By: Maria Esteves - May 23, 2009

The 54th Annual Village Voice OBIE Awards ceremony honoring Off-Broadway and Off-Off-Broadway theater achievements of 2008-2009, co-hosted by Martha Plimpton and Daniel Breaker commenced at the historical Webster Hall ballroom, New York, Monday, May 18, 2009. The OBIES were web cast live on Paltalk.com.

The 54th OBIES honored music composer/lyricist Stephen Sondeim with the Music and Lyrics Award for "Road Show," directed by John Doyle, played Off-Broadway at the Public Theater, New York, in 2008.

Born in New York, March 22, 1930, Stephen Sondeim is a multi-award winning theatrical and film music composer. His Broadway musicals include West Side Story (1957), Gypsy (1959), A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1962), Company (1970), Follies (1971), Pacific Overtures (1976), Sweeney Todd (1979), Sunday in the Park with George (1984) and Into the Woods (1987). Sondheim film scores included Stavisky (1974), Reds (1981) and Dick Tracy (1990). He is winner of an Academy Award, multiple Tony and Grammy Awards.