musical
Musical is the adjective of music.
Musical may also refer to:
* Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance
* Musical film
Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the Character (arts), charac ...
revue
A revue is a type of multi-act popular theatre, theatrical entertainment that combines music, dance, and sketch comedy, sketches. The revue has its roots in 19th century popular entertainment and melodrama but grew into a substantial cultural pre ...
showcasing the songs of
Stephen Sondheim
Stephen Joshua Sondheim (; March22, 1930November26, 2021) was an American composer and lyricist. Regarded as one of the most important figures in 20th-century musical theater, he is credited with reinventing the American musical. He received Lis ...
. Drawing its title from a song in ''
Sunday in the Park with George
''Sunday in the Park with George'' is a 1984 musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine. It was inspired by the French pointillist painter Georges Seurat's painting '' A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La G ...
'', it was devised by Sondheim and
Julia McKenzie
Julia Kathleen Nancy McKenzie (born 17 February 1941) is an English actress, singer, presenter, and theatre director. She has premièred leading roles written by both Alan Ayckbourn and Stephen Sondheim. On television, she is known for her BAFT ...
. The revue has received several productions, beginning with its premiere in England in 1992, Broadway in 1999 and the West End in 2014.
Production history
Original UK production (1992)
The revue came about due to many requests for an update to '' Side by Side by Sondheim'' (1976). Having resisted a new show, he was finally convinced by producer
Cameron Mackintosh
Sir Cameron Anthony Mackintosh (born 17 October 1946) is a British theatrical producer and theatre owner notable for his association with many commercially successful musicals. At the height of his success in 1990, he was described as being "t ...
, and Julia McKenzie was brought in to assist.
''Putting It Together'' was first performed on January 27, 1992 at the
Old Fire Station Theatre
__NOTOC__
Arts at the Old Fire Station (AOFS) is a charity operating an arts centre, comprising a theatre, gallery, and cafe, in George Street, Oxford, England
England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the U ...
in
Oxford, England
Oxford () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and non-metropolitan district in Oxfordshire, England, of which it is the county town.
The city is home to the University of Oxford, the List of oldest universities in continuou ...
, where it ran for 24 performances. Directed by Julia McKenzie and produced by Cameron Mackintosh, the cast included
Diana Rigg
Dame Enid Diana Elizabeth Rigg (20 July 1938 – 10 September 2020) was an English actress of stage and screen. Her roles include Emma Peel in the TV series ''The Avengers (TV series), The Avengers'' (1965–1968); Countess Tracy Bond, Teresa di ...
Clarke Peters
Peter Clarke (born April 7, 1952), known professionally as Clarke Peters, is an American actor, writer, and director, who has spent much of his adult life in the United Kingdom. He is best known for his roles as Lester Freamon in the television ...
, and
Kit Hesketh-Harvey
Christopher John Hesketh-Harvey (30 April 1957 – 1 February 2023) was a British musical performer, translator, composer, and screenwriter.
Early life
Born in Zomba, Nyasaland (now Malawi), Rhodesia and Nyasaland, into a Foreign Office fam ...
.
Original US production (1993)
The
Manhattan Theatre Club
Manhattan Theatre Club (MTC) is a theatre company located in New York City, affiliated with the League of Resident Theatres. Lynne Meadow has been the company’s Artistic Director and visionary since 1972. Barry Grove joined the company in 19 ...
production opened
Off-Broadway
An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer tha ...
on April 1, 1993 at
New York City Center
New York City Center (previously known as the Mecca Temple, City Center of Music and Drama, and the New York City Center 55th Street Theater) is a performing arts center at 131 West 55th Street (Manhattan), 55th Street between Sixth Avenue, Six ...
, where it ran for 59 performances and 37 previews. It was directed by McKenzie and
choreographed
Choreography is the art of designing sequences of movements of physical bodies (or their depictions) in which motion or form or both are specified. ''Choreography'' may also refer to the design itself. A choreographer creates choreographies thr ...
by
Bob Avian
Robert Avedisian (December 26, 1937 – January 21, 2021), professionally known as Bob Avian, was an American choreographer, theatrical producer and director.
