Matthew Morrison Withdraws from SONDHEIM ON SONDHEIM at The Hollywood Bowl

Due to a professional scheduling conflict, Matthew Morrison has withdrawn from the previously announced performance of Sondheim on Sondheim on Sunday, July 23, at 7.30 pm at the Hollywood Bowl.

The Hollywood Bowl recently announced that Sarah Uriarte Berry, Philip Boykin, and Jonathan Groff would complete the cast for a benefit performance of SONDHEIM ON SONDHEIM, with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, conceived and directed on Broadway by James Lapine.

The production also features previously announced Lewis Cleale, Carmen Cusack, Claybourne Elder, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Ruthie Ann Miles, Solea Pfeiffer, and Vanessa Williams, and will have one performance only, on Sunday, July 23, 2017 at 7:30pm. The Hollywood Bowl production benefits the LA Phil's flagship program, Youth Orchestra Los Angeles (YOLA), and other LA Phil educational initiatives.

SONDHEIM ON SONDHEIM will be directed by Sarna Lapine with Gustavo Dudamel conducting the Los Angeles Philharmonic and YOLA, who will join the show to perform "Children Will Listen" alongside the LA Phil. The production will be choreographed by Michele Lynch with lighting design by Ken Billington, in addition to new orchestrations by Michael Starobin, arrangements by David Loud and video created and designed by Peter Flaherty.

From Follies and Into the Woods to A Little Night Music and Sweeney Todd, Stephen Sondheim's umpteen Broadway masterpieces assure him a permanent spot among the very top creators of the American musical. Audiences will not want to miss this "funny, affectionate and revealing tribute to musical theater's greatest living composer and lyricist" (USA Today), a musical revue-style journey through the extraordinary life and career of Stephen Sondheim.

James Lapine has collaborated with Stephen Sondheim on Sunday in the Park with George, Into the Woods, and Passion. Along with creating Sondheim on Sondheim he also directed the HBO documentary Six by Sondheim. He has been the recipient of the Obie, Drama Desk, Tony, Olivier, Evening Standard, and Peabody Award, as well as the Pulitzer Prize.

Stephen Sondheim wrote the music and lyrics for A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1962), Anyone Can Whistle (1964), Company (1970), Follies (1971), A Little Night Music (1973), The Frogs (1974), Pacific Overtures (1976), Sweeney Todd (1979), Merrily We Roll Along (1981), Sunday in the Park with George (1984), Into the Woods (1987), Assassins (1991), Passion (1994), and Bounce (2003), as well as lyrics for West Side Story (1957), Gypsy (1959), Do I Hear a Waltz? (1965), and additional lyrics for Candide (1973). Side by Side by Sondheim (1976), Marry Me a Little (1981), You're Gonna Love Tomorrow (1983), Putting It Together (1993/99), and Moving On (2001) are anthologies of his work as composer and lyricist.

For films, he composed the scores of Stavisky (1974) and co-composed Reds(1981), as well as songs for Dick Tracy (1990). He also wrote the songs for the television production Evening Primrose (1966), co-authored the film The Last of Sheila (1973) and the play Getting Away with Murder (1996), and provided incidental music for the plays The Girls of Summer (1956), Invitation to a March(1961), Twigs (1971), and The Enclave (1973). Saturday Night (1954), his first professional musical, finally had its New York premiere in 1999. Sondheim is on the Council of the Dramatists Guild, the national association of playwrights, composers, and lyricists, having served as its President from 1973 to 1981.

Subscriptions and single tickets for performances during the Hollywood Bowl 2017 summer season are available at HollywoodBowl.com, or via credit card phone order at 323.850.2000, and in person at the Hollywood Bowl Box Office. For further details or questions, call 323.850.2000 from 10am - 6pm daily, or visit LAPhil.com.

One of the largest natural amphitheaters in the world, with a seating capacity of nearly 18,000, the Hollywood Bowl has been the summer home of the Los Angeles Philharmonic since its official opening in 1922, and plays host to the finest artists from all genres of music, offering something for everyone. It remains one of the best deals anywhere in Los Angeles; to this day, $1 buys a seat at the top of the Bowl for many classical and jazz performances. In February 2017, the Hollywood Bowl was named Best Major Outdoor Concert Venue for the thirteenth year in a row at the 28th Annual Pollstar Awards. For millions of music lovers across Southern California, the Hollywood Bowl is synonymous with summer.