Sondheim! The Birthday Concert

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Sondheim! The Birthday Concert
GenreConcert
Directed by Lonny Price
Presented by David Hyde Pierce
Theme music composer Stephen Sondheim
Opening theme"Organ Prelude" from Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street
Ending theme"Happy Birthday To You" by Patty and Mildred Hill
ComposerStephen Sondheim
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
Production
Executive producers
Producers
Production locations Avery Fisher Hall, New York City
EditorsGary Bradley
Laura Young
Camera setup Multi-camera
Running time116 mins
Production companyEllen M. Krass Productions
Release
Original network PBS
Original releaseNovember 16, 2010 (2010-11-16)
Related
Take Me to the World: A Sondheim 90th Celebration

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 PetersElaine Stritch, and the 2009 Broadway revival cast of West Side Story . [1] [2] [3]

Contents

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" Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
"Birthday Overture"
Karen Olivo "America" West Side Story Played Anita in the 2009 revival of West Side Story
Company of 2009 revival of West Side Story"Something's Coming"
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 Spot Played Sally Durant Plummer in two productions of Follies; the Beggar Woman in Sweeney Todd in Concert. [5]
Nathan Gunn "Johanna" Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street 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" Follies Cavenaugh: Henrik in the 2000 production of A Little Night Music

Osnes: Beth in the HBO television documentary Six by Sondheim in 2013

Nathan Gunn and Audra McDonald "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 Woods Zien: 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 Along Franklin 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 George Patinkin: 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" Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street 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 Night Cinderella in the 2002 revival of Into the Woods; Gypsy Rose Lee in the 2008 revival of Gypsy
David Hyde Pierce "Beautiful Girls" Follies
Patti LuPone"Ladies Who Lunch" Company See above
Marin Mazzie"Losing My Mind" Follies See above
Audra McDonald"The Glamorous Life" A Little Night Music See above
Donna Murphy "Could I Leave You?" Follies Fosca in the original production of Passion
Bernadette Peters"Not a Day Goes By" Merrily We Roll Along See above
Elaine Stritch "I'm Still Here" Follies Joanne 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"

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References

  1. Gans, Andrew. "Benanti, Gleason, Pierce, Stritch, Walton, Zien Join Philharmonic Sondheim Celebration" Archived August 26, 2013, at the Wayback Machine . Playbill.com, January 8, 2010
  2. Ross, Blake. "About Last Night: The Stars on Sondheim" Archived October 16, 2015, at the Wayback Machine . 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" Archived August 26, 2013, at the Wayback Machine . Playbill, November 24, 2010
  5. "'Sweeney Todd in Concert' with LuPone & Hearn Arrives on DVD May 14". Playbill . 2002-05-14. Retrieved 2022-10-21.
  6. "Sweeney Todd – Broadway Musical – 1989 Revival | IBDB". www.ibdb.com. Retrieved 2022-10-21.
  7. "Into the Woods – Broadway Musical – Original | IBDB". www.ibdb.com. Retrieved 2022-10-21.
  8. Hetrick, Adam (2008-12-28). "Sondheim's Road Show Ends Limited Public Theater Run Dec. 28". Playbill . Retrieved 2022-10-21.
  9. Isherwood, Charles (2005-04-01). "Sondheim on Romantic Love: A Consolation and a Curse". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2022-10-21.
  10. Haun, Harry (2010-03-16). "The Glamorous Life: Stars Come Out for Sondheim at Philharmonic". Playbill . Retrieved 2022-10-21.