Music and Lyrics

Clips from the career of librettist John Weidman ’68, including a Sesame Street sketch, excerpts from Assassins, and Weidman's reflections on works staged at Lincoln Center

For John Weidman ’68, a career as a librettist began with writing a Hasty Pudding show in 1966, and later included work on Sesame Street and collaborations with Stephen Sondheim. (Read more in "Storytelling with Sondheim," from the January-February 2011 issue.)

For the occasion of Lincoln Center's twenty-fifth anniversary, the venue filmed interviews with creators who'd done a significant amount of work there over the years. In one clip, Weidman discusses Anything Goes; in another, he discusses the development of Contact and Happiness.

View a Sesame Street clip written by Weidman—the children's show's take on the musical Oklahoma.

View a clip from the musical Assassins, a collaboration between Weidman and Sondheim that resulted from a mutual fascination with the men who have tried to kill U.S. presidents.

You might also like

How AI Is Reshaping Supply Chains

Harvard Kennedy School lecturer on using AI to strengthen supply chains

This Astronomer is Sounding a Warning on ‘Space Junk’

As debris accumulates in low Earth orbit, the danger of destructive collisions continues to rise.

Understanding AI Vulnerabilities

As artificial intelligence capabilities evolve, so too will the tactics used to exploit them. 

Most popular

As Union Protests Continue, Stephen Colbert and Yo-Yo Ma Event at Harvard Cut Short

A conversation between the comedian and the celebrated cellist was interrupted by a fire alarm in Sanders Theatre.

Cancellations, Disruptions as Harvard Graduate Student Strike Enters Second Week

Some faculty complain about the protests’ effect on students.

To Promote Healthy Habits in Patients, Start with the Doctors

Why Harvard Medical School is training physicians to think more like coaches

Explore More From Current Issue

A man with a long beard and formal attire stands next to a chalkboard with an equation.

Two tales of University greats—and an encounter with a Tiger

Illuminated hanging sculptures resembling organic forms, casting warm light in a dim space.

Artists Enzo Camacho and Ami Lien turn a colonial symbol from Cambodia inside out.

Collage of book covers featuring various titles on a vibrant orange background.

These newly released novels, histories, and memoirs grapple with identity in all its forms.