Widower of Stephen Sondheim

He earned every penny of it.

R1 wins. Thread closed.

He'll become a lady who lunches.

Deciding who to go with: Christie's or Sotheby's

They were together a long time. I hope he makes some fine moolah and finds peace!

The Widow Sondheim.

Is he drug and disease free?

I fucked him off the coast of next summer in his ASS!

Do the casket dance singing;" Hey, Big Spender".

Did he change his name? I know at least one widow personally who still lunch off the famous last name of her husband who was 50 years older than her.

Spend a butt load of money for about 5 years then be poor again and get himself another sugar daddy. Poor SS. I guess even with all his success he needed someone around. He'd have done better to just hire a nurse.

You sound jealous of both of them R11.

He produces Randy Rainbow shows.

Musical geniuses seldom hang out together. They can't time travel. Sondheim was a fan and friend of Randy Rainbow. It makes sense.

I need place 2 lives . I have 9 inches

They were together in 2007...

He probably has Asperger's. People with aspergers love to date older people. They're also loyal and not in it for the money. Which explains why he's been with him since 2007. Seriously he could've just had a classic sugar daddy arrangement or an early divorce, but instead he stayed till the guy croaked 91.

With an older man, the expectations are simpler. The body may not be hot but sometimes that isn't everything.

[quote] what will he do now that his husband Stephen is deceased

Finally unshackle himself from the handcuffs in the basement, one assumes?

Romley seems a bit of a cipher. very little online about him, besides Randy Rainbow and some short films. Not even a birth place on his IMDB.

He's 43 and went to James Madison in Harrisonburg Va and graduated in 2000. His parents live in Bradenton, Fl but I don't think that's where he grew up.

People on DL are so basic. Maybe Steve and Romley's relationship wasn't sexual? Doesn't mean there wasn't a real kind of love. Would it exist without Sondheim's fame and money - not likely. But this too is part of our world. Rhyheim Shabazz whole porn empire is built on his previous 14 years with an L.A. sugar daddy/partner. Shabazz lives the life. He likes fucking and he's prolific. Help others to look their best and do better. He's the gay Hugh Hefner.

Love takes many forms. Confident men are able to give and receive love in more elevated transactions than your mother taking a beating for grocery money.

So many on DL were never attractive enough to be propositioned or not privileged or free enough within themselves to pay for companionship in a clever way. The world goes round. No one (rich) has to be alone. But rich men can be choosy. Sondheim loved his boyfriend.

[quote]r22 Rhyheim Shabazz whole porn empire is built on his previous 14 years with an L.A. sugar daddy/partner.

Who?

Welcome to the 2020's R23! Rhyheim is the most powerful gay man on earth.

Ladies Who Lunge.

R2 LOL you are as high as Shabazzz is in all his boring videos.

R23: Do you possess Google?

I'm in love with my own post.❤

R26 is meant for Miss deluded Shabazz at R22

Now that he's mastered the art of the sponge bath, I'm available for a little scrub-a-dub-dub!

Grrrr!

Call me!

Being boring or repetitive is not a block to being successful and appreciated R29. Be very good at what you do. Control the product and only work with people you want to. Sondheim and Shabazz are very similar. One is much more attractive AND consistent. Neither are boring. Only to their detractors.

R32 Any “top” who needs to get high as a kite to fuck and can’t even finish inside a hole and needs his hand to make himself cum is a JOKE.

r33 You pretty much just described every gay top I've ever been under...?

R33 is an old white gay man. Very old. And RACIST. A worn out bottom who dreams of being a cum dump for Stephen Sondheim! Now is his chance.

R35 Lsa loon what was racist about that post?

^^^Read his other work and posts. This ^^^ ancient white fag is a RACIST all day and night on DL. ^^^

What's lsa? Late Stage Ass. See R36 aka R33 and all his other alias posts. What a sad old man. A JOKE.

