No Sad Songs For Me” and “The Party Of The Stars” (Sondheim): Sung by Martin Milnes

"Those Wonderful People” (Hughes & Stapley): Sung by Gloria Swanson

"Turn Me Loose On Broadway" (Duke, Cahn, Nash): Sung by Bette Davis

"The Sound of Music” (Rodgers & Hammerstein): Sung by Jean Bayless 

Sondheim's list of 'Songs I Wish I’d Written (At Least In Part)' sparks memories and insights from Broadway's finest musical talents.

Hosts Martin Milnes and Peter E. Jones sit down with a powerhouse line-up of Broadway giants to explore the private, generous, and highly sentimental side of Stephen Sondheim. 

Sondheim's esteemed friends and colleagues John Kander, Richard Maltby Jr, David Shire, Jonathan Tunick and Maury Yeston offer an unprecedented and unique view of Sondheim's musicianship, artistry and love of his friends' work.

From glittering 1960s parties to intimate evenings drinking wine and listening to records in Sondheim's study, we learn, including through unpublished Sondheim emails, the respect and support this legendary composer-lyricist offered his peers.

Hear how a young Jonathan Tunick was hired to orchestrate Company over 10 scotches, the true origins of the song "Being Alive," and how Steve's list of 'Songs I Wish I'd Written (At Least In Part)' served as his ultimate love letter to his peers.

CHAPTERS:

00:00 - Introduction: John Kander on Sondheim's Compassion and Generosity 

05:16 - "Songs I Wish I'd Written": Exploring Sondheim’s Famous List 

08:29 - Falling in Love Over Music: Peter E Jones and Stephen Sondheim 

10:50 - The Prince Parties and Early Broadway Struggles: Maltby & Shire 

17:35 - Sondheim's Secret Sentimentality 

24:04 - Jonathan Tunick: Orchestrating the Genius of Stephen Sondheim 

30:12 - "He Played What He Wrote": The Unique Process of Orchestrating Sondheim 

35:29 - Maury Yeston: Sondheim’s Generosity and Modesty 

43:42 - Peter E. Jones' Song On The List: "Bluellow"
46:31 - John Kander: A 70-year Friendship

Subscribe to Loving You: The Untold Sondheim on Apple and all good podcast apps to get every episode the moment it is released.

SUPPORT THE SHOW:

► SUBSCRIBE to Loving You: The Untold Sondheim in your podcast app and be sure to get every episode the moment it is released.

► RATE & REVIEW Leave a review in your podcast app and tell other Sondheim fans why they should listen.

► SHARE Don't keep it to yourself! Share Loving You: The Untold Sondheim with other Sondheim fans you know.

► FOLLOW Loving You: The Untold Sondheim on Instagram.

CREDITS

Hosts and Producers: Martin Milnes and Peter E. Jones

Executive Producer: Jason Caffrey

Produced in partnership with: Creative Kin 

Mixing and Mastering: Phoebe Murdoch, Chris Traves
Directed, Devised and Written by Martin Milnes

CAST AND VOICE ACTORS
Alistair McGowan, Eddie Andrews, Rebecca Ridout, Nathanael Hodgkiss, Taaron Jeram, Jude Peters, Melissa Redman, Mitchell Walsh, Jonathan Christopher, Mehran James McCullough

DRAMATIC RE-ENACTMENTS
Written by: Martin Milnes
Produced by: Peter E. Jones

MUSIC AND SCORE

Original Score Composed by: Peter E. Jones

Songs Produced & Mastered by: Chris Traves

Musical Direction: Gareth Valentine

Piano Accompaniment: Sam Young

Sondheim Instrumental Tracks: Provided by Broadway Studio Orchestra

Music of Stephen Sondheim: Played by Colm Molloy

"Comedy Tonight": Played by Gareth Valentine

"How Does the Wine Taste?" (Vamp): Composed by Harold Karr

"Make A Wish" (Overture): Composed by Hugh Martin

"A Hero's Love" (from The Sap of Life): Played by David Shire
"Matchmaker, Matchmaker": Played by Steve Ross

