Sondheim's Friends Martin Milnes and Peter E. Jones Launch a Podcast About Him

Loving You: The Untold Sondheim podcast series by Stephen Sondheim’s close friends author, producer, director, and performer Martin Milnes and composer-lyricist and producer Peter E. Jones is available today, March 5, on all streaming platforms.

Hosts Milnes and Jones have spent two years creating the 12-part documentary podcast, which features personal chats with friends, family, and collaborators and the first official recordings of two unknown Sondheim songs, performed by Milnes: “No Sad Songs For Me” and an excerpt from “The Party Of The Stars.” Performances from Sondheim’s list of “Songs I Wish I’d Written (At Least In Part)” are given by West End artists Bruce Graham, Chloe Hopcroft, Lauren Jones, Nic Myers, Kitt Pakapom, and Shane O’Riordan. All musical recordings are produced by Chris Traves, with musical direction by Gareth Valentine, and piano accompaniment by Sam Young.

Each episode explores different aspects of Sondheim’s life, personality, and private passions. It is the first time in over 25 years that Jones has spoken publicly about his romantic relationship with Sondheim, the composer’s first official partnership, and their subsequent decades-long friendship in which Jones worked as his archivist. Milnes bonded with Sondheim over a shared passion for obscure old movies.

Guests on the podcast include Dame Julie Andrews, Jamie Bernstein, Dame Judi Dench, Mia Farrow, Ronan Farrow, Maria Friedman, Adam Guettel, John Kander, James Lapine, Patti LuPone, Maltby & Shire, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Bernadette Peters, Jonathan Tunick, John Weidman, Maury Yeston, Sondheim’s half-brother, Walter E. Sondheim, and BAFTA-winning actor Alistair McGowan, portraying Sondheim in his personal emails to Milnes.

The podcast also features Sondheim original cast members Christine Baranski, Len Cariou, Laurence Guittard, Donna McKechnie, Julia McKenzie, Millicent Martin, Ann Morrison, and Kurt Peterson, as well as creatives Andre Bishop, Ted Chapin, Bill Deamer, Marianne Elliott, and Jeremy Sams.

Also featured are Sondheim’s housekeeper Celsa de Azanza and chef Mary Pat Walsh, with a special cameo from Sondheim’s secretary of 35 years, the late Steven Clar, and all ten of Sondheim’s 1990 Oxford Masterclass protegees–Leslie Arden, Michael Bland, Patrick Dineen, Ed Hardy, Paul James, Stephen Keeling, Paul Leigh, James McConnel, Ben Mason and Denise Wharmby–in their first official interviews about Sondheim’s mentorship.

Additional guests include Frank Rich, Tim Donaghue, Tom Fitzsimmons, Tony winner Elizabeth Seal reuniting with Gary Raymond for the first time since 1958, script supervisor Angela Allen, Broadway press agent Joshua Ellis, and the late Sondra Lee.

Cameos are made by British TV presenter Michael Aspel, child star of 1930s British cinema Hazel Ascot, and actresses Cynthia Morey and Ann Wakefield.

Throughout the series, the music of Stephen Sondheim is played by composer-pianist Colm Molloy, with instrumental tracks provided by Broadway Studio Orchestra. Special musical appearances are made by Steve Ross.

Young Steve is played by Daniel Cane, Young Peter Jones by Eddie Andrews, and Sondheim’s neighbor Katharine Hepburn by Charlotte Page. The repertory company is completed by James Bentham, Samuel Black, Theo Bracey, Simon Butteriss, Jonathan Christopher, Susan Fleet, James Gower-Smith, Nathanael Hodgkiss, Becky Hopcroft, Tom Hopcroft, Taaran Jeram, Jonny-James Kajoba, Jonathan-Bruce King, Mehran James McCullough, Arthur Magee, Jude Peters, Maya Post, Melissa Redman, Rebecca Ridout, Rosanna Roscoe, Sarah Simmons, Harry James-Taylor, Sam Trotman, Yeukayi Ushe, Mitchell Walsh, Victoria Ward, Elen Mon Wayne, and Karsci Wright.