A Little Night Music (1973) This is one of those Sondheim musicals that I have a love/hate relationship with. I hated the movie. I hate the theme of the show. I love the characters. I love the clever lyrics of some of the songs. I love the trio of songs “Now”, “Later” and “Soon.” Brilliant. But not included on the CD. I hate that the song “Send in the Clowns” is both one of the most beautiful songs from a musical yet one of the most annoying due to the fact that everyone and their dog had to sing it back in the 1970s on every freaking variety show that existed (and there were many!) One nice thing about the CD though is we get to hear Sondheim sing a couple songs that were cut from the show and I love that. I love and hate they included “Send in the Clowns” but thankfully it’s the Glynis Johns recording.

The Enclave (1973) More incidental music from a play. Interesting but very 70s, just not my bag, man!

Stavisky (1974) Did anyone actually see this movie? I know I didn’t. I have no clue what it was about. But with this CD we at least get to hear the music from it.

Pacific Overtures (1976) Yep even Sondheim did an Asian-themed show during the 1970s. Not really one of my favorites but admittedly I am not really that familiar with it. There are a couple interesting things included on the CD though, Sondheim playing “Prayers” and “There is No Other Way” on a piano “prepared” to sound like a koto whatever that is. Not exactly pleasant to listen to but it’s rare stuff where Sondheim’s commentary is more interesting than the songs.

I Never Do Anything Twice (1976 The Seven Percent Solution) Another song from a movie but seriously this is one of my most favorite Sondheim songs E V E R! I first heard this song on the Collector’s Sondheim CD (sung by Millicent Martin) and that one is a longer and more entertaining version than the one included here. Shame, really cuz it’s brilliant especially if you have a dirty mind like I do.

Sweeney Todd (1979) My second most favoritest Sondheim musical of all time and in my opinion his most uhm …wickedly delicious! I absolutely love, love, love the original cast of this show, and I’m SO glad this CD has Angela Lansbury and Len Cariou’s version of “A Little Priest.” They also included Patti LuPone and Michael Cerveris’ version of “The Worst Pies in London” which provides an interesting contrast on a whole lot of levels. Yum. If you’re not familiar with this show, for God’s sake get yer grimy paws on a copy of the original Broadway cast video and watch it. Then once yer hooked go rent the recent Tim Burton film version. They’re two totally different approaches to the same show but in my opinion the Broadway cast is superior for a multitude of reasons (the most obvious being the show was written for the stage not the screen.) I do wish they’d included the gloriously beautiful song “Johanna” on this CD though especially since they included “Green Finch and Linnet Bird” since the two songs are really two parts of a duet, in a clever Sondheim kinda way. Oh well, thank goodness for cast recordings and videos hehe.

Reds (1981) I remember when this movie came out, I seem to recall it won a lotta awards and it was about Commies but I don’t think I’ve ever seen it. I didn’t know at the time Sondheim did music for it though or maybe I would have seen it. The theme is kind of pretty in a sweeping epic kinda way though.

Merrily We Roll Along (1982) The backasswards show. I’ve never seen it but I know some of the songs like “Old Friends.” Also included is the beautiful yet tragic “Not a Day Goes By” which is one of Bernadette Peters’ favorites, she does it at most of her concerts. It’s one of those songs that can take on a totally different meaning depending on the approach/subtext the performer uses, which is probably why Bernadette likes it. The version included on the CD is from the original cast recording. One little factoid about this show is it was the Broadway debut of George Costanza erm Jason Alexander before his Seinfeld fame. Nice he went back to Broadway after Seinfeld.

Sunday in the Park with George (1984) This is, by far, my most favorite Sondheim show of all on so many levels. It’s close to flawless musically, I think, and has some of the most beautiful musical subtext of any Sondheim show. It is also exquisitely cast with Mandy Patinkin (I fell in love with his voice with this show) and Bernadette Peters (who I never really knew could sing until this show.) What the show is about is right up my alley, too, with all my personal struggles trying to decide what path in life to take, the creative one or the boring expected one, the secure protected one or the risky lonely one. I watch this show when I need to be inspired. I’m glad they included the perfect “Finishing the Hat” on this CD but I wish they’d included the beautiful “Sunday” as well. It’s truly brilliant. And if you haven’t seen this show you need to. Even if you hate musicals. Especially if you hate musicals.

