Sondheim is the legendary composer and lyricist behind such Broadway staples as West Side Story, Sweeney Todd, and Into the Woods.

Sondheim grew up in Upper West Side affluence in the 1930s. Sondheim later became friends with the son of Oscar Hammerstein II, the composer responsible for golden-era musicals like The Sound of Music, The King And I, and Show Boat. Hammerstein became Sondheim's mentor, giving the young composer a personal education in musical theater. The mentoring clearly paid off: Sondheim hit it big with his first assignment, the lyrics to the smash West Side Story. He followed up with the lyrics to 1959's Gypsy, and got his first "music and lyrics" credit for the musical A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. Over the past four decades, Sondheim has cranked out a list of musical hits that even the most casual theater-goer would recognize. His highlights include A Little Night Music, Sweeney Todd, Sunday in the Park With George, Into the Woods, and Assassins.

The aloof Sondheim didn't come out as gay until he was in his forties. He had a long-term relationship with composer Peter Jones, but the two eventually separated. [Image via Getty]