''Sondheim on Sondheim'' is a musical

revue A revue is a type of multi-act popular theatrical entertainment that combines music, dance, and sketches. The revue has its roots in 19th century popular entertainment and melodrama but grew into a substantial cultural presence of its own dur ...

consisting of music and lyrics written by Stephen Sondheim for his many shows. It is conceived and directed by

James Lapine James Elliot Lapine (born January 10, 1949) is an American stage director, playwright, screenwriter, and librettist. He has won the Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical three times, for ''Into the Woods'', '' Falsettos'', and '' Passion''. He ...

. The revue had a limited run on

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

in 2010.

Background

The revue is based on a show titled ''Moving On'' devised by David Kernan, and produced in 2000 (Kernan also conceived ''

Side By Side By Sondheim ''Side by Side by Sondheim'' is a musical revue featuring the songs of Broadway and film composer Stephen Sondheim. Its title is derived from the song "Side by Side by Side" from '' Company''. History The musical had its origins when David ...

''). ''Moving On'' ran at The Bridwell Theatre, London, for 32 performances from July 19 to August 19, 2000. The show featured some narration recorded by Sondheim; a CD of the show was released but did not include the Sondheim narrations. In 2001, ''Moving On'' premiered in the U.S. at The Laguna Playhouse in California. David Kernan, repeated his roles as conceiver and director. Three Sondheim vets, Teri Ralston ('' Company''), Ann Morrison ('' Merrily We Roll Along'') and David Engel ('' Putting It Together''), led the revue with Christopher Carothers and Tami Tappan also in the cast. Under a new title, ''Opening Doors'', the show had several performances in New York at Carnegie Hall's Zankel Hall in September and October 2004. Lapine conceived a version of the revue in 2008, titled ''Sondheim: a Musical Revue'', to help celebrate the 40th anniversary of

Alliance Theatre The Alliance Theatre is a theater company in Atlanta, Georgia, based at the Alliance Theatre, part of the Robert W. Woodruff Arts Center, and is the winner of the 2007 Regional Theatre Tony Award. The company, originally the Atlanta Municipal T ...

company in

Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,7 ...

. This was structured as a multimedia revue, incorporating "original and archival commentary" from Sondheim. The revue was promoted as taking audience members "to the very heart of Sondheim's life and work." The production was canceled when producers failed to raise sufficient funding to cover expensive and "extensive technical requirements for film and multi-media projection" during a major recession.

Productions

The

Roundabout Theatre The Roundabout Theatre Company is a leading non-profit theatre company based in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, affiliated with the League of Resident Theatres. History The company was founded in 1965 by Gene Feist, Michael Fried and Elizab ...

presented the revue, now titled ''Sondheim on Sondheim'', at its

venue, Studio 54, in a limited engagement. Previews started March 19, 2010, with the official opening on April 22 and closing on June 27, 2010.Jones, Kenneth
"''Sondheim on Sondheim'' Will Star Cook, Kritzer, Lewis, Morton, Scott, Williams and Wopat"
. Playbill.com, December 9, 2009Jones, Kenneth
"''Sondheim on Sondheim'', a New Musical Reflection of a Life in Art, Begins on Broadway"
Playbill.com, March 19, 2010 The original Broadway cast featured

Barbara Cook Barbara Cook (October 25, 1927 – August 8, 2017) was an American actress and singer who first came to prominence in the 1950s as the lead in the original Broadway musicals '' Plain and Fancy'' (1955), ''Candide'' (1956) and ''The Music Man'' ( ...

, Vanessa L. Williams, Leslie Kritzer,

Erin Mackey Erin Ashley Mackey (born June 19, 1986) is an American stage actress and singer, known for playing the role of Glinda in the Chicago, Los Angeles, Broadway, and Second National Tour productions of the musical '' Wicked''. She was also a double i ...

Tom Wopat Thomas Steven Wopat (born September 9, 1951) is an American actor and singer. He first achieved fame as Lucas K. "Luke" Duke on the long-running television action/comedy series ''The Dukes of Hazzard''. Since then, Wopat has worked regularly, ...

Norm Lewis Norm Lewis (born June 2, 1963) is an American actor and singer. He has appeared in Europe, on Broadway, in film, television, recordings and regional theatre. Productions that he has been involved in include ''Dessa Rose'', ''Miss Saigon'', '' T ...

