STAGE TUBE: Stephen Sondheim Explains Why He Writes in SIX BY SONDHEIM Preview

"Everybody has problems. Nobody goes through life unscathed, and I think if you write about those things, you're going to touch people," says Stephen Sondheim in SIX BY SONDHEIM, an intimate and candid look at the life and art of the legendary composer-lyricist. Since his Broadway debut at age 27 as the lyricist for "West Side Story," Sondheim has redefined musical theatre over the course of a six-decade career through such groundbreaking works as "Company," "Sweeney Todd" and "Sunday in the Park with George."

Directed by Tony Award-winner and frequent Sondheim collaborator James Lapine, SIX BY SONDHEIM is a highly personal profile of a great American artist as revealed through the creation and performance of six of his iconic songs. Told primarily in Sondheim's own words, this feature documentary weaves together dozens of interviews with the composer, rarely seen archival material spanning more than half a century (including newly discoveRed Footage of Ethel Merman performing "Gypsy") and re-stagings of three songs produced especially for the film. Executive produced by James Lapine and Frank Rich, the exclusive HBO presentation debuts MONDAY, DEC. 9 (9:00-10:30 p.m. ET/PT). Click below to check out a preview of the documentary.

The re-stagings in SIX BY SONDHEIM showcase performances by Broadway and Hollywood stars such as Audra McDonald ("Porgy and Bess"), Darren Criss ("Glee"), Jeremy Jordan ("Newsies") and America Ferrera ("Ugly Betty"), interspersed with archival performances of Sondheim standards by stars like Bernadette Peters, Mandy Patinkin,Dean Jones, Yvonne De Carlo and Larry Kert. Blending theatrical and rare interview footage with Sondheim's candid anecdotes, the film features the songs "Something's Coming," "Opening Doors," "Send in the Clowns," "I'm Still Here," "Being Alive" and "Sunday."