Sing a song of Sondheim (or many)
Welcome to Cheap Seats, where every Thursday we’ll talk to folks behind the scenes of the stage events opening around town, in order to give you a view of the productions beyond the promo materials.
Side By Side By Sondheim: Madison Theatre Guild, May 7-22
Promo pull-quote: “The sophistication, wit, insight, heart, and genius of Broadway's most innovative and influential artist is at the center of this tribute to composer-lyricist Stephen Sondheim. Featuring a talented cast accompanied by two pianos, the concert includes an array of numbers from landmark shows that revolutionized the musical theatre with their masterful craft and astounding creativity: Company, Follies, A Little Night Music, A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum, Anyone Can Whistle, and Pacific Overtures.”
What it’s really about: This year marks Stephen Sondheim’s 80th birthday, and Side By Side is essentially a celebration of his many contributions to musical theater. Twelve performers backed by two pianos convene and, well, sing a bunch of Sondheim’s classics. “There’s some narration that connects the songs together,” says director Wendy Jones-Hill. “But I’ve staged it as a bunch of friends and performers getting together for a kind of birthday party.”
Fun fact: For as much as it seems the genius gene is foisted upon a few rare outliers, sometimes it helps to have good neighbors. One of Sondheim’s closest childhood friends was Jimmy Hammerstein, who just so happened to be the son of Oscar Hammerstein. “When Sondheim was 15, he submitted one of his musicals to Oscar Hammerstein,” Jones-Hill says. “He told him it was the worst thing he’d ever read in his life. But he also told Sondheim he didn’t think he wasn’t talented, just that the play was terrible. Hammerstein became kind of surrogate father to him.”
Best reason to try it: This is a good opportunity to see how the Side By Side performers handle Sondheim’s highly technical tunes. “He’s difficult for anyone who’s performed him,” Jones-Hill says. “The melodies are unpredictable, the notes are difficult, and there are so many words. It’s a huge challenge. I always tell people if you miss one measure, you miss about 200 words.”