Euan Morton Euan Douglas George Morton (born Iain Middleton on 13 August 1977) is a Scottish actor and singer. He is best known for his role as Boy George in the musical ''Taboo'', receiving nominations for the Laurence Olivier Award and Tony Award for hi ...

and Matthew Scott. Choreography was by Dan Knechtges, music direction and vocal arrangements by David Loud, sets by Beowulf Boritt, costumes by Susan Hilferty, lights by

Ken Billington Ken Billington (born October 29, 1946) is an American lighting designer. He began his career in New York City working as an assistant to Tharon Musser. He was born in White Plains, New York, the son of Kenneth Arthur (an automobile dealer) and ...

and projections by Peter Flaherty.Broadway Listing
ibdb.com, retrieved March 20, 2010 The Australian production of ''Sondheim on Sondheim'', produced by theatre company Squabbalogic opened in October 2014 at Sydney's Seymour Centre. The production starred Blake Erickson, Rob Johnson, Louise Kelly, Debora Krizak, Phillip Lowe, Monique Sallé, Christy Sullivan, and Dean Vince. A concert was presented at the Hollywood Bowl on July 23, 2017. The production was directed by original director James Lapine's niece Sarna, who had recently staged a Broadway revival of '' Sunday in the Park with George'', and was backed by the Los Angeles Philharmonic with conductor

Gustavo Dudamel Gustavo Adolfo Dudamel Ramírez (born 26 January 1981) is a Venezuelan conductor and violinist who is the music director of the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and the Paris Opera. Early life Dudamel was ...

and the Youth Orchestra Los Angeles. The cast featured

Sarah Uriarte Berry Sarah Uriarte Berry is an American actress and singer. Career Berry is a native of California and graduated from UCLA in 1992. She made her Broadway debut as Eponine in ''Les Misérables'' in 1993.Phillip Boykin, Lewis Cleale, Carmen Cusack, Claybourne Elder, Jesse Tyler Ferguson,

Jonathan Groff Jonathan Drew Groff (born March 26, 1985) is an American actor and singer . He began his career on Broadway, rising to prominence for his portrayal of Melchior Gabor in the original production of '' Spring Awakening'' (2006-2008), for which h ...

Ruthie Ann Miles Ruthie Ann Miles (born April 21, 1983) is an American actress, best known for her roles in musical theatre and on television. Off-Broadway, she has played Christmas Eve in ''Avenue Q'' and starred as Imelda Marcos in ''Here Lies Love'', winnin ...

Solea Pfeiffer Solea Pfeiffer is a Zimbabwe-born American actress and singer. She is best known for her role as Eliza Hamilton in the first national tour of ''Hamilton'', which she landed after performing as Maria in ''West Side Story'' at the Hollywood Bowl. ...

, and Vanessa Williams. A limited run was held in San Jose, California from January 18 to February 4, 2018 at 3Below Theaters. This limited run served as the inaugural production of 3Below Theaters and was produced and directed by Scott Guggenheim and Shannon Guggenheim.

Concept

The musical features taped interviews with Sondheim. The songs, including well-known, less-known and cut material, are from nineteen Sondheim shows (including student shows) produced over a 62-year period, including several songs each from ''

West Side Story ''West Side Story'' is a musical conceived by Jerome Robbins with music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and a book by Arthur Laurents. Inspired by William Shakespeare's play '' Romeo and Juliet'', the story is set in the mid ...

'', '' Company'', ''

Follies ''Follies'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and a book by James Goldman. The plot takes place in a crumbling Broadway theater, now scheduled for demolition, previously home to a musical revue (based on the ''Ziegfeld Fol ...

'', '' A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum'', '' Sunday in the Park with George'', '' Merrily We Roll Along'', '' Passion'', and ''

Into the Woods ''Into the Woods'' is a 1987 musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine. The musical intertwines the plots of several Brothers Grimm fairy tales, exploring the consequences of the characters' wishes and quests. T ...

''. Songs from his school years are included. Lapine describes the revue as "a kind of impressionistic view of him that’s put together with pieces of archival footage and interview footage. It’s a collage of his life, in which who he is and how he got there comes in to focus." The show uses about 64 plasma screens.

Musical Numbers

List of shows represented, and songs performed, in the revue: *''By George'' (1946), performed at the George School: "I’ll Meet You at the Donut" *'' Saturday Night'' (1954), unproduced until 1997, book by Julius J. Epstein and Philip G. Epstein: "So Many People" *''

'' (1957), music by Leonard Bernstein, book by Arthur Laurents :" Something's Coming" :"Like Everybody Else" ‡ * ''

Gypsy The Romani (also spelled Romany or Rromani , ), colloquially known as the Roma, are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group, traditionally nomadic itinerants. They live in Europe and Anatolia, and have diaspora populations located worldwide, with sign ...

'' (1959), music by Jule Styne, book by Arthur Laurents: "Smile, Girls" ‡ *''The Frogs'' (1974) ''A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum'' (1962): "Invocation/Forget War" *'' A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum'' (1962), book by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart :"Love Is in the Air" ‡ :"Comedy Tonight" *''

Anyone Can Whistle ''Anyone Can Whistle'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and a book by Arthur Laurents. Described as "a satire on conformity and the insanity of the so-called sane," the show tells a story of an economically depressed town w ...