The love of my life was 22 years older than I. I thought I was the luckiest guy on the planet while so many friends gave me shit about it. Love is mysterious.

But alone is alone, not alive

Hope Jeff writes a memoir.

I hope he got everything notarized.

I assume he'll turn the dungeon into a breakfast nook.

Was Sondheim a top or a bottom in his S&M life?

Will he be buried in his dungeon?

I'm sure he changed a lot of diapers.

According to the Daily Mail, Sondheim left his friends' house at 9:30 PM Thanksgiving evening and died at 1:30 AM.

Well he is smarter than the rest of us

[quote]R47 According to the Daily Mail, Sondheim left his friends' house at 9:30 PM Thanksgiving evening and died at 1:30 AM.

I guess the cooking wasn’t that good.

(Or… was it TOO good?)

[quote] The love of my life was 22 years older than I.

20 year age gap is one thing - but was a FIFTY year age gap

Death rates spike on Thanksgiving, so the meal may have killed him. I wonder who was there?

[quote] I wonder who was there?

Dunno r51, but give it three years. Every queen at Marie's crisis will claim they were sitting RIGHT NEXT TO HIM!

Young but really not particularly hot as was said here.

Won’t the authorities have to uncuff him from the radiator first?

Does anyone know who the runners up were to be Mrs. Sondheim?

Not as embarrassing as when Calvin Klein went around with that teenage whore. But close.

Not even remotely close.

What a brazen shameless money loving whore you have to be to marry someone that looks like your great grand papa.

Honestly, it may not be as simple as a gold digger situation. He is Sondheim. The man was an absolute genius. I would marry him if I had the chance. Just to be near him.

He loved his talent. Then they enjoyed each other's company which turned into deep affection. I'm sure Sondheim knew that he wasn't going to be the great love of his life on all levels but he wanted to leave his estate to someone he knew whom he could trust fully and it was best done through marriage with someone who loved his work and him as a person.

[quote]Finally unshackle himself from the handcuffs in the basement, one assumes?

Does anyone still wear a ball gag? I'll drink to that.

Well, we know Jack O'Brien was there.

I assume he now has complete control over who can do Sondheim's works, what royalties will be and how the works will be handled. Like Follies set in a gay bathhouse, that kind of thing.

The Sondheim and his dungeon yarn is so old and dreary. And probably not even true. If that's the best you can come up with, it's time to go away.

R64 apparently never got invited to the dungeon.

Royalty arrangements are set contractually, and creators and rights holders don't get to just change them. The royalties are shared between composer, lyricist, director, librettist, etc. as percentages. Mr. Sondheim or his widower can only control their own piece of the pie. And that usually is just a matter of waiving their bit for a production for a worthy cause.

Permission to make changes is the real power. Things like the current revival of Company can't happen without the permission of the rights holders.

[quote] The man was an absolute genius. I would marry him if I had the chance. Just to be near him.

But would you be willing to spend so much time performing in the connubial bed to fulfil the 'genius's conjugal rights?

How sexually demanding to you think a 90-year-old is, R67??

Pre-Nup!

[quote]Honestly, it may not be as simple as a gold digger situation. He is Sondheim. The man was an absolute genius. I would marry him if I had the chance. Just to be near him.

Sondheimite!

Steveadore!

[quote] How sexually demanding to you think a 90-year-old is.

I realise that penis turns into a rag of flesh after 70 years but there nothing stopping a rich, fêted owner demanding that the young husband suck that rag of flesh in the desperate hope of arousal.

Wasn’t Peter Jones involved artistically and administratively with Sondheim after they broke up? He seems more apt than Romley for managing things. After Sondheim’s frustration with the Gershwin estate and the widow Goldman, I can’t believe he’d leave it up to chance.

R72, Perhaps orally servicing Jeff was enough for Steve.

Who are we kidding... Let's face it, they had an open marriage so the Trophy Husband could get banged out in the Gym sauna! His only other job was to take care of gramps until he kicked the bucket. I'm sure he will be rewarded handsomely.

