Recently, a friend/fellow theatre nerd and I got to talking about how underrated Stephen Sondheim is. It sounds strange to say that about someone who’s had over fifty years of success composing music and lyrics for the stage, as well as writing stories for movies and television. But like Woody Allen, Sondheim has been around for so long, a lot of us have grown accustomed to his presence in the industry and lost track of just how singular his voice was when he came on the scene. Of course, there are many people who couldn’t tell you who the guy is, but how their faces light up when they recall the tunes he crafted should tell you something about his impact. But after years of contributing to chronicles of theatre history, the man himself has finally become the focus of his own documentary, HBO’s Six by Sondheim. Through archived interviews and new performances of some of his most personal songs, the film paints a warm and fascinating portrait of Sondheim, just another kid from Manhattan who nevertheless grew up to touch the world.

Stephen Sondheim was destined for the stage. As a child, his love for theatre was fostered by lyricist Oscar Hammerstein II, whose blunt advice was all that little “Stevie” required to make a name for himself in the business. Following his early fame by putting words to the memorable soundtrack of West Side Story, Sondheim’s career took off in a huge way, resulting in decades of shows that benefited from the careful attention he paid each of his melodies. There’s a hardly a song in his catalogue into which he didn’t put a little piece of himself, and as you probably gathered from the film’s title, it’s the origins of six such works that get put under the microscope here. From Merrily We Roll Along’s “Opening Doors” to A Little Night Music’s smash “Send in the Clowns,” each selection represents a special chapter in Sondheim’s life, with updated renditions from Jarvis Cocker, America Ferrera, and others showing how strongly he resonates with audiences even today.

Having thought six hours was barely enough time for Broadway: The American Musical to chip at the Great White Way’s history, imagine my consternation at Six by Sondheim ending just short of 90 minutes. Not only is the debt owed to him by so much of modern theatre immense, the tale of how he got there to start with involves a richly dramatic journey of its own. But I suppose the mark of a good movie is an ending that leaves you wanting more, and Six by Sondheim fits the bill, whetting your appetite for its subject and leaving you with the desire to look up where else his travels have taken him. The doco’s structure seems pretty basic, but it works, with Sondheim commenting on how each presented piece was drawn from personal experience. He talks about “Opening Doors” being inspired by his days as a fledgling songsmith, “I’m Still Here” from Follies coming from wanting to give actress Yvonne DeCarlo a bigger number, and so on. Who knows how the filmmakers settled on this line-up or why they stopped at just six, but you still get the feeling that every note in the man’s songbook has a story behind it.

The one thing about Six by Sondheim I wasn’t so keen on was the addition of the newly-filmed, star-studded musical interludes. For starters, not every song gets one, and since the footage shot during some of their original recordings is so good, the ones that do only distract you when performers like Audra McDonald are brought on to belt out their takes. Not that some of the numbers aren’t fun to watch (Sondheim himself even gets in on the action with “Opening Doors”), but watching history unfold is such a pleasure, the added celebrity factor isn’t really needed. Thankfully, these scenes don’t detract that much from the meat of the picture, which shows Sondheim recalling his life and times in his own words, with said commentary drawn from a few decades worth of interviews. He’s as genuine when sharing his surprise at the success he’s met as while discussing his failures, emerging as a storyteller whose every word comes across as one you can’t help but gravitate towards.

In-depth enough to satisfy theatre buffs but plenty palatable for those not in the know, Six by Sondheim intimately approaches a figure who’s about as big as it gets in his field of work. It may only scratch the surface, but the information and anecdotes are assembled with an undeniable sense of love and admiration. Legends are hard to come by these days, so accounts like Six by Sondheim -- passionate without becoming puff pieces -- are even more scarce.

(Six by Sondheim is available to purchase through the Warner Archive Collection: http://www.warnerachive.com)