Biography
Born in New York City to an Armenian family in December 1937, Avian spent h ...
Christopher Durang
Christopher Ferdinand Durang (January 2, 1949 – April 2, 2024) was an American playwright known for works of outrageous and often absurd comedy. His work was especially popular in the 1980s, though his career seemed to get a second wind in th ...
Julie Andrews
Dame Julie Andrews (born Julia Elizabeth Wells; 1 October 1935) is an English actress, singer, and author. She has garnered numerous accolades throughout her career spanning over eight decades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Fi ...
, making her return to the New York City stage after an absence of more than 30 years.
The markedly revised revue now had a slight plot: At an all-night, black-tie party in a penthouse. The hosts, an older couple (Andrews and Collins) face their disillusions and marital troubles; a younger, less jaundiced couple (Rupert and York) struggle with their feelings and desires, and a commentator (Durang) oversees and influences the action. The spouses deal with infidelity and divorce but finally reconcile before dawn. A
cast recording
A cast recording is a recording of a stage Musical theatre, musical that is intended to document the songs as they were performed in the show and experienced by the audience. An original cast recording or OCR, as the name implies, features the ...
was released by
RCA Records
RCA Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Group Corporation. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside Columbia Records (its former longtime rival), Arista Records and Epic R ...
.
Broadway production (1999)
A production at the
Mark Taper Forum
The Mark Taper Forum is a 739-seat thrust stage at the Los Angeles Music Center designed by Welton Becket and Associates on the Bunker Hill section of downtown Los Angeles. Named for real estate developer Mark Taper, the Forum, the neighborin ...
(
Los Angeles
Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
) transferred to Broadway the following year, opening November 21, 1999 at the
Ethel Barrymore Theatre
The Ethel Barrymore Theatre is a Broadway theatre, Broadway theater at 243 West 47th Street (Manhattan), 47th Street in the Theater District, Manhattan, Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City, New York, U.S. Opened in 1928, it ...
, where it ran for 101 performances and 22 previews. Directed by Eric D. Schaeffer and choreographed by Bob Avian, the Broadway cast included
Carol Burnett
Carol Creighton Burnett (born April 26, 1933) is an American comedian, actress, singer and writer. Burnett has played dramatic and comedic roles on stage and screen. She has received List of awards and nominations received by Carol Burnett, nu ...
(Wife),
George Hearn
George Hearn (born June 18, 1934) is an American actor and bass-baritone singer, primarily in Broadway musical theatre.
Some of his Broadway credits include Albin in '' La Cage aux Folles'', the title role in '' Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barb ...
(Husband),
Ruthie Henshall
Valentine Ruth Henshall (born 7 March 1967), known professionally as Ruthie Henshall, is an English actress, singer and dancer, known for her work in musical theatre. She began her professional stage career in 1986, before making her West End d ...
(Young Woman),
John Barrowman
John Scot Barrowman MBE (born 11 March 1967) is a Scottish-American actor, author, presenter, singer and comic book writer. He is known for his roles as Captain Jack Harkness in ''Doctor Who'' (2005–2010; 2020–2021) and its spin-off ''Torc ...
(Young Man), and
Bronson Pinchot
Bronson Alcott Pinchot (; born May 20, 1959) is an American actor. He is best known for playing Balki Bartokomous on the American Broadcasting Company, ABC sitcom ''Perfect Strangers (TV series), Perfect Strangers'' (1986–1993). He also perform ...
(Observer).
Kathie Lee Gifford
Kathryn Lee Gifford (Given name, née Epstein; born August 16, 1953) is an American television presenter, singer, songwriter, actress, and author. From 1985 to 2000, she and Regis Philbin hosted the talk show ''Live with Kelly and Mark, Live! wi ...
replaced Burnett at some performances. The production marked the return of Burnett to the Broadway stage after performing in '' Moon Over Buffalo'' in 1995. Hearn was nominated for the
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...
for Best Actor in a Musical.
A video recording of the Broadway production (directed by Don Roy King) was released for television and home media as Putting It Together: Direct from Broadway. The DVD release includes blooper footage of Burnett's skirt falling down during the opening of the second act.