'' (1964), book by Arthur Laurents: "Anyone Can Whistle" *''

Do I Hear a Waltz? ''Do I Hear a Waltz?'' is a musical with a book by Arthur Laurents, music by Richard Rodgers, and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. It was adapted from Laurents' 1952 play ''The Time of the Cuckoo'', which was the basis for the 1955 film '' Summertime' ...

'' (1965), music by Richard Rodgers, book by Arthur Laurents: "Do I Hear a Waltz?" *''

Evening Primrose ''Oenothera'' is a genus of about 145 species of herbaceous flowering plants native to the Americas. It is the type genus of the family Onagraceae. Common names include evening primrose, suncups, and sundrops. They are not closely related to ...

'' (1966), originally broadcast November 16, 1966; written by John Collier & James Goldman for the television series ''

ABC Stage 67 ''ABC Stage 67'' is the umbrella title for a series of 26 weekly American television shows that included dramas, variety shows, documentaries and original musicals. It premiered on ABC on September 14, 1966, with Murray Schisgal's ''The Love ...

'': "Take Me to the World" *'' Company'' (1970), book by George Furth :"You Could Drive a Person Crazy" :"The Wedding Is Off" ‡ :"Multitudes of Amys" ‡ :"Happily Ever After" ‡ :" Being Alive" :" Company" *''

'' (1971), book by James Goldman :"Ah, But Underneath” (London Production, 1987) :"Waiting for the Girls Upstairs" :"

Losing My Mind "Losing My Mind" is a song written by Stephen Sondheim originally for the 1971 musical ''Follies'' for the character of a former showgirl, Sally Durant Plummer. The song became a popular top ten hit for singer and actress Liza Minnelli in 1989 on ...

" :"In Buddy’s Eyes" *''

A Little Night Music ''A Little Night Music'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by Hugh Wheeler. Inspired by the 1955 Ingmar Bergman film ''Smiles of a Summer Night'', it involves the romantic lives of several couples. Its title is a ...

'' (1973), book by Hugh Wheeler :"My Husband the Pig" ‡ :"Every Day a Little Death" :" Send in the Clowns" :"A Weekend in the Country" *'' Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street'' (1979), book by Hugh Wheeler : "Epiphany" *'' Merrily We Roll Along'' (1981), book by George Furth :"Franklin Shepard, Inc." :"Good Thing Going" :"Now You Know" :"Opening Doors" :"Not a Day Goes By" :"Old Friends" *'' Sunday in the Park with George'' (1984), book by James Lapine :"Finishing the Hat" :"Sunday" :"Beautiful" *''

'' (1987), book by James Lapine :"Children Will Listen" :"Ever After" *'' Assassins'' (1990), book by John Weidman :"Something Just Broke" :"The Gun Song" *'' Passion'' (1994), book by James Lapine :"Fosca’s Entrance (I Read)" :"Is This What You Call Love?" :"Loving You" :"Happiness" *'' Road Show'' (2008), book by John Weidman, formerly titled ''Bounce'' (2003) :"Talent" :"The Best Thing That Ever Has Happened" ‡ Cut from the original production of the show Sondheim wrote a new song for this revue, titled ''God'', a "self-deprecating comic song" sung by the company to open Act 2. List of shows represented, collaborators, songs performed and the actors singing the parts, in order, on the cast album: Act I: "My Name Is Stephen Joshua Sondheim…" ( Stephen Sondheim) : "Invocation"/"Forget War" (from ''The Frogs''/'' A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum'') (1974/1962) ("Sondheim On Sondheim" Company) : "Love Is In The Air" (from ''A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum'') (

, Leslie Kritzer,

Vanessa Williams Vanessa Lynn Williams (born March 18, 1963) is an American singer, actress, and fashion designer. She gained recognition as the first African-American woman to receive the Miss America title when she was crowned Miss America 1984. She resign ...

) : "Comedy Tonight" (from "A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum") ("Sondheim On Sondheim" Company) : "Take Me To The World" (from ''

'') (1966) (Cook) "…Ten Years After I Was Born…" (Sondheim) : "Talent"/"When I Get Famous" (from '' Road Show''/''Climb High'') (2008/1952) ( Matthew Scott, Mackey) : " Something's Coming" (from ''

'') (1957) ( Leonard Bernstein/Sondheim) (Scott,

, Kritzer, Mackey) "…My First Professional Show…" (Sondheim) : "So Many People" (from ''Saturday Night'') (1954) (Williams,

) "…For Many Years,

Hal Prince Harold Smith Prince (born Harold Smith; January 30, 1928 – July 31, 2019), commonly known as Hal Prince, was an American theatre director and producer known for his work in musical theatre. One of the foremost figures in 20th century America ...