"Marlowe's Theme" (from Farewell, My Lovely) & "Salsatian" (from Saturday Night Fever): Composed by David Shire

FEATURED SONGS & VOCAL PERFORMANCES

"Travel" (by Maltby & Shire): Sung by Chloe Hopcroft, Nic Myers and Kit Pakapom

"New Words" (by Maury Yeston): Sung by Lauren Jones

"The Golden Willow Tree" (by Aaron Copland): Sung by Bruce Graham

"Home" (by Kander and Ebb): Sung by Mildred Natwick and the original Broadway cast of 70 Girls, 70

"I'll Never Go There Anymore" (by Moose Charlap and Eddie Lawrence): Screeched by Moose Charlap on the original composers' demo tape

"Hard Hearted Hannah" (by Milton Ager, Jack Yellen, Bob Bigelow and Charles Bates): Sung by Belle Baker
"To Be Alive" and "How Do You Do I Love You?": Sung by Richard Maltby Jr and played by David Shire

Excerpt from "Bluellow" (by Peter E. Jones): Sung by Lauren Jones and Shane O'Riordan

In this unprecedented tribute to legendary Broadway composer Stephen Sondheim, hosts Martin Milnes and Peter E. Jones open a deeply personal window onto the Sondheim they knew and loved. 

Peter – known affectionately as PJ – was Stephen Sondheim's former partner and first love. For 30 years, PJ remained at Steve's side as his lifelong trusted ally. Martin was Steve's close friend in the last six years of his life, bonding over a shared passion for obscure old movies.

Together, PJ and Martin draw back the curtain on Stephen Sondheim's life away from spotlight; sharing the 'Steve' which only his friends got to see. 

They share intimate memories from inside Stephen Sondheim's New York townhouse at 246 East 49th Street, including the famous "Six O'Clock Slot" – a cherished time when Sondheim loved to entertain guests with pure conversation and drinks. 

And previously unheard stories of celebrity visitors, including Judy Garland, Barbra Streisand, and Bradley Cooper.

Stephen Sondheim's passion for Golden Age movies is uncovered, as well as the profound difference between his carefully curated public persona and the private optimist his friends knew.

As a finale, Martin and PJ welcome a very special guest: Dame Julie Andrews.

As a global musical theatre icon famed for landmark Broadway roles including Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady and Queen Guinevere in Camelot, Dame Julie was a peer and lifelong friend of Stephen Sondheim. She recalls shared holidays - and how she would always "weep at Sondheim".

Subscribe to Loving You: The Untold Sondheim on Apple and all good podcast apps to get every episode the moment it is released.

CHAPTERS:

00:00 - Introducing Stephen Sondheim: The man behind the legend

08:10 - Stephen Sondheim’s first love: Peter E Jones

11:59 - The "Six O'Clock Slot": Inside Sondheim’s New York townhouse

14:03 - Famous Faces: Judy Garland, Barbra Streisand & Bradley Cooper

18:05 - Sondheim's Obsession with Golden Age Cinema

29:28 - The Public Persona vs. The Private Optimist

34:07 - Sondheim, Bernstein and Robbins: Making West Side Story

38:17 - Professional Jealousy & The Complexities of Being an Icon

43:00 - Sondheim’s Early Years: A Complicated Childhood
47:20 - Julie Andrews: A Six-Decade Friendship

SUPPORT THE SHOW:

► SUBSCRIBE to Loving You: The Untold Sondheim in your podcast app and be sure to get every episode the moment it is released.

► RATE & REVIEW Leave a review in your podcast app and tell other Sondheim fans why they should listen.

► SHARE Don't keep it to yourself! Share Loving You: The Untold Sondheim with other Sondheim fans you know.

► FOLLOW Loving You: The Untold Sondheim on Instagram.