Into the Woods (1987) I love this show too. It’s the first show I ever saw on Broadway (sans Bernadette Peters, damn her, she left a scant couple weeks before I saw it to do some stupid movie.) It’s the first (and only!) Sondheim show I ever performed in. This is probably Sondheim’s most accessible show. Kids will get it. Adults will get it for totally different reasons. It also has some of the most touching songs in it too, like “Children Will Listen” and “No One is Alone” (not included on this CD.) It also has the hilariously funny “Agony.” This CD also includes songs that were to be in a never-done television production of the show.

Assassins (1990) I bought the cast recording for this show as soon as it came out (it was during my “musical theatre obsession” phase where I had to have the recording for every musical that came out during this time.) At first I hated it. I mean, a show about people who try to kill U.S. Presidents? WTF? I seriously started to think Sondheim had lost his mind at this point. And the music reminded me of that cheesy Disneyana type stuff. Which is sort of the point I guess. But like a lot of Sondheim shows, on subsequent listenings I got more and more out of it. And now the brilliant “The Ballad of Booth” is one of my favorite Sondheim songs.

Dick Tracy (1990) OK I may be the only one but I liked the music from this movie. So much so that I bought the soundtrack (did I mention something about being somewhat obsessed with musicals back around this time? I think I did.) Anyway, this CD contains a rather large selection from the movie, probably because no one saw it and no one knew Sondheim did the music for it, except me. Included are the lovely “What Can You Lose?” a duet between Mandy Patinkin and Madonna. You know that’ll never happen again. There’s other songs too, including a couple I wouldn’t have bothered to put on this CD but then again I’d already heard them before.

Water Under the Bridge (1992 Singing Out Loud) I don’t remember this song. The booklet says it was originally from an unproduced film but that it appeared in “A Celebration at Carnegie Hall” which I of course have. I guess I’ll have to re-watch it. Maybe it was cut from the PBS version or something cuz I seriously don’t remember it. Liza Minnelli with Billy Stritch doing Sondheim you’d think I woulda remembered. Oh well. Senility bah.

Passion (1994) If you’re a regular reader of my blog you already know how I feel about Passion but I do like the song “Happiness.”

Wise Guys Bounce Road Show (2003) The Sondheim show that refuses to die despite being run outta town and changing its name multiple times. Ah, Stevey, let it go in peace. Please. Don’t let this be the last show you do. PLEASE. ‘Nuff said.

Invocation and Instructions to the Audience (The Frogs 1954 erm 2004) Everything old is new again! Ah yes, we have come full circle. This song was included on A Collector’s Sondheim, and I believe it was originally written back when Sondheim was in college or shortly after (I don’t have the CD notes in front of me to check) and then in 2004 Nathan Lane brought the show back to life with a new book.

So there ya go, the review is done. AND it broke my previous record for longest post! Twice! With 1314 and 1513 words for part 1 and part 2, respectively.

OK this is the first part of overly long commentary about the new Sondheim CD set “The Story So Far” cuz I’m bored and I’m listening to it and I am somewhat compulsive about expressing my opinion. Lucky you.

First, after importing all the songs from the four (!) CDs into iTunes, I had to put them in chronological order because that’s how my brain knows the material and I get confused easily in my peri-menopausal old age. So the order in my review isn’t quite the same as on the CDs but it’s pretty close. Mostly I just interspersed CD 4 into the other stuff where it belonged historically.

Just to annoy you I’m gonna do a show by show kinda commentary only some songs I might not comment on because I don’t want to bore you all too much so just ignore the stuff you don’t know/care about. OK, here goes:

I Must Be Dreaming (1948 All That Glitters) OK, not much to say about this except it’s from his college days and I gotta say the boy was quite accomplished even back then.

The Two of You (1952 Kukla, Fran and Ollie TV show) They rejected it, too bad, cuz I used to watch this show as a young kiddie and mighta become a Sondheim fanatic at age 3 instead of age 13 or so. Except I wasn’t born yet when this song was written. Oh well.