[quote] I'm sure he will be rewarded handsomely.

The house is owned by 'a trust'. Who owns the copyright and publishing rights?

Funny that people who have absolutely no knowledge have such definite opinions.

And he can be named the beneficiary of the Trust. Putting your assets in a Trust makes them easier to transfer and prevents some random person suing for a piece of the action.

Is Sondheim's net worth public knowledge?

It could be much less than some are estimating.

R79 DL famously takes those celebrity net worth sites as verified fact, even though they're guesswork.

I wonder how much he will inherit?Did Sondheim have nieces or nephews he was known to be close too who might also inherit? More than 100m would we say?

I'll bet Sondheim had multiple godchildren.

r82 Good point

Have all DL posters lived a life without long term love? It often sounds that way. Love comes in many ways. And more than once. You have to give it to receive it. It takes the energy of two people. Not everything is a transaction. Though love requires that too. The basicness of the comments on this thread illustrate that so many on DL are NOT the normal gay men of real life. Evolved people crave more than a big dick and cheap internet. Creative people crave love and friendship and companions and muses. At times - they demand it. And what in the fuck is wrong with a dungeon anyway? Fun.

People don't normally leave large amounts of money to godchildren, R82.

Last I heard, Sondheim's estate was about $10-12 million. He did receive some money from his father's estate (shared with half-siblings), but most of his windfall money from movie sales, etc. went into real estate (now controlled by the trust). He wasn't poor by any means -but he wasn't fabulously rich. His principal income was from production royalties and music sales. Cast albums don't often turn a profit these days, and with the advent of file sharing and downloads almost no album does. I own shares in four cast albums, and my combined annual royalties from them wouldn't buy a good dinner out for two (without alcohol). But shows like Into the Woods, Sweeney Todd, West Side Story, Gypsy, and A Little Night Music are produced fairly frequently in theaters around the world, so I'm sure he had thousands of dollars a month coming in from those amateur rights, plus tens of thousands from professional productions.

I know for a fact that he left very explicit instructions about what he wanted in terms of how rights are managed and approvals given/withheld -though who can say whether those will continued to be honored throughout the life of the various copyrights.

My guess is the Widow Sondheim very likely will not be involved in having any sort of controlling say of what happens to Steve's work, but I'm sure he was generously provided for. My guess is Sondheim put together some sort of company like the Rogers and Hammerstein Organization, and he absolutely should have done so. Perhaps the husband is on the board of it, but my guess is that would be the limit of his involvement.

[quote] Rogers and Hammerstein Organization

I've heard they're strict and savvy

i didn't know she was family.

I assumed he was straight for some reason.

R86 reminds me of how I so loathe the biz side of Show Biz.

R88 you're worse than me. I assumed he was already dead.

There is probably some sort of trust that controls the rights and the trustee is probably some Sondheim lawyer or a trusted business advisor. The widower Sondheim probably will benefit from income from this trust and the disposition of the real estate, although there may also be bequests from teh estate that will dilute his share.

Someone great has left us. He was loved and feared by more than a few. Quite a lovely man by most accounts. Curious until the end. A gregarious man who dined out hours before his death. There is no scandal about Stephen Sondheim that I know. But I was born in 1983. The theatre thread queens of DL are out in FULL venomous glory and weeping widowhood.

SS had a partner in life. Nice. I'm sure he both confided and provided for him. Don't make everything ugly. 91 year olds are not having sex. They might like to watch? Who cares. Why is every gay man reduced to the kind of sex he had and with whom?

Think about this, elderqueers. Your obsessions are not really normal or expected. A young third wife is expected. And often the most loved. Not because they are the most loveable, but because the aging monster of a man has learned how to be grateful and return affection as something more than critique and demand. That's why most of you are alone. Eldergays. And the younger shut ins of DL. You're not the norm. It's fine to be alone. But we are meant to give and receive love. This is the purpose of life.

