Customer Reviews

Stephen Sondheim's Putting It Together - A Musical Review [VHS]

5 star:		(33)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I love the fact that Cameron MacKintosh films his stage shows with several cameras at live performances. It's a much more rewording viewing experience than the attempt to recapture the theatre experience in a studio.

Well, MacKintosh put it together once again, and we can all be glad of it! This is one of those very rare theatre treats in a time when theatre is tending to get more and more about less and less. The combination of Stephen Sondheim's music and the talents of the likes of Carol Burnett, George Hearn, Ruthie Henshall, John Barrowman and Bronson Pinchot is really more than a theatre enthusiast dare wish for, but it's all there on this DVD. If that weren't enough, we also get the extra treat of a little on-stage blooper that took place the evening this was filmed, which caused Burnett to literally stop the show. This is added as extra footage, which will have you falling on the floor laughing as it did John Barrowman.

Carol Burnett shines through it all, but will reduce you to tears of laughter with her renditions of "Lovely" from "A Funny Thing Happened..." and "I'm not Getting Married Today" from "Company". That said, she also pulls of some very touching moments, such as "Old Friends" from "Merrily We Roll Along". Hearn's voice is still, despite his age, beautiful and strong. Ruthie Henshall wows you on several occasions, but especially with "More" from "Dick Tracey". John Barrowman, who tends at times to be stiff like a body-buider, overcomes this for the most part, and manages to pull off some difficult dancing and singing with a sweet charm that you would not normally associate with a man built like a football player. The surprise of the evening is Bronson Pinchot in his first musical role. That he is a talented, slapstick comedian is known since he starred in "Blame it on the Bellboy", but who would have thought that he could sing, too! He has the timing and agility of Charley Chaplin with the grace and style of Fred Astaire. Somebody please make this guy a huge star before we all go through menopause!

If you love musical theatre and Stephen Sondheim's music, then this is an absolute "MUST"!

Take the songs of Stephen Sondheim and put them together into a revue format with really no storyline to propel them and you have Putting It Together. Another in a long line of Sondeim Revues. This production is a reworked version of an earlier incarnation that starred Julie Andrews several years back. This time the cast includes Carol Burnett, George Hern, John Barrowman and Ruthie Henshall and Bronson Pinchot.

Burnett and Hearn play an older married couple to Barrowman and Henshall's younger couple intracting at a cocktail party. The two couples sing with each other, with their spouse and solo. Pinchot comments and introduces each section of songs with usually one word like "Love". The songs themselves usually comment on the persons state of mind or observation on that subject and can go from funny to poignant. Each of the leads has their moment the spotlight and each shines brightly. Sondheim has commented that each of his songs is like its own little play and his melodies can be haunting. His words can often be complex and may require multiple listenings to really appreciate what they have to offer. Watch how sometimes the singers words and the music tell two different stories.

It is great to see Burnett return to her roots on stage and Hearn, a veteren of Sondheim musicals, is in fine voice. Barrowman and Henshall are better known for their work in Britian but are great as well. Pinchot can sing and while his in and out of scenes can get annoying, he keeps things moving. The big question I guess is: Who would enjoy this DVD? This is a must have for any diehard Sondheim fan or collector of Broadway Musicals. I think the average viewer might have trouble staying focused after awhile as there is only so much Sondheim a person can digest, especially without a story to connect with. Even this Sondheim fan,who knew all the songs, got distracted after awhile. Burnett fans should beware, this is not the Carol Burnett of her variety series. She is excellent in this but is more reserved than you may be used to seeing

Filmed in front of an audience over several performances, it is nice to see that producers are filming musicals for home viewing. This way many of us can see some great performances and shows that we might not have been able to otherwise. One of the highlights of the DVD is the extra scene where Carol Burnett loses her skirt at the opening of Act 2 during one of the days of filming. Very funny and very Carol Burnett.

From the people who brought you the live taping of Jekyll and Hyde starring David Hasselhoff comes a new live taping. It's Stephen Sondheim's Putting It Together. Every moment is memorable from the moment Bronson Pinchot opens the show by telling us that he's been replaced by Regis Philbin to the End Credits. The musical is about 5 people at a cocktail party. An old couple (played by Broadway legends Carol Burnett, of Annie fame, and George Hearn, who recently did Sweeney Todd in Concert)host the party. The guests are a younger couple (played by John Barrowman and the amazing Ruthie Henshall, who is known for her performance as Fantine in Les Miserables in Concert) and a man who is simply known as the Observer. He shows us what kind of themes are in a show by Sondheim such as Seduction or Happiness. There are a lot of songs from many Sondheim plays and some from the movie, Dick Tracy. Sadly, there is only one song from my ultimate favorite Sondheim musical, Into the Woods. It's playing on Broadway. The only song is Hello Little Girl, which is played as a sexual encounter. Of course, it's being played as a sexual encounter on Broadway as well. There are some songs that were cut from some Sondheim musicals such as My Husband, the Pig, which was cut from A Little Night Music. I noticed that most of the title song, except for the first two verses, had been rewritten. My only complaints are that during the title song, George Hearn's microphone goes out. Now that's an onstage blooper. Plus, they didn't show the Entr'acte. Instead, they jumped right to the first song of the second act. Mind you, this might have all been filmed in one night. It might have possibly been the night that the onstage blooper occured. In case anyone's wondering, the onstage blooper was not Carol Burnett messing up in a song. They had started the second act. Every thing was going fine until Carol Burnett told the conductor to stop. Then, she pulled up her skirt and said, "You know what's about to happen?" Then, she let go of her skirt and it fell to the ground. One of the straps broke. John Barrowman was laughing and yelling, "Please tell me you got that on tape." Your wish came true, Johnny. The onstage blooper also incorporates the lost Entr'acte, which is an instrumental of You Could Drive A Person Crazy. Plus, the role of the Wife has not only been played by Carol Burnett but by her dear friend, Julie Andrews. That was in London. One more thing. Putting It Together is actually the sequel to another Sondheim revue called Side By Side By Sondheim

I was riveted to this production, from Bronson Pinchot's opening number, to a stunning ensemble finale of "Being Alive"...which was beautifully arranged and orchestrated. I'm a big Sondheim fan, and this is an absolute must for anybody who appreciates this musical theatre giant. The DVD is terrific quality, and includes a really funny on-stage blooper, and an interview with Carole Burnett.