Saturday Night (1954) Not really all that impressed, but it’s “lost” stuff, although one of my old CDs had at least one song from this show, but I forget which one and I’m too lazy to dig out the disks to find out. Too bad I wasn’t compulsive when I imported those into iTunes.

They Ask Me Why I Believe in You (1956) From a TV script that never got produced. Bernadette Peters recorded this and it’s on her Sondheim, etc, etc CD but I like Steve’s version better just cuz he’s so cute when he sings his own stuff.

West Side Story (1957) Wow flashback, this was my first Sondheim show, only I didn’t know it at the time. But I loved this show. A lot. This show and Gypsy were my first favorite musicals. And they were both touched by Sondheim. Coincidence? I think not!

Gypsy (1959) The other early fave. As a small kiddie I was dragged to rehearsals of musicals (my divorced mom was a violinist and musicals were easy to play for quick money) and I vividly remember sitting in the empty theater of this show during show rehearsals and watching everyone up there on stage and thinking “Wow, I wish I could do that!” I fell in love with the show and got bitten by the theatre bug all at the same time. And I learned every song and every line by heart and recited them in the car on the way home every night. Much to my mother’s dismay (her personal “favorite” was “You Gotta Have a Gimmick” that I did, complete with hip gestures, which embarrassed her to no end which of course just encouraged me more.) The recording on the CD is from the original Broadway cast featuring The Merm herself (I have the vinyl of this album somewhere too ….)

Invitation to a March (1960) Never heard this before that I know of, it’s kind of pretty, although out of context so it doesn’t make much sense since it’s just cue music.

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1962) My least favorite Sondheim show, although the movie is pretty funny, I had to watch it again in college in my Comic Spirit class which was a class where we “studied” humor (we really just watched funny movies and cartoons, and did a bit of reading from things like “The Decameron” but hey it counted for GE credit and the teacher told dumb jokes only he thought were funny.)

Truly Content (1962 Passionella) Another one with The Master himself singing. Was later part of the show The Apple Tree which in a later revival starred one of my favorite musical theatre performers Kristin Chenoweth. So I guess it’s OK.

Don’t Laugh (1963 Hot Spot) Another one I’ve never heard, from a show I never heard of. I kind of like this song. And it’s sung by Sondheim on the CD. Did I mention he sounds cute when he sings?

Anyone Can Whistle (1964) It’s nice to have yet another recording of some of the songs from this show. I already have the concert version thingie that came out uhm … 10 years or so ago with Bernadette Peters, Angela Lansbury, Madeline Kahn, Scott Bakula and a bunch other great peeps, but I don’t have the original cast album. Maybe I should get it. The show is a bit wacky and hard to follow but it has some great songs, including the title song that I used to use as an audition song.

Do I Hear a Waltz? (1965) Oh man, this stuff is great. A show I’d forgotten about. And a couple of the songs on the CD are previously unreleased songs from the demo recording!

The Mad Show (1966) I swear I remember hearing Linda Lavin singing this song on TV long, long ago. What the hell ever happened to her? She did that TV show Alice and her career died or something. This may be the only recording I ever get of her singing.

Evening Primrose (1966) Who knew Tony Perkins could sing? I like the versions from Mandy Patinkin’s Dress Casual album better, but who knew Tony Perkins could sing? Worth it just for that!

No, Mary Ann (1969 The Thing Of It Is) I don’t like this one much. Steve doesn’t sound cute on this one. And it’s kind of generic in a Sondheimy way.

Another Hundred People (1970 Company) I really like this song, I’m not sure why. It also makes a great audition song if you can pull it off. This recording is from the original cast I think, with Pamela Myers, who, if I’m not mistaken, I saw in the touring production of Sunday in the Park with George (with the original sets and costumes from the Broadway production, so close, yet so very far ….)

The Ladies Who Lunch (1970 Company) Elaine Stritch at her classic best. This is a gotta have it.

Being Alive (1970 Company) This is from one of my top three Sondheim musicals ever. And every time I see it I “get it” more and more (probably because I mature a bit between viewings.) In my opinion probably the deepest show Sondheim’s ever written in regards to his understanding of people. The song “Being Alive” is probably the best song he’s ever written. I’ve heard several performers sing it, both within and out of the context of the show. It’s nice to hear another recording of it. My personal favorite rendition though is Raul Esparza from the recent revival but maybe I should buy the original cast recording too.