Passion is important. All through life. Beyond self gratification. Trust is something more than a document.

Smell HER!

[quote] feared by more than a few

R92 ? ?

How long should one wait till they auction off anything they can? Or demand revivals for every show he wrote?

We have no idea what his attachments were like. Sonsheim did not have a happy life and his songs and plays reflect that--they are not happy ditties and his stories are not happy.

Marrying someone decades younger is not typical and it makes it easy to raise questions about the nature of the relationship---did someone want a Daddy or a Son? Was there more role play than actual sex (pretty likely at that age)? Was there warmth---for a lot of gay men of SS's generation warmth and intimacy are something they had difficulty ever achieving, even with stature and position in a world where their sexuality was less of an issue than in the general public. Very little documentation is available about the widower--he easily becomes a vessel for speculation. Sondheim was a great artist, although he wasn't always commercially successful. His work will probably live beyond him given the number of recent revivals whereas some of his contemporaries will not be so lucky and some cases we'll be better off without them (the world can live without Neil Simon sitcoms and probably will).

My friend married an established celebrity, and the way they do it nowadays, with pre-nups, for people who already have assigned beneficiaries, like children or nieces and nephews, is the new spouse gets named beneficiary of a life insurance policy for a negotiated amount, and then forfeits any claims to the estate, so the estate goes to the rightful heirs.

I'm not positive, but this was how it was explained to me one time, over brunch, and I was little tipsy from the bottomless Mimosas.

R96 *IS* the elder queer man I was addressing in my post! That he repeats and projects his notions onto Stephen Sondheim is so reactive and triggered. Sad. So many old gays on this site can only have relationships from a total distance, as they imagine them. With strangers. And dead people. I'm sorry for your lost and tortured life R96. You manage to write about it well enough. Too bad you didn't utilize your heightened power of critique and observation to transcend your own superficial relations and personal damage. I'm sure you are privileged. The lack of courage is your own.

Throw a party . Duh. OP.

R96 I enjoyed your summary. You mention indelicate things but they must be acknowledged.

R98 you are not only an asshole you are a gasbag as well. Are you the one who said people celebrate you? I have no doubt they find you entertaining, to a point. Now go drown yourself.

R98 seems like a failed psychology major. I'm sure he's not as happy as he wants us to think, poor dear. And he's getting none of Sondheim's love or money.

TWIS - The Widow Sondheim

Let the games begin!

[quote] the widower … becomes a vessel for speculation.

And peculation, R96.

I'm a babe, it's true. Celebrated a bit. I pay my own way. But my cause was once furthered.

R85, My godmother left me $100K when she died in 1975, which was a fortune to a then 23-year-old.

Do you think your godmother knew that you'd spend it all on cocaine, black dick & discos, R107? You know you just outed yourself as being 69 years old? Good for you. Proof of concept.

DL is ancient. I'm glad you survived the plague R107. We have PrEP now!! Don't trust and never worry.

R108, Did you forget to take your meds this evening?

R108, Actually, I used the money to purchase the house I am still living in today.

The house is now worth over $1,000,000.

In some small red state R110? Can't buy a small one bedroom condo in my town for less than $800,000. Small people think small. And talk big. On DL.

I'm glad you survived the plague R107. Celibate or truck stop glory holes?

Having been widowed twice, it ain't easy, no matter the circumstances. I wish him the best.

R111, The house was purchased in Massachusetts in 1975, you utter moron, when as little as $30K could buy you a house.

You really are a despicable human being. I pity anyone who is forced to deal with you, including family. But, I'm sure your family has shunned you by now and rightly so.

Cute R113. "utter moron" is such an elder elder gay old white man gathering up attitude for DL online battle phrase. Ha. Small town. Old man. Timid. Quotes Sondheim but distrusts sex? Ha.

My family is afraid of me! I'm too smart & sexy for everyone. But they love me cuz my dick pays all the bills! And I'm sweet and have a beautiful body and nice man to love.❤

Enjoy your cottage, Dolores.

