Sondheim on Sondheim

Stephen Sondheim narrating a showcase of his life and work, performed by a talented local ensemble, tantalised Sydney Sondheim fans.

Its promise; a degustation of Sondheim songs, mixed with personal stories and trivia, hosted by the ‘God’ of modern musical theatre from his studio, via pre-recorded video.

For some on opening night, though, one person’s feast was another's Sondheim surfeit. The two chaps next to me were chatting and distracted well before intermission, and didn’t return for the second half. They won’t be alone during the season, I suspect, with this dense serving of Sondheim. But know what you're coming along to see, and the rewards are many.

Sondheim’s charming video narrative holds absolutely no surprises for the aficionados, so for me, it’s the mix of quirky new arrangements and conventional readings of Sondheim songs, performed by a talented cast of eight (Blake Erickson, Rob Johnson, Louise Kelly, Debora Krizak, Phillip Lowe, Monique Sallé, Christy Sullivan and Dean Vince) which delight and surprise.

The video content, while interesting in and of itself, and very informative for Sondheim ‘virgins’ didn’t always mesh with the action as well as one might have wished. It’s both a technical issue, which I feel sure will tighten up, and some odd chronological leaps, which have us tracking backward and forward through Sondheim’s life and career a little disconcertingly at times.

But the songs and the singing are more than enough for we fans. Sure, we know Sondheim had to take three shots at writing an opening number for ‘Forum’, but it’s still fun to hear them end-to-end; you get little flutters from the implications of a medley featuring several cross-gender interpretations in the style of Twisted Broadway; a passage from Sondheim’s dark musical Passion is played absolutely straight, as it must be, while rousing ensembles lift the spirits, with ‘A Weekend in the Country’ an absolute highlight.

Sondheim admits that his one crossover hit ‘Send in the Clowns’ caught him by surprise. And outside the musical theatre fans it may well have been the only recognisable song for most of the audience all night. We get it twice. In Debora Krizak’s straight interpretation it delights, while in a video compilation it provides no end of amusement.

There’s no denying Sondheim on Sondheim is a good Sondheim 101 option for the uninitiated, and if you’re keen to take the course, it’s great opportunity.

Musical Director Hayden Barltrop marshals the small band impressively as they tackle new and tricky arrangements of the already intricate Sondheim songs.

Jay James-Moody’s simple setting of dangling ceiling to floor strings of skewered music manuscript is eye-catching on entry, and effective throughout. His direction displays clear choices for musical numbers, though lack of cohesion between live action and multi-media, and the disjointed chronology blurred the overall vision. How much is the fault of the show’s structure, I wonder?

No costume designer or co-ordinator is listed in the program, and closer attention to detail would lead to a far stronger look, especially in ensemble numbers.

Monique Sallé’s choreography is brisk and lively, with her characteristic share of engaging little twists. Jess Jay-Moody’s excellent sound design ensures that Sondheim’s music and lyrics come across clearly.

While not for all tastes, Sondheim on Sondheim provides ample musical rewards to satisfy the fans, while providing a good introduction to the ‘god’ of modern music theatre for the uninitiated.

Neil Litchfield

Photographer: Michael Francis.