Happily Ever After (1970 Company) I like this song, too bad it was cut from the show. I also have another recording of this from the Collector’s Sondheim CD (performed by Craig Lucas) but this one is sung by Sondheim himself.

Follies (1971) This show isn’t one of my favorites but it has some great songs. Most notably the fabulous Elaine Stritch singing Broadway Baby (which I like a whole lot better than the Bernadette Peters’ cutesy version.) Add in other performances from the Follies in Concert recording by Carol Burnett (I’m Still Here) and Barbara Cook (Losing My Mind) and others and it’s a hit. My only complaint is there isn’t anything from the original cast. But maybe it was never recorded? The concert version is a great recording though.

OK I’m gonna end here because I’m tired of typing. Part two later, starting with A Little Night Music. Gads and I’m only halfway through CD 2 ….

I finally got my copy of “The Story So Far” from that store whose name I won’t mention because their online ordering system totally sucks but it starts with a B and ends with an ers but it should start with an F and end the same way. Anyway, I ordered the thing the day after Christmas with a gift card my brother gave me and the morons didn’t tell me it was out of stock and back-ordered until I emailed them oh, two weeks later asking where the hell is the item I ordered. And of course, their website provides no information about it being on back-order, only that it was “in process” well damn, process it already! And of course there was no way to cancel the order online, you have to either call or email them. Which I did already. And told them twice to cancel the damn order and issue a refund so I could buy it cheaper on Amazon. And they said they would, and that they’d issue a new gift card. But they didn’t. Then a week later I got an email saying it had shipped. Bastards. Oh well, they’ll never get any business from me again E V E R. I think I know now why Amazon broke off their affiliation with them.

Anyway, got the CD and just starting to listen to it but so far it’s a nice little nostalgia trip down Sondheim lane. Most of the songs on the set I’ve heard before, but not necessarily these actual recordings of them. Long, long ago, I bought a CD set called “A Collector’s Sondheim” that had a lotta obscure Sondheim stuff that was recorded by other people, but this one has some of the same songs but with their original casts. It’s a drool-fest I’m tellin’ ya. And the little booklet dealie has some brief but interesting historical stuff in there and some notes by The Master himself about some of the cut songs. I wish it had more of that stuff, but maybe someone will write an accompanying book. Yeah I wish. But hey, there’s that old chestnut “Sondheim and Company” I have stashed in a box somewhere that maybe I should drag out and read while listening to the CD.

One little thing I did notice is that among all the little quips about Sondheim from people who’d performed his music, there isn’t one from Bernadette Peters, who, if I’m not mistaken, has probably performed more of his songs than anyone. WTF is up with that? They had to have asked her. But there are some pictures of her, including ones of her looking quite nerdy in her glasses taken in her youthful prime.

No, not a real baby. And no, not a new kitty either. A new toy! I got some money from my parents for the holidays so I spended it on a much-needed new camera. Yes, very soon (as soon as I figure out all the overwhelming features) I shall no longer be posting grainy, blurry low-rez crap-ass pictures on my blog like this one:

Here is a picture of my old camera taken with my new one for size comparison:

One funny cute thing I noticed when taking a picture of the troll with my new camera is the face recognition feature recognized the troll had a “face.” So I guess maybe it might recognize my cat’s face too? Who knows ….

The first one is a picture of my new camera taken with my old (but well loved) 1.3 megapixel Fuji FinePix A101, which I have to admit has served me very well that last oh … 5 … 6 … I forget years. But alas, technology hath thrust onward into the 21st century and bargain-priced last-century markdown models are no longer worthy. Well, OK, I still love my old camera, it’ll be my “emergency” camera, cuz it uses actual batteries, not spiffy over-priced battery packs. And it’s durable because it doesn’t have one of those fragile pop-out lenses I’m gonna have to be real careful not to bork up like my new camera has.

The most bestest news though is this new camera not only takes movies but movies with sound so not only will you all soon be graced with higher-rez cat movies, but you will be able to hear my kitty talk! If I can I’ll try to catch her in “mama” mode for you! To prove that I’m not crazy when I say she speaks English!

Anyway, I’m happy. And I love Amazon who shipped the thing yesterday and I got it today without having to pay for 2 day shipping woot!

