Word: sondheims
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: all
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
...revivals are indeed something familiar: Rodgers and Hammerstein's King opened in 1951, Stephen Sondheim's Forum in 1962; both works were made into popular films and have been previously exhumed on Broadway. So why revive these now classic shows...
...revival, you come in humming the score. Sondheim's famous opening tune for Forum--Comedy Tonight--is brilliantly refreshed by director Jerry Zaks into a circus of Technicolor bawdry. He parades all the fine, low comedians and, for a hilarious moment, some tragedians too. Like Zaks' revival of Guys and Dolls, this Forum is a celebration of shtick. If a gag was ever funny, from Plautus' time to ours, he'll spit on it and spin it until you have to laugh unashamedly...
...VARIOUS ARTISTS Color and Light: Jazz Sketches on Sondheim (Sony Classical). High-energy Broadway show music meets low-key cool jazz on this sleek, satisfying album, as such top performers as bassist Christian McBride and trumpeter Terence Blanchard sensuously redefine and rejuvenate the work of Broadway composer Stephen Sondheim...
Even haters of Sondheim will still appreciate "Company's" talented cast. The singing and orchestration are almost uniformly good. Even a corny number like "Sorry-Grateful" holds up with the help of fine singing from Peter Friedland, Doug Rand and Jason Mills as David, Harry and Peter...
...Robert stands by, hidden in the shadows. The abrupt ending seems suprisingly insubstantial, resisting clear answers or profound revelations. Still, in an age where the ponderous pseudo-drama of "Les Mis" still packs the house most nights in New York (and, terrifyingly, in London, and Dallas, and Des Moines...), Sondheim provides a welcome respite. The HDRC's witty turn does him justice...