Sondheim sings, this time in public

As he approaches his 75th birthday this month, Broadway composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim is embarking on a new enterprise: performer. Playbill.com reports that two labels are planning to release albums containing private recordings Sondheim has made of his work over the years.

Sony BMG Masterworks/Legacy will be re-releasing original cast albums of four Sondheim productions (“Sweeney Todd,” “Merrily We Roll Along,” “Into the Woods” and “Sunday in the Park With George”), each with bonus tracks of Sondheim performing music from the shows.

And PS Classics Inc. plans to release a series of CDs under the umbrella title of “Sondheim Sings,” featuring demos from the composer’s private collection of music he’s written from 1946 to the present, including versions of songs that were later revised and others that were cut from various shows.

From a Times staff writer