The performances were all very good, but Ruthie Henshall and John Barrowman steal the show as the young couple. Both are stunning to watch, and their voices soar. Ruthie shines in "Sooner or Later". John Barrowman sings "Pretty Women", and in a surprising twist, takes the character Sweeney Todd's part, while George Hearn takes the back seat and sings the judges' part. Carole Burnett demonstrates her wicked comedic talent in a slowed-down version of "Getting MArried Today", but also shows dramatic depth in "Could I Leave You?" and "Everyday a Little Death". Vocally, she's not as strong as the other cast members, but it is forgivable. George Hearn and Bronson Pinchot were the weaker links in the production. George Hearn reverted to talk singing too much for my liking, although when he decided to sing properly, he was in fine voice. Bronson Pinchot has less opportunity to shine than the rest of the cast members.

Overall, an excellent DVD, highly recommended.

This is my new favorite DVD. I was lucky enough to see Putting It Together on Broadway (although Pinchot was out that night) and have been waiting eagerly for this DVD ever since. One important note - if you don't like Sondheim, I could see this getting boring easily. However, if you consider Sondheim to be the greatest living writer for musical theater (and maybe even all time) then you can't miss this DVD. The performances are spectacular. Who cares if there's no plot really? When you've got Pinchot's "Buddy's Blues," Hearn's "Good Thing Going," Barrowman's "Marry Me A Little" and Burnett's "Getting Married Today" all in a row, who could be blue? Don't think I forgot about Henshall either - she, for some reason, isn't in that segment (couldn't she have sung "Miller's Son?") but shines earlier with "More" and in my favorite song in the show, "Unworthy of Your Love" with Barrowman. If nothing else, the DVD is worth buying for the blooper -- it is truly hilarious - I wish I was in the audience THAT night! What more can I say? Buy this DVD.

I saw this version of the show when it was in Los Angeles and I fell in love with it. It combined Carol Burnett, John Barrowman, and SONDHEIM! all in one. Sondheim's songs haven't sounded better and it's one of those shows that you can watch anytime. Rather than playing a CD with one of these songs that I want to hear, I just pop in the DVD and go to that number. The cast is incredible! The DVD blooper is hilarious and thank god its in Dolby 5.1 surround sound.! All I need is a state of the art home entertainment center to really appreciate this DVD.

First, let me say that I don't bow at the altar of Sondheim. I find some of his songs incredibly beautiful and others witty but less melodically enjoyable. So, why five stars for this revue? Because the performers are exceptional.

I honestly feel this is Carol Burnett's best performance. I used to believe that it was practically impossible for her to sing seriously, with sincere emotion. It always seemed that she simply placed a serious veneer over her comic persona. But the years have given her the emotional depth to be able to carry off the challenging dramatic weight of the songs she's handed here. Her subtle and well-sung interpretations of "Every Day a Little Death" and "Could I Leave You" hold up against any others.

But that's not all. Let me give equally enthusiastic praise to the two younger performers, John Barrowman and Ruthie Henshall. They are, as others have said here, simply spectacular. They've got it all -- great voices, talent, looks. Both deserve shows of their own.

This DVD is not to be missed. Add it to your collection before it goes out of print.

I looked forward to seeing this production, since I had not been able to see it in NYC. I enjoyed it a lot, especially the performance of Carol Burnett, who I think does some of her best work here. The whole cast does a marvelous job of the material, singing and dancing very well. The blooper is a riot and typical of Carol Burnett's sense of humour. She's a pro all the way and makes the best of something very embarrassing that happens(I won't ruin it for those who haven't seen it). Eric Shaffer, the director, is an acquaintance of mine and I've grown to love his work. He's quickly becomming a major talent among directors and I hope he continues to do good work, such as this.

OK, I'll admit I'm a huge Sondheim fan and was a little tentative about purchasing this DVD...now I'm upset I waited so long.

I must say, the first 2 or 3 songs didn't quite "connect" for me and some of you might feel the same, but wait...after that it truly soars.

The performances are flawless! I expected greatness from Burnett and Hearn (which they delivered), I was not familiar with the two younger performers from England. WOW. You almost want to hate them, because not only are they beautiful in appearance, but are performers of exceptional talent. I'm going to try to find other DVD's and CD's featuring them.

I highly recommend this DVD. It is a musical review and the "light" plot is used only to tie together the songs. Some of the interpretations of Sondheim are new and exciting...others will remind you of classic Sondheim.

Enjoy this DVD. It is well worth it.

Yep, that's right, I was there the night they filmed this production, blooper and all. It was just as funny as it looks, if not more so.

As a fan of the original, Julie Andrews version of this production, I was pleasantly surprised by some of the changes made to the song list and sequence. The stars did a bang-up job. If you've even HEARD of Stephen Sondheim, you should own this DVD.