'Suddenly Sondheim' pays homage to musical legend
BRYAN CARTER, Correspondent
Issue date: 2/26/08 Section: Entertainment
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The selections chosen for "Suddenly Sondheim" exhibited a cross-section exemplifying Sondheim's talents as both a composer and lyricist.
The production was a complex medley of both comedy and drama, containing both deviously humorous subtleties and passionate insights.
The opening number, "The Glamorous Life," shows a famous yet busy actress quickly visiting her house and daughter.
There is much humor seeing the actress' assistants and daughter follow her around hanging on every word, but there is also a very real and sad undertone showing a daughter starved for a mother's love.
During the second number, "Invocation and Instructions," the audience was put on the defensive as an actor played by EdCarlo Arafiles, who added his lyrics to the arrangement, stepped off the stage to musically and very comically convey a few "rules" to remember when watching the show.
"When there's a pause, please, lots of applause, please. And we'd appreciate you turning off your cell phones while we wait ... So please, don't fart - there's very little air and this is art," he said.
In "Getting Married Today," a bride displays her turbulent inner thoughts as she silently implores the wedding attendees to leave because she's doesn't want to get married.
Throughout the ceremony, she continues to assure everyone that she is not getting married because of many humorously depressing reasons.
Other selections are quite poignant, such as "A Boy Like That," where Anita tries to warn Maria about her new love, Tony. Even though Tony killed Maria's brother, Maria can't stop loving him even though he might do away with her love as he did her brother.
Sondheim has won seven Tony Awards, several Grammy's and a Pulitzer prize to date. Sondheim's major works include "West Side Story," "A Little Night Music" and "Sweeney Todd."
Much focus was put on him lately due to the release of the Tim Burton-directed film, "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street."
"Anytime you watch his shows you have to pay attention … there are always innuendos in there," said cast member Ammy Beltran.
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