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A group of Broadway greats sang a triumphant tribute to Stephen Sondheim in Times Square

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All of Broadway performing Sondheim.

Success is measured not by a list of our accomplishments, but by a legacy of people inspired by our passion.

This past Sunday (November 28), Broadway royalty gathered together in Times Square to pay tribute to Stephen Sondheim, the composer and lyricist who created legendary works for six decades, and whose name is practically synonymous with musical theatre. The tribute came after his passing on Friday.

The entertainers sung “Sunday” from “Sunday in the Park With George.” Some think that Sondheim wrote a fictionalized story about George Seurat’s famous painting A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte, but it would be more accurate to say that he captured the essence of an artist’s inner battle between pure passion and toxic obsession, and simply set it to music. Such was Sondheim’s talent for encapsulating the human condition into breathtaking lyrics and dynamic composition.

Broadway Honors Sondheim—'Sunday' from 'Sunday in the Park With George' in Times Square 11/28/21

The massive crowd is a sea of recognizable faces, including Sara Bareilles (“Waitress”) and Josh Groban. Perhaps most easily spotted is teary-eyed Lin Manuel Miranda, a modern-day Sondheim in his own right.

Miranda would later be seen reading a passage about “Sunday in the Park with George” from Sondheim’s memoir, which read:

"Once during the writing of each show, I cry at a notion, a word, a chord, a melodic idea, an accompaniment figure... In this show, it was the word ‘forever’ in ‘Sunday.' I was suddenly moved by the contemplation of what these people would have thought if they’d know they were being immortalized, and in a major way, in a great painting.”

Towards the verticals of trees
Forever . . .
By the blue purple yellow red water
On the green
Orange violet mass
Of the grass
In our perfect park
Made of flecks of light
And dark,
And parasols . . .
Bumbum bum Bumbumbum
Bumbum bum . . .#Sondheim pic.twitter.com/AG9e5zoAND
— Howard Sherman (@HESherman) November 28, 2021

In an age where we’re more likely to stay at home and watch Netflix than go to a live concert, let alone go see a musical, there are many who have not experienced that inexplicable, magic quality that live theatre possesses. At its best, it inspires people to use their voice, practice empathy and come together in community with one another. Sondheim was the very best of the best at embodying this quality in his works. And if this video is any indication, he will be sorely missed.

Sondheim too will be immortalized, perhaps in a way he’d never imagined during his lifetime.

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In the face of hate, love must prevail.

The June 12, 2016, shooting at Orlando's Pulse nightclub came as a shock to the world — a senseless act of hate. The response to the tragedy, however, has been heartening. Within days, more than $4 million was raised for victims and their families on the crowdfunding site GoFundMe. Major League Baseball's Tampa Bay Rays honored the city during their annual Pride Night game. Across the country, and across the world, people have responded to the tragedy with love and empathy for the LGBTQ community.

Just three days after the shooting, some of Broadway's biggest talents came together to offer a message so simple and yet so perfect: Love must prevail.

Broadway stars Idina Menzel, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Audra McDonald, Sara Bareilles, Kristen Bell, Sean Hayes, Gloria Estefan, Nathan Lane, Matthew Broderick, Billy Porter, and Bernadette Peters were among the dozens of singers who gathered on June 15, at New York's Avatar Studios to record a version of Burt Bacharach and Hal David's classic song, "What the World Needs Now Is Love."

Proceeds from MP3 sales will benefit the GLBT Center of Central Florida.

As of June 19, (prior to the song's release) the Center has collected nearly $425,000 in victim relief donations, which are being used to support the needs of victims' families, like air travel, child care, funeral services, health care costs, and counseling, among other services.

When you watch the performance, you can’t help but feel a little choked up. It’s inspiring to see that in response to one person's darkest, most violent actions, humanity can still come together in an effort to win with the power of love.

Even more, the song is an inspiring reminder to take action and prevent the next tragedy from happening.

Whether the action it inspires is downloading the song, supporting local GBLT centers, calling members of Congress to discuss gun safety measures and anti-LGBT discrimination, or something less tangible like inspiring respect for people who are different or making sure to share kindness in the face of pain, it is an emotional reminder that love must prevail — not just in the wake of tragedies, but always.

Watch Broadway for Orlando perform "What the World Needs Now Is Love" below.

Broadway for Orlando's "What the World Needs Now Is Love" can be purchased at the Broadway Records website.

This is how the newest Broadway musical, 'Waitress,' is making history.

Something historic is happening on Broadway.

Broadway’s newest musical, "Waitress," is already poised for success.

It’s an adaption of the beloved 2007 indie film starring curly-haired genius Keri Russell. In the film, Russell plays Jenna, a small-town — you guessed it — waitress who’s unhappy with her marriage and her lackluster life in general.

She does have one creative outlet, though: pie-making. (For example, “I-hate-my-husband pie.” Mmmm, resentment.)

Tony-winner Jessie Mueller, left, will star in the Broadway version of the film. Here, she hangs out with the composer of the show, Sara Bareilles. Image via video interview with cast and crew by Broadway.com/YouTube.

The Broadway show is also busting barriers: It boasts an all-female core creative team for the first time.

“Whaaaaat?” You may be thinking. Yes, it’s true: Having four women lead a Broadway musical in roles of writer, scorer, choreographer, and director hasn't happened before. I know, I know. But the day has finally come, and our feminist goals are being met left and right. Hillary! Beyoncé! Those funny tampon ads!

GIF from "The 70th Annual Golden Globe Awards."

Traditionally, a musical’s core creative team consists of four key roles.

Those roles are writer, director, choreographer, and composer. And in "Waitress," these roles have all been filled by women. Who are these crazy-talented people? Count ‘em up, chief.

First up is Lorin Latarro, a powerhouse choreographer with past credits like "American Idiot" on Broadway and the delightful "This American Life" musical with Lin-Manuel Miranda.

Hey, Lorin! Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images.

Then there’s Tony-nominated director Diane Paulus, bringing her skills to the staging of the musical.

Photo by Ben Gabbe/Getty Images for Time.

Jessie Nelson took on writing the whip-smart, darkly funny musical. And as for the composer role, singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles crafted a collection of new songs just for the production.

“I’m thrilled that 'Waitress' is breaking boundaries as the first Broadway musical with book, score, choreography and direction by a team of women,” Paulus said in a recent press release.

“It’s a historic and long overdue moment for Broadway, and I’m honored to be working alongside such passionate and inspiring women.”

Here’s to more women behind the scenes. More women in the scenes. More women everywhere!

The call for more substantial female roles on stage and on screen has been well documented, as it should be. But the fight for power behind the scenes gets less attention. That’s why it's exciting to see a squad like this one coming together to call the shots for a big-deal Broadway musical. It’s certainly cause for a dance party.

The pie-tastic production opens in April 2016. Anybody hungry?