What was the topic of this thread again?

Some loon likes to rant on DL about ancient fags while stumbling in the rubble of the Roxy like Gloria Swanson which is probably how this sot found his way onto this thread.

R113 posts with a lisp.

R116, He's a very lonely, tortured soul. And the only man in his life is inflatable. Pity.

[Quote]I'm too smart & sexy for everyone. But they love me cuz my dick pays all the bills!

Bourbon always reminds r114 of his fave pron fantasies.

^He's a sad old man, talking to himself, this one^

I gave my best life coaching and advice to y'all on this thread. But it's too late for bitter white men in their late seventies and eighties. May you not suffer too much at the end and I pray Jesus visits healing to your troubled mind tonight. Enjoy your cats.

R116, He is the same delusional poster who claimed on another thread that Natalie Wood was his grandmother.

LMAO

This bitch.

I'm sure he changed a lot of diapers.

Widower of Stephen Sondheim R72, Perhaps orally servicing Jeff was enough for Steve.

Widower of Stephen Sondheim Is Sondheim's net worth public knowledge?

It could be much less than some are estimating.

Widower of Stephen Sondheim I'll bet Sondheim had multiple godchildren.

Widower of Stephen Sondheim R85, My godmother left me $100K when she died in 1975, which was a fortune to a then 23-year-old.

Widower of Stephen Sondheim R108, Did you forget to take your meds this evening?

Widower of Stephen Sondheim R108, Actually, I used the money to purchase the house I am still living in today.

The house is now worth over $1,000,000.

Widower of Stephen Sondheim R111, The house was purchased in Massachusetts in 1975, you utter moron, when as little as $30K could buy you a house.

You really are a despicable human being. I pity anyone who is forced to deal with you, including family. But, I'm sure your family has shunned you by now and rightly so.

Widower of Stephen Sondheim R116, He's a very lonely, tortured soul. And the only man in his life is inflatable. Pity.

Natalie, Cary and George All three died today(November 29th).

Natalie Wood - 1981

Cary Grant - 1986

George Harrison - 2001

It's Official: Kirk Douglas Raped Natalie Wood R75, Benson, Rose.

It's Official: Kirk Douglas Raped Natalie Wood R81, Jill moved right in on Wagner after Natalie died.

It's Official: Kirk Douglas Raped Natalie Wood R153, Lana also had flings with Sean Connery, Alain Delon and at least a one night stand with Warren Beatty.

It's Official: Kirk Douglas Raped Natalie Wood One of Lana's husbands was part of Judy Garland's entourage circa 1964 and Lana wrote in her first book of being assigned to "babysit" Judy.

It's Official: Kirk Douglas Raped Natalie Wood R160, Donald Trump, Jr. did.

It's Official: Kirk Douglas Raped Natalie Wood Seems like yesterday . . .

It's Official: Kirk Douglas Raped Natalie Wood R180, If Natalie Wood is your grandmother, who are your parents?

It's Official: Kirk Douglas Raped Natalie Wood R184, You are also delusional.

It's Official: Kirk Douglas Raped Natalie Wood Lana never mentions or cites her marriage to "Peyton Place" co-star Stephen Oliver.

She tends to gloss over that one...

Stephen Sondheim is Dead to Me! I'm sure Patti will deliver a touching curtain speech tonight at Company.

Stephen Sondheim is Dead to Me! R91, Probably that green bean/cream of mushroom soup/fried onions concoction.

Stephen Sondheim is Dead to Me! R267, Liz Callaway is performing tomorrow evening in the Boston area.

Stephen Sondheim is Dead to Me! I'm sure he bequeathed something special to good buddy Bernadette Peters.

Stephen Sondheim is Dead to Me! Did Broadway dim for Nick Cordero?

Stephen Sondheim is Dead to Me! Some people will do anything to avoid those Black Friday crowds.

No comment from Liza yet?

