Sure, the rhymes can be tricky, the lyrics high-speed. There are 68 words delivered in 11 seconds of “Getting Married Today,” alone. But for the pack of fans Stephen Sondheim has amassed over the years, it’s often the emotion — in one song, one melody, one lyric — that got them hooked. We asked his admirers, some of them also his collaborators, to reflect on the songs — with music and/or lyrics by Sondheim — that have stayed in their hearts. Their answers have been edited for clarity.

Audra McDonald, actor

“Move On,” from “Sunday in the Park With George”

George is quite stuck as an artist, and he feels like he’s having a hard time finding inspiration. And the character of Dot comes to him and sings, “Stop worrying where you’re going, move on/ If you can know where you’re going, you’ve gone /Just keep moving on.” It’s absolutely the truth. And the specific lyric that breaks me up every time is, “Anything you do/ Let it come from you/ Then it will be new/ Give us more to see.” That is an artist’s credo. That, to me, is like a Bible verse that I return to over and over.