West End production (2014)
The revue received its West End premiere in January 2014 at
St. James Theatre, London
The Other Palace is a theatre in London's Off West End which opened on 18 September 2012 as the St. James Theatre. It features a 312-seat main theatre and a 120-seat studio theatre. It was built on the site of the former Westminster Theatre, ...
with a cast that included
Janie Dee
Janie Dee (born 20 June 1962) is a British actress. She won the Olivier Award for Best Actress, Evening Standard Award and Critics' Circle Theatre Award for Best Actress in a Play, and in New York the Obie and Theatre World Award for Best N ...
Caroline Sheen
Caroline Sheen (born 7 January 1976) is a Welsh actress who has played leading roles on stage in the West End alongside TV and film appearances. She won a Helen Hayes award for playing the role of Mary Poppins on the National Tour of America ...
, and Daniel Crossley. It was directed by Alastair Knights, with choreography by Matthew Rowland and Musical Supervision by Alex Parker. It ran for a strictly limited 3-week run, closing on the 1st February 2014.
Original Ireland production (2015)
The revue received its Irish premiere in December 2015 at
Lyric Theatre, Belfast
The Lyric Theatre, or simply The Lyric, is the principal, full-time producing theatre in Belfast, Northern Ireland. In January 2023 it won The Stage's Theatre of the Year award in recognition of "its programme...as well as for its online festiva ...
with
Fra Fee
Fra Fee (born 20 May 1987) is a Northern Irish actor and singer. He is best known for playing Courfeyrac in Tom Hooper's 2012 film adaptation of ''Les Misérables'', and for his role as Kazi in the Disney+ series ''Hawkeye'', which is set in ...
Act I
*Invocation and Instructions ''(The Frogs)''
*Putting It Together ''(Sunday in the Park with George)''
*Rich and Happy ''(Merrily We Roll Along)''
*Merrily We Roll Along ''(Merrily We Roll Along)''
*Lovely ''(A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum)''
*Everybody Ought to Have a Maid ''(A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum)''
*Sequence:
**Sooner or Later ''(Dick Tracy)''
**I'm Calm ''(A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum)''
**Impossible ''(A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum)''
**Ah, But Underneath ...! ''(Follies - London)''
*Hello Little Girl ''(Into the Woods)''
*My Husband the Pig/ Every Day a Little Death ''(A Little Night Music)''
*Have I Got a Girl for You ''(Company)''
*Pretty Women ''(Sweeney Todd)''
*Now ''(A Little Night Music)''
*Bang! ''(A Little Night Music)''
*Country House ''(Follies - London)''
*Could I Leave You? ''(Follies)''
Act II
*Entr'acte/ Back in Business ''(Dick Tracy)''
*Rich and Happy ''(Merrily We Roll Along)''
*Night Waltzes ''(A Little Night Music-stage and film)''
*Gun Song ''(Assassins)''
*The Miller's Son ''(A Little Night Music)''
*Live Alone and Like It ''(Dick Tracy)''
*Sorry-Grateful ''(Company)''
*Sweet Polly Plunkett ''(Sweeney Todd)''
*I Could Drive a Person Crazy ''(Company)''
*Marry Me a Little ''(Company) ''
*Getting Married Today ''(Company)''
*Being Alive ''(Company)''
*Like It Was ''(Merrily We Roll Along)''
*Old Friends ''(Merrily We Roll Along)''
Broadway production (1999)
Act I
*Invocation and Instructions to the Audience (from ''
The Frogs
''The Frogs'' (; , often abbreviated ''Ran.'' or ''Ra.'') is a comedy written by the Ancient Greek playwright Aristophanes. It was performed at the Lenaia, one of the Festivals of Dionysus in Athens, in 405 BC and received first place.
The pla ...
'') — The Observer
*Putting It Together (from ''
Sunday in the Park with George
''Sunday in the Park with George'' is a 1984 musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine. It was inspired by the French pointillist painter Georges Seurat's painting '' A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La G ...