Oh, and another holiday prezzie I have on the way is that new Sondheim CD thingie that’s overpriced but a gotta-have for Sondheim freaks, and my brother was generous enough to give me a rather well-endowed Borders gift card, so well I whittled the balance down a bit on that and a few other “needed” things. Hehe. Good thing he didn’t give me an Amazon gift card or I woulda drooled all over the place while buying out my wish list. Maybe next year. ::hint hint::

I just finished watching “Company” on PBS and I’d forgotten how much I love this show. I know it’s one of my most favorite Sondheim shows, and it was my “first” favorite, long before “Sunday in the Park with George” but damn it’s good. I saw a production of it maybe 15 or so years ago, with Patrick Cassidy as Bobby and Carol Burnett as Joanne, but I definitely liked this one better.

I’m still not sure about the whole musical instruments on stage thing (what is it with John Doyle and musical instruments? – He did the same kinda thing with his recent “Sweeney Todd.”) It was distracting at first, but after awhile it sorta almost worked for me. I kept thinking “gimmick” though. But the cast was great, and Raúl Esparza’s “Being Alive” was awesome, even, dare I say, better than Bernadette Peters’ rendition. Of course this time it was in the context of the show, so the impact was greater. In any case it was more powerful than when he did it on the Tony Awards.

One thing I’d forgotten about this show though is how many great songs are in it, true Sondheim songs, from his prime, before he got all weird with his subject matter. This show is full of the kind of songs Sondheim is best at, they don’t need elaborate sets and costumes (in fact too much staging would weaken them I think.) They’re just pure humanity and emotion and angst and pain and love and all the crap that makes us human. They’re about how people go through life putting up walls and living behind facades, desperately hoping they’ll be accepted but frantically trying to avoid being found out, fearing loneliness but afraid of being suffocated. Wonderful songs like “Sorry, Grateful” and “Marry Me a Little” and of course the showstopper “Being Alive.” Which really, is what the show is all about. Being and living. And marriage. Or not.

Oooh, ooh, ooh! The new production of Sondheim’s “Company.” This week on PBS! Check your local listings, here in L.A. on KCET it’s on Saturday night at (cripes) 10pm. Other more lucky viewers get to see it tonight. ::mutters something nasty about KCET:: I wish they’d bring back “American Playhouse” they used to do all kinds of good stuff on that show. But oh well, at least we get some theatre here in this cesspool called Los Angeles.

Oscar noms came out today, and Sweeney Todd wasn’t even nominated for best picture, what a shame. Ah, well. So, to lament, I wrote a little poem:

Sweeney’s furious, flashing blades,
Wielded with amazing grace.
Lovett’s hands and gentle face,
Gristle and bone and mealy paste.
Meaty pies without any waste,
Sondheim and Burton, an aquired taste.

Yes, I know it’s bad, but hey it only took me 2 minutes.

The good news is I’ll be watching the old Sweeney on DVD this week, seems my old videotaped-off-PBS version has gone missing! I know I must have it somewhere, I could have sworn I saw it recently, and I can even picture the little spine label I’d made for it, on a blood-red background even. Oh well. I might just buy the DVD if it’s as good as I remember. And of course I’ll be buying the new updated, non-pervy, dark and gloomy, weakly sang but ever so bloody version when it comes out on DVD.

I’ve got a couple other movies on their way from NetFlix too (drat the holiday, threw off my timing,) Ratatouille and Fast Food Nation, the former, I’ve heard it’s cute (and I love animated films) and the latter, based (loosely) on a book I read years ago.

Oh, and I got and watched Passion (the Sondheim musical) and it was as disappointing as the CD which I’d listened to years ago when the show came out and didn’t buy. Imagine that, a Sondheim CD I didn’t buy! It was a bit too operetta for my taste, and I didn’t really like any of the songs, except Happiness, which Bernadette Peters recorded so I don’t need that one. The story was just a bit too dopey for my taste and it moved so slowly it was tedious to watch. And the acting was only decent.

