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(b. New York, 22 March 1930).
American composer and lyricist. His early interest in the musical was encouraged by Oscar Hammerstein II, a family friend. He studied composition with Milton Babbitt. It was as a lyricist that he first attained success, in Bernstein's West Side Story (1957) and Styne's Gypsy (1959). He went on to write words and music for a succession of Broadway musicals, beginning with A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1962), and including A Little Night Music (1972), Pacific Overtures (1976), Sweeney Todd (1979), Sunday in the Park with George (1984) and Assassins (1991). He is acknowledged as the finest theatre lyricist of his time and, by many, as the finest composer of musical plays; his work has brought new coherence and depth to the musical.
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