'') —The Company
*Rich and Happy (from '' Merrily We Roll Along'') — The Company
*Do I Hear a Waltz? (from an abandoned project prior to collaboration with Richard Rodgers) — The Wife, The Husband
*Merrily We Roll Along #1 (from ''Merrily We Roll Along'') — The Observer
*Lovely (from ''
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
''A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart.
Inspired by the farces of the ancient Roman playwright Plautus (254–184 BC), specif ...
'') — The Younger Woman, The Wife
*Hello Little Girl (from ''
Into the Woods
''Into the Woods'' is a 1986 musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine.
The musical intertwines the plots of several Brothers Grimm fairy tales, exploring the consequences of the characters' wishes and quests. T ...
'') — The Husband, The Younger Woman
*My Husband the Pig (from ''
A Little Night Music
''A Little Night Music'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by Hugh Wheeler. Inspired by the 1955 Ingmar Bergman film '' Smiles of a Summer Night'', it involves the romantic lives of several couples. Its title is a ...
'') — The Wife
*Everyday a Little Death (from ''A Little Night Music'') — The Wife, The Younger Woman
*Everybody Ought to Have a Maid (from ''A Funny Thing Happened On The Way to the Forum'') — The Wife, The Observer
*Have I Got a Girl for You (from ''
Company
A company, abbreviated as co., is a Legal personality, legal entity representing an association of legal people, whether Natural person, natural, Juridical person, juridical or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members ...
'') — The Younger Man, The Husband
*Pretty Women (from ''
Sweeney Todd
Sweeney Todd is a fictional character who first appeared as the villain of the penny dreadful serial '' The String of Pearls'' (1846–1847). The original tale became a feature of 19th-century melodrama and London legend. A barber from Fleet St ...
'') — The Younger Man, The Husband
*Sooner or Later (from ''
Dick Tracy
''Dick Tracy'' is an American comic strip featuring Dick Tracy, a tough and intelligent police detective created by Chester Gould. It made its debut on Sunday, October 4, 1931, in the '' Detroit Mirror'', and was distributed by the Chicago T ...
'') — The Younger Woman
*Bang! (from ''A Little Night Music'') — The Younger Man, The Observer, The Younger Woman
*Country House (from ''
Follies
''Follies'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and a book by James Goldman.
The plot centers on a crumbling Broadway theater, now scheduled for demolition, previously home to a musical revue (based on the ''Ziegfeld Follies ...
'') — The Wife, The Husband
*Unworthy of Your Love (from ''
Assassins
An assassin is a person who commits targeted murder.
The origin of the term is the medieval Order of Assassins, a sect of Shia Islam 1090–1275 CE.
Assassin, or variants, may also refer to:
Fictional characters
* Assassin, in the Japanese adult ...
'') — The Younger Man, The Younger Woman
*Merrily We Roll Along #2 (from ''Merrily We Roll Along'') — The Observer
*Could I Leave You? (from ''Follies'') — The Wife
*Rich and Happy (Reprise) — The Company
Act II
*Back in Business (from ''Dick Tracy'') — The Company
*It's Hot Up Here (from ''Sunday in the Park with George'') — The Company
*The Ladies Who Lunch (from ''Company'') — The Wife
*The Road You Didn't Take (from ''Follies'') — The Husband
*Live Alone and Like It (from ''Dick Tracy'') — The Younger Man
*More (from ''Dick Tracy'') — The Younger Woman
*There's Always a Woman (from ''
Anyone Can Whistle
''Anyone Can Whistle'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and a book by Arthur Laurents. Described as "a satire on conformity and the insanity of the so-called sane," the show tells a story of an economically depressed town ...
'') — The Wife, The Younger Woman
*Buddy's Blues (from ''Follies'') — The Observer
*Good Thing Going (from ''Merrily We Roll Along'') — The Husband
*Marry Me a Little ( from ''Company'') — The Younger Man
*Not Getting Married Today (from ''Company'') — The Wife
*Merrily We Roll Along #3 (from ''Merrily We Roll Along'') — The Company
*Being Alive (from ''Company'') — The Company
*Like It Was (from ''Merrily We Roll Along'') — The Wife
*Old Friends (from ''Merrily We Roll Along'') — The Company