I just recently fired up my NetFlix subscription again after almost two years (yikes! that long?) And my first movie in the queue was Sondheim’s “Passion,” so I was all excited to get it. So I wait, and wait … it was supposed to be shipped out on Monday … and here it is Thursday, the mail’s already come and it’s still not here? Oh no, maybe it got lost in the mail? Waaah! So I go to look at my queue and wtf? They show it as having already been returned! Hmm … well I guess that’s better than lost (which means you have to wait awhile to make sure it doesn’t show up before they ship out another movie.) So now I’m wondering, did the mailman misdeliver it and the recipient “returned to sender?” Or do I have a Sondheim fanatic neighbor who surreptitiously viewed it, then popped it in the mail, without me suspecting anything? Hmmmm ….

The good news is the “next” movie got shipped out today, so I should get that tomorrow.

I also rented “The Boy From Oz” which is a documentary about Peter Allen which I found while browsing for Bernadette Peters on the NetFlix site (god I’m somewhat obsessed with her lately aren’t I?) It was quite entertaining, and sad too. I’d seen Peter Allen perform once in concert with, you guessed it, Bernadette Peters, back in the 80′s at the Geek, erm Greek theater in Los Angeles; it was my first time seeing either of them live. I’d primarily known him as a song writer rather than a performer prior to that, but I do have to say he was quite energetic, and uhm … lots of sexual innuendo in their show. And I do love sexual innuendo and double entendre. Anyway it’s an interesting biographical documentary. I love biographies, even of people I don’t know, everyone always has things you never knew about them that makes you appreciate who they have become even more.

I also rented “Pan’s Labyrinth” which won an Oscar, but I fell asleep. It was odd and pretty and violent though, the part I actually saw.

I went to see Sweeney Todd today (finally felt well enough to see it, even with compromised hearing, but I was afraid it might not be playing tomorrow seeing as it’s been out awhile.)

All I can say is it’s definitely a different take on the show than the old Broadway production with Angela Lansbury and Len Cariou. Very dark, very bloody. Made me wanna move to the slums of London and eat meat pies. Well, OK not quite.

I did have a couple minor problems with it, one was the singing, Depp did fine in my opinion but Bonham Carter was just too weak, I kept thinking that Bernadette Peters would have been better in the role, why oh why didn’t she get to do it? It woulda been a perfect stretch for her (she never does dark, twisted, demented roles and I’d love to see her do that.) Plus, Helena just looked so much like Bernadette in some scenes (red ringlets, bursting bosom, pallid complexion) it made me think she was a second choice. But maybe they decided Bernadette was too old (or ::gasp:: Bernadette turned the role down, which I truly hope is not the case.) Anyway, Helena just didn’t have the passion and connection to the songs I would have liked to have seen, she’s fantastic in her acting though, as is Depp. And a pleasant surprise was seeing Alan Rickman (Professor Snape from the Potter films) and Sacha Baron Cohen as a wickedly delicious competitor of Todd’s.

The only other problem I had with it was the blood was a wee bit too fake looking, but I’d heard the film was in danger of not getting an R rating, so maybe they had to fake it up a bit. I’d rather have fake and graphic than realistic and implied. This film is definitely not for the kiddies. It was rather fun too watching the reaction (and hearing the gasps) of some of the older women in the audience. That alone was worth the ticket price.

I’ll have to re-watch the original Broadway version now that I’ve seen the movie, and compare. I was gonna do it before I saw the movie but I’m glad I waited. I didn’t want to spoil the surprises, so to speak (it’s been a good 10 years at least since I’ve seen the video of the original Sweeney.)

The best thing though is it was a musical made into a movie, and I love it when that happens. Especially if it combines two of my favorites, Sondheim and Burton. And Johnny Depp ain’t bad either.

Yum! The teaser is out!

For the first time in a long time I’m looking forward to Christmas. This musical is my second favorite Sondheim show and my third favorite musical ever (after Sunday in the Park with George and Les Miserables.) Add in a twist of Johnny Depp, a sprinkle of Tim Burton, and bake it up with the deliciously wicked Helena Bonham-Carter and you should have a tasty treat! Hurray! And the trailer looks like they’re really playing up the sick and twisted aspects of the show, too. It should be interesting, the last version of Sweeney I saw was on PBS in the 80′s with Len Cariou and Angela Lansbury who were both fantastic, but only a little sinister, this new one should be fun!