A revelatory revue examines the work of Sondheim

[April 23, 2010]  NEW YORK (AP) -- There are wonderful moments, some intensely personal, in "Sondheim on Sondheim," the Roundabout Theatre Company's revue celebrating Stephen Sondheim's theatrical career.

But nothing quite tops other cast members sitting quietly on stage and listening to Barbara Cook sing "Send in the Clowns." Cook's exquisite rendition of Sondheim's best-known song demonstrates the essence of musical theater: an expert performer capturing the emotional truth found in a perfect blending of words and music.

And "Sondheim on Sondheim," which opened Thursday at Broadway's Studio 54, reiterates what true Sondheim buffs already know about his work. His songs, while always intellectually nimble, are also straight from the heart, rich in emotion and feeling.

What's new here is that the audience gets to see Sondheim, who turned 80 last month, talk about his music and lyrics -- and himself -- in an equally open manner. James Lapine, who created and directed the show, has peppered the production with video comments from the man. Most of them were recently recorded; a few come from television clips of long-ago programs such as "The Mike Douglas Show."

Lapine, who has worked with Sondheim on such musicals as "Sunday in the Park With George" and "Passion," has cleverly packaged the revue so it doesn't smack of resume theatrics, even though it is filled with details of Sondheim's personal and professional life. The goal, of course, is to entertain, and besides Cook, the production headlines Vanessa Williams and Tom Wopat with assists from Leslie Kritzer, Norm Lewis, Euan Morton, Erin Mackey and Matthew Scott.

It's a diverse cast spanning several generations of musical-theater performers. Some are better served than others, with Cook, Williams and Lewis getting the showiest and most satisfying workouts.

Williams saucily cavorts (and strips) in "Ah, But Underneath," written for the London production of "Follies." Lewis vocally embraces "Being Alive," Sondheim's impassioned hymn to marriage. And Cook remains a wonder. At 82, she has returned to Broadway after too long an absence to deliver a master class in lyric phrasing.

Lapine has chosen more than three dozen songs for the show -- not an easy decision considering the wealth of material. They range from a snippet of the first song a very young Sondheim wrote ("I'll Meet You at the Donut" -- don't ask) to a number, "The Best Thing That Ever Has Happened," from his most recent musical, "Road Show," seen off-Broadway at the Public Theater in 2008.

Among other things, "Sondheim on Sondheim" celebrates craft and collaboration. And just how much hard work goes into writing a musical. Consider Sondheim's reworking of the opening number for "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum," the first Broadway show for which he wrote both music and lyrics. It took three tries to get that opening right, and the inspiration came from Jerome Robbins who pointed the composer in the correct direction.

And then there is the private Sondheim -- much of the new video was shot in his East Side town house and we get a peek at where the creative process starts. Plus some rather extraordinary comments about his parents -- particularly his mother -- with whom he had, at best, a precarious, turbulent relationship.

One of the most moving sections of the show is Sondheim's salute to Oscar Hammerstein II. Hammerstein, the father of a boarding-school chum, became a surrogate dad and mentor during Sondheim's teenage years. "That's essentially how I became songwriter," Sondheim says. "Because, I wanted to do what Oscar did."

At one point during the show, Sondheim refers with evident emotion to Hammerstein, the lyricist for such classics as "Carousel," "Oklahoma!" and "South Pacific," as "a remarkable fellow." The same could be said about the man at center stage in "Sondheim on Sondheim," too.

[Associated Press; By MICHAEL KUCHWARA]

Copyright 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.