Customer Reviews

Simply Sondheim: A 75th Birthday Salute

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This 2-CD set is a revelation. At first I hesitated buying it because I was familiar with only a few of the performers: Lisa Vroman ("Phantom," "Sweeney Todd in Concert on PBS"), Amy Dondy (the "Maria Callas of cabaret") and the fabulous Kelly Ground (the original Fantine in the Nat.Tour of "Les Miz"). Much to my surprise, the performers were uniformly fabulous. The unique song choices, the great performances and the incredible energy onstage and in the audience made me sorry I wasn't there. It must have been quite a night. I was able to see some clips from the show itself on Youtube (is there a DVD in the making?),and I'm hoping to see it come to Broadway.

The recent Broadway offering of "Sweeney Todd," set the tone for a sudden trend in Sondheim productions, and this CD right here is at the forefront of that movement---call it "stripped down Sondheim," if you will. However, stripped down doesn't mean it isn't utterly lively, bubbly, engaging and masterfully sung---it just means that there is not an overblown orchestra to drown out the enthusiasm and skill of these dedicated singers. This one-time 75th birthday salute to Sondheim was produced in San Francisco at the end of 2005, but was only recently released. Thank goodness that this special night was captured in all its glory, with stellar performances by Lisa Vroman of "Phantom," Judy Butterfield (a hot new cabaret artist---keep an eye on that gal), and some of San Francisco's best musical theatre talent. While listening to it, I find myself charmed, yet wistful---the down side is the fact that this ensemble performed the show only once. One hopes these folks will assemble again in the future---till then, get this CD. The full-color booklet is full of photos of the show, and it's as much of a collector's item as the CD is. With the help of the photos, the music, and the seemingly charmed & happy audience, this package can transport one into fantasyland---it's easy to imagine being there, having a great time. This is definitely a must for every Stephen Sondheim fan.

An enjoyable album. Some less familiar songs, and different performances of well known songs. A welcome addition to my Sondheim music collection.

This is a CD for someone who saw the show. Given the fact that Sondheim has been my favorite composer since I first heard the LP for Company in 1970 (I was 13), this seemed like a necessary purchase. My mistake.