…" (Sondheim) : "You Could Drive A Person Crazy" (from '' Company'') (1970) (

, Cook) : "The Wedding Is Off" (from ''Company'') (Mackey, Williams) : "Now You Know" (from '' Merrily We Roll Along'') (1981) (Kritzer, Mackey, Williams, Cook) "…Hal Prince and I Did Six Shows Together…" (Sondheim) : "Franklin Shepard, Inc." (from ''Merrily We Roll Along'') (Morton, Williams, Scott) : "Good Thing Going" (from ''Merrily We Roll Along'') (Williams) "…Sometimes, A Song Changes Its Shape…" (Sondheim) : "Waiting for the Girls Upstairs" (from ''

'') (1971) ("Sondheim On Sondheim" Company) : "The Best Thing That Has Ever Happened" (from ''Road Show'') (Wopat, Williams, Scott, Lewis) "…My First Serious Relationship…" (Sondheim) : "Happiness" (from '' Passion'') (1994) (Mackey, Scott) : "Fosca's Entrance (I Read)" (from ''Passion'') (Cook, Lewis) : "Is This What You Call Love?" (from ''Passion'') (Lewis) : "Loving You" (from ''Passion'') (Cook) Act II: : "God" * ("Sondheim On Sondheim" Company) (*new song written for revue) "…If You Ask Me To Write A Love Song…" (Sondheim) : "Losing My Mind"/"Not A Day Goes By" (from ''Merrily We Roll Along'') (Williams, Cook) "…A Lot Of People Think…" (Sondheim) : "Opening Doors" (from ''Merrily We Roll Along'') (Scott, Morton, Kritzer, Wopat, Cook, Mackey) "…We Had Three Endings To '' Company''…" (Sondheim) : "Multitudes of Amys" (from ''Company'') (Scott) : "Happily Ever After" (from ''Company'') (Wopat) : " Being Alive" (from ''Company'') (Lewis, Morton, Scott, Wopat, Kritzer, Mackey) : "Something Just Broke" (from '' Assassins'') (1990) (Mackey, Morton, Kritzer, Scott, Lewis) : "The Gun Song" (from ''Assassins'') (Wopat, Scott, Morton, Kritzer) "… Jule Styne and I realized with ''

''…" (Sondheim) : "Smile, Girls" (from ''

'') (1959) (Williams, Kritzer, Lewis, Morton) ( Jule Styne, Sondheim) "…I Suppose If There Is One That's Closest…" (Sondheim) : "Finishing The Hat" (from '' Sunday In The Park With George'') (1984) (Wopat) : "Beautiful" (from ''Sunday In The Park With George'') (Cook, Morton) "…I Had A Lot of Trouble With My Mother…" (Sondheim) : "Children Will Listen" (from ''

Into The Woods ''Into the Woods'' is a 1987 musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine. The musical intertwines the plots of several Brothers Grimm fairy tales, exploring the consequences of the characters' wishes and quests. T ...

'') (1987) (Mackey, Morton, Kritzer, Scott, Wopat, Williams) "…To Me, Teaching Is A Sacred Profession…" (Sondheim) : " Send In The Clowns" (from ''

'') (1973) (Cook) "…I've Often Been Asked Why I Don't Write…" (Sondheim) : " Company"/"Old Friends" (from ''Company''/''Merrily We Roll Along'') ("Sondheim On Sondheim" Company) : "Anyone Can Whistle" (from ''

'') (1964) ("Sondheim On Sondheim" Company)

Response

The show met with mixed reviews. Most critics were in agreement that the video footage of Sondheim was the highlight of the show, that the technical aspects of the show were expertly handled and that some performances were good (notably Cook, Williams and the supporting cast). Negative reviewers tended to feel that the show was not as substantial as it could have been, that some material was poorly chosen or ill-matched to the performers, and that some performances were not successful (notably Wopat).

Ben Brantley Benjamin D. Brantley (born October 26, 1954) is an American theater critic, journalist, editor, publisher and writer. He served as the chief theater critic for ''The New York Times'' from 1996 to 2017, and as co-chief theater critic from 2017 to ...

in ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...

'' wrote that the revue is "a genial, multimedia commemorative scrapbook on the life, times and career" of Sondheim, with "a polished and likable eight-member cast."

Recording

The

original cast recording Originality is the aspect of created or invented works that distinguish them from reproductions, clones, forgeries, or substantially derivative works. The modern idea of originality is according to some scholars tied to Romanticism, by a notion t ...

was released on August 31, 2010.Jones, Kennet
"Now You Know": Sondheim on Sondheim, the Two-Disc Album, Gets Aug. 31 Release"
playbill.com, August 31, 2010

Awards and nominations

Original Broadway production

References

External links

Internet Broadway Database listing
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sondheim On Sondheim 2010 musicals Broadway musicals Revues Musicals by Stephen Sondheim Drama Desk Award winners