Stephen Sondheim To Be Honored At The Grammys By Rachel Zegler, Cynthia Erivo, Ben Platt, And Leslie Odom Jr.
"West Side Story" composer and Broadway legend Stephen Sondheim is set to be memorialized at the 2022 Grammy Awards by "West Side Story" film star Rachel Zegler, "Hamilton" alum Leslie Odom Jr., upcoming "Wicked" film star Cynthia Erivo, and "Dear Evan Hansen" star Ben Platt, according to Variety.
The group of singers will perform in honor of the late artist as part of the broadcast's traditional "In Memoriam" segment rather than in a separate segment. However, there is no word on exactly what the performance will consist of — though it wouldn't be a surprise if the quartet sang a "West Side Story" piece.
Sondheim died in November 2021 at age 91 following a storied career in musical theatre, where he is considered prodigious for his many original musicals which have gone on to become classics. "West Side Story" is one of the most famous works of his catalog, and was originally made into a film by Jerome Robbins and Robert Wise in 1961. The movie has become nearly as iconic as the original musical, featuring well-known performances by Natalie Wood and Rita Moreno.
Steven Spielberg took the directing helm for a remake of the musical film, which premiered in 2021. The movie is now nominated for six Academy Awards, including Best Picture, following wide critical acclaim. /Film's Chris Evangelista went as far as to call the movie "one of the best" of the year and "of the acclaimed filmmaker's career. Yes, really."
A worthy tribute
Zegler — who plays Maria in the remake film — previously made a touching tribute to Sondheim on social media following his death. Ahead of the "West Side Story" release in December 2021, she shared a personal snapshot on Twitter of Sondheim and Spielberg sitting together in the recording studio.
"My life would be nothing without Stephen Sondheim's music," she wrote. "One of my first memories of musical theatre exposure was listening to Michael Cervis and Patti LuPone sing 'A Little Priest' in the 2005 revival of 'Sweeney Todd.' And the rest, as they say, is history." The performer added:
"['West Side Story'] was [Sondheim's] first professional gig. And this re-imagination of 'West Side Story' is mine. That connection is truly everything to me. And every moment I was able to spend with Steve is a true blessing to me. I like to believe that wherever he is in this infinite universe, he has the best seat in the house to watch our film, just as I did to record our soundtrack."
Whatever this group of talented singers ends up doing at the Grammy's in honor of Sondheim, it'll have to be as good as Zegler's digital honor — but considering all those powerhouse voices in one room, the chances of it being pretty spectacular are high.