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 (Kernan also conceived Side By Side By Sondheim). Moving On ran at the Bridewell Theatre, London, for 32 performances from July 19 to August 19, 2000.[1] 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.[2]
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.[3][4]
Lapine conceived a version of the revue in 2008, titled Sondheim: a Musical 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."[5] 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.[6]
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.[7][8]
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.[11][12]
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.
In July 2023, the show was revived at its original home of the Bridewell Theatre by London's leading amateur theatre group, Sedos.[14] This was the first time the show has been performed in the venue since it was originally conceived by Kernan in 2000 as well as the first performance of Sondheim on Sondheim in the UK since the composer's death in 2021.[15]
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.[17]
Musical Numbers
List of shows represented, and songs performed, in the revue:[18][19][20]
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"
West Side Story (1957), music by Leonard Bernstein, book by Arthur Laurents
Anyone Can Whistle (1964), book by Arthur Laurents: "Anyone Can Whistle"
Do I Hear a Waltz? (1965), music by Richard Rodgers, book by Arthur Laurents: "Do I Hear a Waltz?"
Evening Primrose (1966), originally broadcast November 16, 1966; written by John Collier & James Goldman for the television series ABC Stage 67: "Take Me to the World"
"…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 Anyone Can Whistle) (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).[22]
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."[23]