CREDITS

Hosts and Producers: Martin Milnes and Peter E. Jones

Executive Producer: Jason Caffrey

Produced in association with: Creative Kin 

Mixing and Mastering: Phoebe Murdoch, Chris Traves
Directed, Devised and Written by Martin Milnes

Cast & Voice Actors

Newscasters: Samuel Black, Maya Post, Jonathan Bruce-King, James Gower Smith, Rebecca Ridout, Bruce Graham, Yeukayi Ushe, Elen Mon Wayne, Susan Fleet and Jonathan Christopher
Julie & Steve's Alderney Photographer: Alan Milnes
Credits: Mehran James McCullough

Music & Score
Original Podcast Score: Composed by Peter E. Jones
Instrumental Tracks (Sondheim and Bernstein): Provided by Broadway Studio Orchestra
Music of Stephen Sondheim: Played by Colm Molloy
"Too Many Mornings": Played by Gareth Valentine
Party Pianist: Steve Ross (Played "How About You?" by Burton Lane and Ralph Freed)

Featured Songs & Vocal Performances:
"Some Enchanted Evening" (Rodgers & Hammerstein) & "Luck Be A Lady" (Frank Loesser): Sung by Barbra Streisand
"If You Hadn't, But You Did" (Jule Styne, Betty Comden and Adolph Green): Sung by Martin Milnes
"You're Just in Love" (Irving Berlin): Sung by Ethel Merman
"Soliloquy" (Rodgers & Hammerstein): Sung by John Raitt
"Epiphany" (Stephen Sondheim): Sung by Len Cariou
"I Have a Love" (Bernstein & Sondheim): Sung by Dame Julie Andrews and Carol Burnett
"Then You May Take Me to the Fair" (Lerner and Loewe): Sung by Dame Julie Andrews
"As Time Goes By": Written by Herman Hupfeld
"Something Good": Composed by Richard Rodgers
"33 Sondheim Numbers in 5 Minutes": Performed by Ferris and Milnes (Official music video available on YouTube)

Acknowledgements & Permissions
Lena Horne Audio: Used by kind permission of Ms. Horne's granddaughter, Jenny Lumet, and her daughter, the late Gail Lumet Buckley.
Special Thanks to: Joshua Ellis, James L. Nederlander, and Christina Selby.

Discover the Stephen Sondheim his friends knew and loved.

Premieres on 5 March 2026

Loving You: The Untold Sondheim is an unprecedented new podcast series that paints an intimate and candid portrait of the man behind the myth.

Hosted by Stephen Sondheim’s close friend, Martin Milnes, and his first love, Peter E Jones, this series offers a deeply personal look at Sondheim’s life. Through exclusive, never-before-released emails and informal chats, we draw back the curtain on the genius who changed musical theatre forever.

Season 1 features celebrity voices from Steve’s inner circle, including 

Julie Andrews, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Patti LuPone, Mia Farrow, Ronan Farrow and Maria Friedman. 

Whether you are a lifelong fan or new to his work, this is Sondheim as he was known by those who loved him best.

"I have to say that I absolutely adored him. If he had said, ‘Would you marry me?’ I think I would've seriously considered it because he was so darned attractive in an amazing way." — Julie Andrews

Subscribe to Loving You: The Untold Sondheim in your podcast app to get every episode the moment it is released.

CHAPTERS:

00:00 The Personal Side of Broadway Giant Stephen Sondheim

00:34 Meet the Hosts: Steve’s Friend Martin Milnes and First Love Peter E Jones

00:50 An Unprecedented Tribute: Friends, Encouragers and Partners

01:09 Exclusive Insights: Unpublished Emails and Untold Stories

01:29 Loving You: A Podcast by Sondheim’s Friends, with Sondheim’s Friends

SUPPORT THE SHOW:

► SUBSCRIBE to Loving You: The Untold Sondheim in your podcast app and be sure to get every episode the moment it is released.

► RATE & REVIEW Leave a review in your podcast app and tell other Sondheim fans why they should listen.

► SHARE Don't keep it to yourself! Share Loving You: The Untold Sondheim with other Sondheim fans you know.

► FOLLOW Loving You: The Untold Sondheim on Insta at Instagram.

CREDITS

Hosts and Producers: Martin Milnes and Peter E. Jones

Executive Producer: Jason Caffrey

Produced in association with: Creative Kin 

Audio Engineer: Chris Traves
Original Score: Peter E. Jones
Devised, Directed and Written by Martin Milnes