Sondheim on Sondheim Reviews: He’s God, Show’s Disappointing

Stephen Sondheim turned 80 last month, sparking a rash of celebrations, including a new Broadway revue, “Sondheim on Sondheim,” that could be called a docu-musical. It intersperses video of Sondheim interviews with songs from a variety of his shows sung by an eight-member cast that features fellow octogenarian Barbara Cook, Vanessa Williams (who began her career as Miss America, and recently ended her stint as the villainness in “Ugly Betty”) and Tom Wopat (who began his career in “The Dukes of Hazzard”).
There is one new Sondheim song, whose lyrics include:

“You have to have something to believe in/
Something to appropriate, emulate, overrate/
Might as well be Stephen, or to use his nickname: God!”

The song is called “God,” which is Sondheim’s sardonic take on the way he is viewed by his musical theater fans.

Reviews were mixed. Most were disappointed. Here are a few excerpts:

Frank Scheck, Hollywood Reporter an intriguing but misconceived hodgepodge of musical revue and video documentary.This is the sort of Broadway show that seems designed to include pledge breaks

Ben Brantley, New York Times
this somewhat jittery production never quite finds a sustained tone, a natural rhythm or even a logical sense of sequence.
It does, however, have a polished and likable eight-member cast (that includes Tom Wopat, Vanessa Williams and the great Barbara Cook); a savory selection of Sondheim material that never made it to Broadway as well as canonic standards; and heaping spoonfuls of insider dope about the creation of shows like “Company” and “Follies”

Robert Feldberg, Star-Ledger
The show isn’t bad, and there are lovely and fascinating moments, but the whole thing is cumbersome and unfocused. If creator-director James Lapine had made different decisions, it could have been a delightful evening.
This is at least the third major revue of Stephen Sondheim’s songs, following “Side By Side By Sondheim,” which debuted 34 years ago, and “Putting It Together.”
This one is different, however: Sondheim is in the room, via filmed segments in which he discusses his life and work.
His appearances are the best part of the production, and one of its major problems is that there aren’t enough of them.
Except for the ageless Barbara Cook, whose voice, at 82, is remarkable (her performance of “Send in the Clowns” is one of the theater season’s musical highlights), the cast is unexceptional.

Joe Dziemianowicz, Daily News “Sondheim on Sondheim,” a multimedia musical portrait, seesaws between exuberant highs and bewildering lows. It makes for a fascinating and frustrating experience. Conceived and directed by frequent collaborator James Lapine, the production covers six decades and 20 shows

Michael Kuchwara, Associated Press …nothing quite tops other cast members sitting quietly on stage and listening to Barbara Cook sing “Send in the Clowns.” Cook’s exquisite rendition of Sondheim’s best-known song demonstrates the essence of musical theater: an expert performer capturing the emotional truth found in a perfect blending of words and music.

Elisabeth Vincentelli, New York Post Thank God for Stephen Sondheim. Not just for his songs, but for his running commentary, which punctuates the new revue “Sondheim on Sondheim” at regular intervals.
Funny, informative, occasionally self-deprecating and often deeply touching, his insights — shown on moving video screens — have more life than the wan performances onstage.
Indeed, even with such skilled interpreters as Barbara Cook and Vanessa Williams on board, the numbers flatline. The visuals are theater, the music is glorified cabaret.

John Simon Bloomberg News
“Sondheim on Sondheim,” the revue put together by James Lapine from Stephen Sondheim’s songs, confirms enchantingly what we already know but can gladly bear such eloquent repeating of: that Sondheim is the best composer- lyricist we’ve got.

Charles McNulty, L.A. Times His latest salute is a peculiar hybrid, part video documentary, part elegantly mounted revue. But basically, it’s an entertainment for hard-core Sondheim fanatics who would rather hear the Ethel Merman song that was cut from “Gypsy” than the classic numbers that remain. If you’re a connoisseur of the more obscure reaches of the catalog and thrill at the prospect of getting a behind-the-scenes tour of the music by the master himself, this is the show for you.

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J. Kubier

There are some pretty great reviews here. To call the majority opinion “disappointing” is a stretch. Some love, some disappointed is more accurate. Was that your feeling of the show? If so, say so.
blando

For the most part, the first act was t-o-o-o slow and almost painful with the exception of Barbara Cook; the production was saved by a much livelier 2nd act that took off with the Cook-Vanessa Williams duet. Tom Wopat had some good moments, too, and despite her 47 years, Williams looked great, especially when she stripped down to do a song and dance.

There was much about Sondheim that many of us casual fans of his did not know; we did know he learned at the knee of Oscar Hammerstein. We didn’t know it was because of being a neighbor, not how close the relationship was. While he’s still writing some excting stuff, the song selection was most disappointing, although several entries were carry-overs from the original “Side by Side With Sondheim” of three decades ago. We wish there had there been more: i.e., the “Boy From Ipanena,” “Broadway Baby.”

The cast was uniformaly likeable but Cook stands out as our favorite; she was in great voice, a crystal-clear voice who knows how to do a Sondheim lyric. Her “Send in the Clowns” in Act 2 was heartfelt and magnificent.

Despite the shortcomings in the first act, we are planning on re-seeing the show, primarily for the 2nd act.
http://www.culturemob.com Jonathan Mandell

I’ve not yet seen the show. Of the eight that I excerpt (and link to), I’d say six express disappointment. In fact, here is the beginning of Robert Feldberg’s review verbatim:
“Sometimes, you need to search for the right adjective to describe a show. I didn’t have that problem, though, with “Sondheim on Sondheim,” which opened Thursday night at Studio 54. The word ‘disappointing’ firmly stuck in my head.”
http://thefastertimes.com/newyorktheater/2010/04/26/week-in-new-york-theater-tweets-21/ Green Day, Sondheim, Bacharach Back on Broadway. Bard Birthday Bashing. Week in New York Theater Tweets 21 | New York Theater

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