The Six Degrees of Sondheim

[KathyB]

Big Head Todd and the Monsters were formed at the University of Colorado in 1986.
CU is the alma mater of former Supreme Court Justice Byron ("Whizzer") White.
White was appointed to the Supreme Court by John F. Kennedy.
Kennedy's assassination is a pivotal scene in Assassins.


Bob Barker

[Chris L]

This is a bit lazy, but...

Bob Barker hosted television game shows.
Monty Hall also hosted television game shows.
Monty Hall's daughter is Joanna Gleason...
...who starred in the original Broadway production of Sondheim's Into the Woods.

Walter Cronkite

[Bookman George]

Walter Cronkite was one of the first to break the news of Kennedy's assassination.

'Nuf said.


Aaron Rodgers

[Leighton]

Aaron Rodgers used to date Olivia Munn
Who starred in The Newsroom with Grace Gummer
Who is Meryl Streep's daughter
Who was in Into the Woods

Tim Henman

[MartinG]

Tim Henman went to the Dragon School in Oxford, whose alumni also include...
Tom Hollander, who was at Cambridge with...
Sam Mendes, who directed Assassins at the Donmar, the 1995 revival of Company and the 2003 Gypsy Broadway revival.



Tenzing Norgay

[KathyB]

Tenzing Norgay was named one of Time magazine's 100 Most Influential People of the 20th Century.
Another person on the list (one of the runners-up for Person of the Century, in fact) was Franklin D. Roosevelt.
The attempted assassination of Roosevelt is a scene and song in Assassins.


Charlotte Bronte

[Hester Jean]

Tenzing Norgay was named one of Time magazine's 100 Most Influential People of the 20th Century.
Another person on the list (one of the runners-up for Person of the Century, in fact) was Franklin D. Roosevelt.
The attempted assassination of Roosevelt is a scene and song in Assassins.


Charlotte Bronte

Ha! I thought about taking that path!
Charlotte Bronte wrote "Jane Eyre" which was turned into a musical starring James Barbour as Rochester and Barbour also played Leon Czolgosz is Assassins!
Andy Griffith

[KathyB]

Andy Griffith starred in Matlock.
One of the other actors on Matlock was Kari Lizer.
Lizer created the sitcom The New Adventures of Old Christine, which starred Julia Louis-Dreyfus.
Louis-Dreyfus was in Seinfeld with Jason Alexander.
Alexander was in the original cast of Merrily We Roll Along.



David Beckham

[Leighton]

David Beckham made a cameo in King Arthur: Legend of the Sword
Which starred Charlie Hunnam, who was also in Nicholas Nickleby
With Nathan Lane, who was in Forum

[KathyB]

New name, Leighton?

[Leighton]

Oh bloody hell!

Um .... Guy Fieri!

[KathyB]

Guy Fieri and Rachael Ray both work for the Food Network.
Rachael Ray has a pit bull.
Theodore Roosevelt also had a pit bull.
Theodore Roosevelt succeeded William McKinley as president.
McKinley's assassination by Leon Czolgosz is a scene (and song) in Assassins.


Lupita Nyong'o

[Leighton]

Lupita Nyong'o was in 12 Years a Slave with Bryan Batt
Who was in La Cage with Daniel Davis
Who was in The Frogs (and Gary Beach, who was in Forum)

Guy Fawkes

[KathyB]

Guy Fawkes converted to Catholicism.
The leader of the Catholics is the pope. 
The current pope, Francis, was born in Buenos Aires.
Buenos Aires is the setting for much of Evita.
The original Broadway production of Evita was directed by Harold Prince.
Who has so many Sondheim connections that they'd go down to the middle of the next page if I were to list them.



Mel Tormé

[Chris L]

Mel Torme does a great version of "I Wish I Were in Love Again"...
...which has lyrics by Lorenz Hart...
...whose lyrics Stephen Sondheim can't stand.

Louis C.K.