Being Alive : The Music of Stephen Sondheim
Stephen Sondheim is adored by music theatre performers with a religious fervour and that devotion was plain to see on the stage of the Hayes Theatre. His timeless lyrics and character driven songs resonate deeply.
A smorgasbord of well known and more obscure Sondheim songs were crafted into an engaging concert presentation. It was beautifully sung, orchestrated with a delightful small on-stage ensemble of clarinet, double bass, cello and keyboard, and moulded together with dramatic lighting and choreography.
Everything doesn’t always come up roses for producers of Stephen Sondheim musicals. His works often lost money on their first outing on Broadway but gain traction decades later. Merry We Roll Along was a commercial flop in 1981 closing after 16 performances – but its revival on Broadway last year following Stephen Sondheim’s passing was a box office smash and scooped the Tony Awards.
The concert was not wholly a compendium of Sondheim’s biggest hits but rather a tapestry of songs selected insightfully by the Director Sonya Suares.
It opened with a playful adaptation of a song from Sondheim’s little known early musical Frogs. Other lesser-known songs from Sunday in the Park with George (“Colour and Light”), Pacific Overtures (“The advantages of floating in the middle of the sea”) and Merrily We Roll Along (“Opening Doors”) followed.
Sondheim’s contribution to the movie Dick Tracy was marked with “Sooner or Later.’
Meaty songs from Into the Woods and Assassins gave the cast a chance to get into deeper character and play with the audience.
A medley of “Send in the Clowns” and “Not While I’m Around” was the musical highlight.
Raphael Wong had a lovely baritone voice which is apt as he doubled on the cello, whilst Lincoln Elliott shone in the higher tenor songs. Blazey Best and Kala Clare completed the quartet with passion.
A delightful journey for aficionados and those who want to experience and learn more about Sondheim’s music.
David Spicer
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