The Six Degrees of Sondheim

[Chris L]

Elvis Presley was in the movie The Trouble With Girls, with Vincent Price.
Vincent Price was in Edward Scissorhands, which was directed by Tim Burton.
Burton directed the film version of Sweeney Todd.

Robert Redford

[Bobster]

Robert Redford was in The Great Gatsby with Karen Black (thought I was going to use Barbra, didn't ya?).
Karen Black was Philia out of town in A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum until she was fired.




Kim Novak

[Leighton]

Kim Novak was in The Mirror Crack'd with Angela Lansbury
Angela Lansbury was in Sweeney Todd

Mabel Normand

[Vera Charles]

Mabel Normand was played by Janie Dee in the 2006 production of Mack and Mabel.
Janie Dee is playing Phyllis in the National Theatre's production of Follies.


Boris Johnson

[KathyB]

Chuck Schumer is in the Senate with Al Franken
Al Franken worked with Eddie Murphy in Trading Places
Eddie Murphy worked with Anika Noni Rose in Dreamgirls
Anika Noni Rose worked with Tonya Pinkins in Caroline, or Change
Tonya Pinkins worked with Anna Francolini in the London production of Caroline, or Change
Anna Francolini was in Company at the Donmar

(That's fairly convoluted!)

You could knock two steps off of this: Tonya Pinkins was in the original cast of Merrily We Roll Along.


Latest person is Boris Johnson

[KathyB]

This could probably be shortened a few steps, but here goes:

Boris Johnson was mayor of London during the 2012 Olympics...
...Whose opening ceremony was directed by Danny Boyle
...Who directed Trainspotting with Jonny Lee Miller
...Who was also in Melinda and Melinda, directed by Woody Allen
...Who directed Elaine Stritch in September
...who has too many Sondheim connections to name.

[Vera Charles]

This could probably be shortened a few steps, but here goes:

Boris Johnson was mayor of London during the 2012 Olympics...
...Whose opening ceremony was directed by Danny Boyle
...Who directed Trainspotting with Jonny Lee Miller
...Who was also in Melinda and Melinda, directed by Woody Allen
...Who directed Elaine Stritch in September
...who has too many Sondheim connections to name.

This is brilliant, Kathy! My thoughts had gone down the more banal route of a play about Boris Johnson that was produced at the Trafalgar Studios.

[KathyB]

Oh! Next name.

Miley Cyrus

[Vera Charles]

Miley Cyrus played Hannah Montana
Montana Chem is a song in Saturday Night.

(Does this count if the link is not actually a person?)

[Chris L]

Miley Cyrus played Hannah Montana
Montana Chem is a song in Saturday Night.

(Does this count if the link is not actually a person?)

Hmm, that's stretching it a bit. How about this?

Miley Cyrus starred in the show Hannah Montana.
Hannah Montana ran on the Disney Channel.
Disney produced the movie version of Into the Woods.

[Chris L]

Mairi played first, though, so I'll let her pick the next name.

[Vera Charles]

Mairi played first, though, so I'll let her pick the next name.

Thanks, Chris. (I did think about the Disney link, but liked the brevity of Montana Chem!)

Florence Foster Jenkins

[Chris L]

I'm tempted to go the obvious route through Meryl Streep (who played her on film), but we've already used Streep. How about this?

Cole Porter was a dedicated, if amused, fan of Jenkins' work.
Cole Porter loved Sondheim's choice of rhyming "egos" with "amigos."

Dwight D. Eisenhower

[Leighton]

Chuck Schumer is in the Senate with Al Franken
Al Franken worked with Eddie Murphy in Trading Places
Eddie Murphy worked with Anika Noni Rose in Dreamgirls
Anika Noni Rose worked with Tonya Pinkins in Caroline, or Change
Tonya Pinkins worked with Anna Francolini in the London production of Caroline, or Change
Anna Francolini was in Company at the Donmar

(That's fairly convoluted!)

You could knock two steps off of this: Tonya Pinkins was in the original cast of Merrily We Roll Along.


Latest person is Boris Johnson

Oh yes!  Also, Anika Noni Rose worked with Christine Baranski in The Good Wife, and Baranski was in Sweeney Todd. 

Dwight D. Eisenhower

[Leighton]

Dwight D Eisenhower was succeeded as President by JFK
JFK was assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald
Lee Harvey Oswald is a character in Assassins

Salvador Dali