Almost exactly forty-nine years after the interview that I embedded a few days ago, on October 13, 2010, Stephen Sondheim spoke to Matthew Cain in Great Britain for a wide ranging chat. He discussed many topics including the difference between the theater scenes in New York and London and his disappointment that musicals now vastly … Continue reading Sondheim in 2010
Theatre
Sondheim in 1961
This is a fascinating video. It was broadcast on Sunday October 15, 1961, but it was recorded a few days before then. It’s a WCBS production, so I don’t think it was ever broadcast nationally, but I really don’t know. Moreover, this is the raw tape with a false start and a do-over. Would commercials … Continue reading Sondheim in 1961
The Ballad of Guiteau
“A story about religion, sex, an assassination, and silverware.” That’s how the August 4th episode of the Criminal podcast is described on their website, and it’s a pretty accurate description. I’d highly recommend it as it serves as an excellent introduction to the video clip that I’m including at the end of this post. I’m … Continue reading The Ballad of Guiteau
Johanna Quartet
The “Johanna Quartet” from Act II of Sweeney Todd or just called “Johanna (Act II Sequence)” from the forthcoming revival album has been released. It features Josh Groban, Ruthie Ann Miles, Jordan Fisher, and Maria Bilbao. Unlike the Original Broadway Cast recording, this one apparently does not include the sound effects of Sweeney dispatching his … Continue reading Johanna Quartet
On Account-a It’s June!
Philadelphia is experiencing something it hasn’t seen in quite a few years. I think it’s called spring. Usually for some reason the winter breezes linger into April and after a week or two of mild weather in May we’re already into summer heat and humidity of mid-80 degree or more highs. Not this year. We’re … Continue reading On Account-a It’s June!
The Practice in Practice
I used to watch The Practice faithfully when it first came on the air back in 1997. It was a David E. Kelley show and it highlighted the conflicts between the strict demands of legal ethics vs. morality and justice. For the first few seasons I thought it was a pretty good show, even though I … Continue reading The Practice in Practice
She Made It Beautiful
The Hollywood Reporter: Barbara Bryne, the British actress who portrayed mothers in the original Broadway productions of Stephen Sondheim’s Sunday in the Park With George and Into the Woods, has died. She was 94.... She played George’s mom alongside Mandy Patinkin in Sunday in the Park With George in 1984-85 — they sang the wistful … Continue reading She Made It Beautiful
A Close Second
If you played the video in the previous post, The Grail Made Me Do It, you got to hear what I think is probably the most famous tune to come out of the classical world, a tune that may well be known to over 90% of folks in the Western World, although most of them … Continue reading A Close Second
The Grail Made Me Do It
Act III of Lohengrin begins with Elsa and her mysterious protector’s wedding night. The King and chorus lead them into the wedding chamber, and when they are finally alone, the two of them launch into a love duet. But soon the knight utters Elsa’s name and she laments that she can’t return the favor. He warns … Continue reading The Grail Made Me Do It
The Forbidden Question
Although Lohengrin can be seen to deal with some weighty philosophical issues, in its simplest form it can be viewed as a fairy tale. Wagner drew upon history and both pagan and Christian mythology in devising his libretto, and there is one historical personage depicted, King Heinrich (Henry the Fowler), who has come to Brabant … Continue reading The Forbidden Question