Stars on Sondheim: Elizabeth Stanley on the Time Sondheim Asked Her to 'Be a Little Bit Stoned'

March 22 marks Stephen Sondheim's 90th birthday. It's impossible to state the great contribution and influences this titan of the stage has made to musical theater, but we're taking a stab at it by reaching out to some stars who have appeared in his many shows to share their personal experiences.

Elizabeth Stanley is on Broadway this season playing Mary Jane in Jagged Little Pill, but back in 2006, she made her Broadway debut in a revival in Company, the George Furth-Stephen Sondheim musical. That Tony-winning revival, directed by John Doyle, had actors playing their own musical instruments. (Stanley, who had the role of April in the show, played the oboe, tuba and alto sax.) Stanley also starred in Sondheim and Furth's Merrily We Roll Along at New York City Center in 2012. Here, Stanley recalls the best acting note Sondheim gave her, and which Sondheim role she would love to play in the future.

Tell us something about Sondheim that we probably don’t know.  
He hosted a beautiful party for our Company cast, plus John Doyle and George Furth, at his home in Turtle Bay the day after we opened Company. To this day, it’s one of the best nights of my life. I’ll never forget it. Ever. The night ended with a few of us on his terrace overlooking the shared gardens of the neighborhood. It was purely magical.

Describe your first meeting with Sondheim.  
He came to see our production of Company at the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park [during its pre-Broadway tryout]. I remember he came out to the bar with John Doyle and all of the cast after the performance. I desperately wanted a picture with him, but I was afraid to speak to him, and far too embarrassed to ask for a picture. Instead I have a ridiculous photo of me leaning backwards nearly off my bar stool so that I could seem near him (he was sitting at the next table).

Tell us about a note you received from Sondheim that you’ll never forget. 
After seeing the show in Cincinnati, we had a notes session with him the next morning. He gave very few notes, but one of them was for me. (Raúl Esparza, who played Bobby, assured me this was a good thing!) Sondheim told me to make April "a little bit stoned." It was the most fun note to take and was so drastically subtle in shaping my entire energy with that character.

Which Sondheim role would you love to tackle, whether you’re appropriate or not? 
George in Sunday in the Park with George. Well, and Dot. Both!

What’s your desert island Sondheim cast recording? 
Into the Woods. I mean, it’s impossible to choose, but as I am answering this, that's the flavor of the day.

Which Sondheim production do you wish you had seen?  
The original Sweeney Todd! I mean, Angela Lansbury—yes, please! That cast, that score, the thrill of it all!