Sondheim! The Birthday Concert Explained

Location:Avery Fisher Hall, New York City
Network:PBS
Company:Ellen M. Krass Productions
Camera:Multi-camera
Editor:Gary Bradley
Laura Young
Language:English
Genre:Concert
Country:United States
Runtime:116 mins
Endtheme:"Happy Birthday To You" by Patty and Mildred Hill
Theme Music Composer:Stephen Sondheim
Opentheme:"Organ Prelude" from
Composer:Stephen Sondheim
Presenter:David Hyde Pierce
Director:Lonny Price
Related:

Sondheim! The Birthday Concert was a concert celebrating the 80th birthday of Broadway composer Stephen Sondheim. The concert was directed by Lonny Price and hosted by David Hyde Pierce. The event was performed at Avery Fisher Hall within Lincoln Center in New York City on March 15 and 16 in 2010. The New York Philharmonic accompanied performers including Michael Cerveris, Alexander Gemignani, Joanna Gleason, Patti LuPone, Audra McDonald, Donna Murphy, Mandy Patinkin, Bernadette Peters, Elaine Stritch, and the 2009 Broadway revival cast of West Side Story.[1] [2] [3]

It was broadcast as an episode of Great Performances on PBS on November 16 of the same year.[4] A DVD of the concert was also released.

Performances

In order of appearance

Performer(s)SongShowSignificance
New York Philharmonic"Organ Prelude"
"Birthday Overture"
Karen Olivo and company of 2009 revival of West Side Story"America"West Side StoryOlivo played Anita in the 2009 revival of West Side Story
Alexander Gemignani"Something's Coming"Played John Hinckley in the 2004 revival of Assassins; Beadle Bamford in the 2005 revival of Sweeney Todd; Boatman/Dennis in the 2008 revival of Sunday in the Park with George; Addison Mizner in original off-Broadway production of Road Show
Marin Mazzie and Jason Danieley"We're Gonna Be All Right"Do I Hear a Waltz?Mazzie: Played Clara in the original production of Passion; was a replacement for Rapunzel in the original production of Into the Woods
Victoria Clark"Don't Laugh"Hot SpotPlayed Sally Durant Plummer in two productions of Follies; the Beggar Woman in Sweeney Todd in Concert.[5]
Nathan Gunn"Johanna"Sweeney Todd in a production of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Matt Cavenaugh, Jenn Colella, Laura Osnes and Bobby Steggert"You're Gonna Love Tomorrow/Love Will See Us Through"FolliesCavenaugh: Henrik in the 2000 production of A Little Night Music
Osnes: Beth in the HBO television documentary Six by Sondheim in 2013
"Too Many Mornings"McDonald: Clara in the Live from Lincoln Center production of Passion; Beggar Woman in the Live from the Lincoln Center production of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
John McMartin"The Road You Didn't Take"Benjamin Stone in the original production of Follies; The Mysterious Man/Narrator in the 2002 revival of Into the Woods; Doctor Tambourri in a benefit concert of Passion
Chip Zien and Joanna Gleason"It Takes Two"Into the WoodsZien: The Baker in the original cast of Into the Woods
Gleason: The Baker's Wife in the original cast of Into the Woods
Jim Walton"Growing Up"Merrily We Roll AlongFranklin Shepard in the original cast of Merrily We Roll Along; Anthony in the 1989 Broadway revival of Sweeney Todd[6]
Mandy Patinkin"Finishing the Hat"Sunday in the Park with GeorgePatinkin: Georges Seurat in the original cast of Sunday in the Park With George; Buddy Plummer in a concert production of Follies
Peters: Dot in the original cast of Sunday in the Park With George; the Witch in the original Broadway cast of Into the Woods;[7] Rose Thompson Hovick in the 2003 revival of Gypsy; Desiree Armfeldt in the first Broadway revival of A Little Night Music; Sally Durant Plummer in the 2011 revival of Follies
Mandy Patinkin and Bernadette Peters"Move On"
George Hearn and Michael Cerveris"Pretty Women"Hearn: Sweeney Todd in several productions of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Cerveris: Sweeney Todd in the 2005 Broadway Revival of Sweeney Todd; John Wilkes Booth in the Original Broadway Production of Assassins; Giorgio in the Live from Lincoln Center production of Passion; Wilson Mizner in the 2008 Off-Broadway production of Road Show[8]
LuPone: Mrs. Lovett in the 2005 revival of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street; Joanne in several productions of Company; Fosca in the Lincoln Center concert of Passion;[9] Rose Thompson Hovick in the 2008 revival of Gypsy
George Hearn, Michael Cerveris, and Patti LuPone"A Little Priest"
New York Philharmonic, Blaine Hoven, María Riccetto[10] "Goodbye For Now"Reds
Laura Benanti"So Many People"Saturday NightCinderella in the 2002 revival of Into the Woods; Gypsy Rose Lee in the 2008 revival of Gypsy
"Beautiful Girls"Follies
Patti LuPone"The Ladies Who Lunch"CompanySee above
Marin Mazzie"Losing My Mind"FolliesSee above
Audra McDonald"The Glamorous Life"A Little Night MusicSee above
Donna Murphy"Could I Leave You?"FolliesFosca in the original production of Passion
Bernadette Peters"Not a Day Goes By"Merrily We Roll AlongSee above
Elaine Stritch"I'm Still Here"FolliesJoanne in the original production of Company; Played Hattie Walker in a concert production of Follies
Company"Sunday"Sunday in the Park with George
"Happy Birthday"

References

  1. Gans, Andrew. "Benanti, Gleason, Pierce, Stritch, Walton, Zien Join Philharmonic Sondheim Celebration" . Playbill.com, January 8, 2010
  2. Ross, Blake. "About Last Night: The Stars on Sondheim" . Playbill, March 16, 2010
  3. Gans, Andrew and Hetrick, Adam. "Sondheim! The Birthday Concert DVD, with Patti LuPone and Bernadette Peters, Arrives Nov. 16", Playbill, November 16, 2010, accessed October 31, 2016
  4. Hetrick, Adam."Starry Sondheim: The Birthday Concert Airs on "Great Performances" Nov. 24" . Playbill, November 24, 2010
  5. News: 2002-05-14 . 'Sweeney Todd in Concert' with LuPone & Hearn Arrives on DVD May 14 . . 2022-10-21.
  6. Web site: Sweeney Todd – Broadway Musical – 1989 Revival IBDB . 2022-10-21 . www.ibdb.com.
  7. Web site: Into the Woods – Broadway Musical – Original IBDB . 2022-10-21 . www.ibdb.com.
  8. News: Hetrick . Adam . 2008-12-28 . Sondheim's Road Show Ends Limited Public Theater Run Dec. 28 . . 2022-10-21.
  9. News: Isherwood . Charles . 2005-04-01 . Sondheim on Romantic Love: A Consolation and a Curse . en-US . The New York Times . 2022-10-21 . 0362-4331.
  10. News: Haun . Harry . 2010-03-16 . The Glamorous Life: Stars Come Out for Sondheim at Philharmonic . . 2022-10-21.

External links