That Time Stephen Sondheim Told Trey Parker He Voted for ‘Team America’ as Best Picture

The late Stephen Sondheim told Trey Parker — co-creator of “South Park” and “The Book of Mormon” along with Matt Stone — that he voted for Parker and Stone’s “Team America” World Police” as best picture, encouraging Parker after the 2004 film wasn’t even nominated.

The official “Book of Mormon” Twitter account posted a photo of the letter, captioned “Inspired by the greatest.”

Dated Feb. 17, 2005, the letter starts, “Dear Trey Parker — I would have written you sooner, but I’ve had trouble finding your address. I hope this reaches you, because it’s another fan letter.”

“I saw “Team America” and voted for it as the best movie of the year (a fat lot of good it did you),” the letter continues. “I gather from friends to whom I’ve burbled on about it that it was treated rottenly by the critics and that you are much discouraged. I can’t blame you, but then again this is the time of discouragement. In any event, congratulations to you and your partner [Matt Stone].”

“Would you ever be interested in writing a stage musical with an old traditionalist, namely me?” Sondheim asks at the end of his letter.

“The Book of Mormon” hit its 10th anniversary this year. Written by Matt Stone, Trey Parker and Robert Lopez, the musical premiered on March 24, 2011.

Stone’s and Parker’s animated cartoon series “South Park” also famously parodied Sondheim. The episode shows Sondheim and Randy ‘bro-ing down,’ circling each other in a parking lot challenging each other to a fight.

“What makes you the bro-thority bro?” Randy asks Sondheim, who is wearing a Pittsburgh Steelers jersey. Sondheim then starts listing all the musicals he’s written.

“‘West Side Story,’ bro!” he shouts, along with “‘Sweeney Todd’ bro! ‘Merrily We Roll Along,’ bro!”

The late great lyricist was known for many more works, including the musical “Into the Woods,” which eventually earned Sondheim a Pulitzer Prize and was also remade into a 2014 film.

Sondheim passed away the day after Thanksgiving 2021. He was 91.