Sondheim! The Birthday Concert | |
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Genre | Concert |
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 |
Composer | Stephen Sondheim |
Country of origin | United States |
Original language | English |
Production | |
Executive producers |
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Producers |
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Production locations | Avery Fisher Hall, New York City |
Editors | Gary Bradley Laura Young |
Camera setup | Multi-camera |
Running time | 116 mins |
Production company | Ellen M. Krass Productions |
Release | |
Original network | PBS |
Original release | November 16, 2010 |
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 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.
In order of appearance
Performer(s) | Song | Show | Significance |
---|---|---|---|
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" | — | — |
Stephen Joshua Sondheim was an American composer and lyricist. Regarded as one of the most important figures in 20th-century musical theater, he is credited for reinventing the American musical. With his frequent collaborations with Hal Prince and James Lapine, Sondheim's Broadway musicals tackled unexpected themes that ranged beyond the genre's traditional subjects, while addressing darker elements of the human experience. His music and lyrics were tinged with complexity, sophistication, and ambivalence about various aspects of life.
Company is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by George Furth. The original 1970 production was nominated for a record-setting 14 Tony Awards, winning six. Company was among the first book musicals to deal with contemporary dating, marriage, and divorce, and is a notable example of a concept musical lacking a linear plot. In a series of vignettes, Company follows bachelor Bobby interacting with his married friends, who throw a party for his 35th birthday.
Bernadette Peters is an American actress, singer, and children's book author. Over a career spanning more than six decades, she has starred in musical theatre, television and film, performed in solo concerts and released recordings. She is a critically acclaimed Broadway performer, having received seven nominations for Tony Awards, winning two, and nine Drama Desk Award nominations, winning three. Four of the Broadway cast albums on which she has starred have won Grammy Awards.
Gypsy: A Musical Fable is a musical with music by Jule Styne, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and a book by Arthur Laurents. It is loosely based on the 1957 memoirs of striptease artist Gypsy Rose Lee, and focuses on her mother, Rose, whose name has become synonymous with "the ultimate show business mother." It follows the dreams and efforts of Rose to raise two daughters to perform onstage and casts an affectionate eye on the hardships of show business life. The character of Louise is based on Lee, and the character of June is based on Lee's sister, the actress June Havoc.
Patti Ann LuPone is an American actress and singer best known for her work in musical theatre. After starting her professional career with The Acting Company in 1972 she soon gained acclaim for her leading performances on the Broadway and West End stage. She has won three Tony Awards, two Olivier Awards, and two Grammy Awards, and was a 2006 inductee to the American Theater Hall of Fame.
Elaine Stritch was an American actress, known for her work on Broadway and later, television. She made her professional stage debut in 1944 and appeared in numerous stage plays, musicals, feature films and television series. Stritch was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame in 1995.
George Hearn is an American actor and singer, primarily in Broadway musical theatre. Some of his roles include Albin in La Cage aux Folles, the title role in Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Max von Mayerling in Sunset Boulevard, Mr. Otto Frank in The Diary of Anne Frank, and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz in Wicked.
Audra Ann McDonald is an American actress and singer. Primarily known for her work on the Broadway stage, she has won six Tony Awards, more performance wins than any other actor, and is the only person to win in all four acting categories. She has performed in musicals, operas, and dramas such as A Moon for the Misbegotten, 110 in the Shade, Carousel, Ragtime, Master Class, and Porgy and Bess. In addition to her six Tony Awards she's received numerous accolades including two Grammy Awards, and an Emmy Award. She was honored with the National Medal of Arts in 2016 from President Barack Obama, and was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame in 2017.
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Lonny Price is an American director, actor, and writer, primarily in theatre. He is perhaps best known for his creation of the role of Charley Kringas in the Broadway musical Merrily We Roll Along and for his New York directing work including Sunset Boulevard, Sweeney Todd, Company, and Sondheim! The Birthday Concert.
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Leigh Ann Larkin is an American actress and singer, best known for her performance as June Havoc in the 2008 Broadway revival of the musical, Gypsy.
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Claybourne Elder is an American actor, singer, and writer who is best known for his work on television and on Broadway.
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