Her version of "Losing My Mind" was a plus for her back in 1989.

Stephen Sondheim is Dead to Me! R449, I have a complete audio(soundboard) recording of that evening, which the double LP with the Scrabble cover omitted.

I'll be waiting for someone to post "Well, smell you!".

Stephen Sondheim is Dead to Me! Or a sling.

Stephen Sondheim is Dead to Me! His battles with Turtle Bay neighbor Katharine Hepburn reportedly got rather fierce.

Gypsy (1962 film)

Box office performance — Produced on a budget of $4 million, the film grossed $11,076,923 at the box office, earning $6 million in US theatrical rentals.

Stephen Sondheim is Dead to Me! R488, Their paths never crossed professionally.

Stephen Sondheim is Dead to Me! Sondheim's mother sounds as evil as Peter Lawford's mother.

Stephen Sondheim is Dead to Me! R544, One evening in 1979, I was standing in line at the Uris Theatre box office to pick up my tickets for Sweeney Todd and overheard two very attractive young women in front of me tell the box office person that they were picking up Victor Garber's house seats for that evening

^ Lives in dirty diapers and a moldy old house in Massachusetts ^

*cherishes* all the Sondheim albums, ha.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI): 1-800-950-6264, info@nami.org. NAMI operates an emergency mental health hotline Monday–Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. EST. Operators can provide information about mental illness and refer callers to treatment, support groups, family support, and legal support, if needed.

[quote]A gregarious man who dined out hours before his death.

A ha!

The same thing he was doing when he was alive.

[quote]Someone great has left us. He was loved and feared by more than a few. Quite a lovely man by most accounts. Curious until the end.

I nominate R92's pretentious twaddle to be the new "At a time when gay people were oppressed beyond belief, they identified with her struggles and she theirs."

[quote]What was the topic of this thread again?

The Merry Widow.

The Semen Gobbler of Fleet Enema Street

Sometimes the results are not worthy of the labor r130.

He'll ask for Black Olives in his Martinis...

as one does

[quote]He was loved and feared by more than a few

Why the hell would anyone fear Stephen Sondheim?

Try singing in front of him R133

Wear the proper mourning dress and go dancing at a charity ball with Rhett Butler.

[quote] Why the hell would anyone fear Stephen Sondheim?

Because he was such a precious bitch. Look what he said to Bassey.

I can't believe he said to Buckley not to sing his songs anymore. I wonder what show it was in London where he went to see her after the performance.

Yet another version of that Sondheim story says that he asked her not to perform his music unless she was willing to do it as written.

He should have control of his own music. Period.

R130 yes he owns the copyright.

Coward insisted on vetting who was acting in his plays.

So you conservative fucks come here to shit on a great artist because he was gay. Do you know where you are?

R141 Who are you talking to? Be specific.

Who's shitting on Sondheim? We all think he's a god.

We are talking about a 50 year age difference people

I mean this Anna Nicole Smith territory.

[quote]Who's shitting on Sondheim? We all think he's a god.

At the very least a hot S&M daddy!

We know that the sad pessimist cynical Sondheim wrote up an iron-clad prenuptial contract long ago.

A distraught Stephen Sondheim performing at Michael Bennett's memorial service.

How soon will the casting couch stories emerge?

Besides Victor Garbers...

r147 Reminds me that Howard Stern mocked Broadway musicals so well. He promised he'd write his own just for laughs but so far nothing.

Sondheim took cradle robbing to a new level. Sick guy.

R150, What about Calvin Klein?

Half a century is impressive.

Sondheim was his father figure. He filled a void in this aimless man's life.

[quote]I can't believe he said to Buckley not to sing his songs anymore.

Yet he OK'd and praised them on film. Of course the huge check cleared.

What is the story with Mr. Sondheim telling Buckley not to sing his songs anymore? What was she performing that he objected to?

I’ve heard her “Pretty Women”/“Laura” medley… and also “Finishing the Hat”. Neither sounded like she changed anything.