Sondheim on Sondheim


Sondheim on Sondheim is a musical revue consisting of music and lyrics written by Stephen Sondheim for his many shows. It is conceived and directed by James Lapine. The revue had a limited run on Broadway in 2010.

Background

The revue is based on a show titled Moving On devised by David Kernan, and produced in 2000. 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, Ann Morrison and David Engel, 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 iSondheim: aMusical Revue, to help celebrate the 40th anniversary of Alliance Theatre company in Atlanta, Georgia. 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 presented the revue, now titled Sondheim on Sondheim, at its Broadway 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.
The original Broadway cast featured Barbara Cook, Vanessa L. Williams, Leslie Kritzer, Erin Mackey, Tom Wopat, Norm Lewis, Euan Morton 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 and projections by Peter Flaherty.
A Cleveland, Ohio, production opened at PlayhouseSquare on May 16, 2012, and ran until July 8, 2012. The show is produced by the Great Lakes Theater Festival and directed by Victoria Bussert. The 8-member cast includes Equity performers Marie-France Arcilla, Justin Keyes, Pamela Myers, James Penca, Ciara Renée, Brian Sutherland, Destan Owens, and Emily Walton.
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.
The San Diego premiere of Sondheim on Sondheim, produced by Moonlight Stage Productions, was directed and choreographed by original developer of the original Broadway production DJ Gray and musical directed by Elan McMahan. It ran at the Avo Playhouse in Vista, California from February 12 to March 1, 2015. The production featured Jason Webb, Melissa Fernandes, Eric Hellmers, Ashlee Espinosa, Charlie Gange, and Heather Lundstedt, cutting down the original cast of 8 to 6.
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 and the Youth Orchestra Los Angeles. The cast featured Sarah Uriarte Berry, Phillip Boykin, Lewis Cleale, Carmen Cusack, Claybourne Elder, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Jonathan Groff, Ruthie Ann Miles, Solea Pfeiffer, 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 produced over a 62-year period, including several songs each from West Side Story, Company, Follies, 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. 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:
‡ 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…"
"…Ten Years After I Was Born…"
"…My First Professional Show…"
"…For Many Years, Hal Prince…"
"…Hal Prince and I Did Six Shows Together…"
"…Sometimes, A Song Changes Its Shape…"
"…My First Serious Relationship…"
Act II:
"…If You Ask Me To Write A Love Song…"
"…A Lot Of People Think…"
"…We Had Three Endings To Company…"
"…Jule Styne and I realized with Gypsy…"
"…I Suppose If There Is One That's Closest…"
"…I Had A Lot of Trouble With My Mother…"
"…To Me, Teaching Is A Sacred Profession…"
"…I've Often Been Asked Why I Don't Write…"

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. 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.
Ben Brantley in The New York Times 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 was released on August 31, 2010.

Awards and nominations

Original Broadway production