Customer Reviews

Sunday in the Park With George (2006 London Revival Cast)

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

If you're reading this, the key question you're probably asking yourself is, "Is it worth getting this if I already own the original cast album?" The answer is yes. Not only is this disc enjoyable on it's own, but the differences between the recordings make the OCR more interesting when you return to it.

One of the interesting things about the album is the accents. As was the case in the original production, although Act 1 takes place in France, nobody uses a French accent. Because this is an English production, the actors use English accents for Act one, then switch to American accents for Act two (which takes place in America.) This adds a nice layer of contrast between the two time periods of the show. More importantly, the use of accents to convey class and stature brings a whole new dimension to the show. The contrast between George's crisp tones and Dot's light cockney accent help illuminate the relationship between them.

The only shortcoming on this disc is "Putting it Together," which never feels as nimble as it should be. On the flip side, the vocal harmonies throughout the album are wonderfully recorded. Songs like Sunday feel richer than they did before and, in the two leads soar in the climactic moment when Sondheim finally has them sing in harmony.

All told, this is yet another exquisitely recorded and packaged album from PS Classics, the label that seems to be the go-to guys for Sondheim recordings. It's no wonder--the production quality on this and other discs is every bit on par with the quality of Sondheim's scores.

If you haven't seen or heard the show before and you're wondering if you should invest in any version of the show, I would also recommend giving Sunday a listen. It may take time for the score to grow on you, but in the end this is one of Sondheim's most accessible scores (right behind Sweeney Todd and Into the Woods.) You might want to buy the 2006 recording and the DVD of the original Broadway cast to enjoy the best of both worlds. That way you can enjoy the wonderful staging on the DVD and also get the benefit of having the more complete recording of the score (which features generous helpings of dialogue and, as a bonus track, the full version of a clever song that was trimmed down to a small snippet while the show was being work shopped.)

When I heard this show was being recorded again, I had my doubts. In my mind, nothing could top the 1984 recording of Patinkin and Peters in this groundbreaking musical, one of my favorite musicals (and cast recordings) of all time. And of course, so many times that a London Sondheim recording is made, it just sounds like a cheesey and/or overdone: Follies, Company, the 1978 Night Music, Pacific Overtures to name a few (only the 1994 RSC Night Music stands out as a superb recording).

But the Brits have produced a new CD that is aurally STUNNING. The (reduced) orchestra sounds great, the singers bring new colors and interpretations to every line, and in addition, their musicianship is unequalled, rhythms and stacatti and punctuated, pianos and fortes are thrilling... the score comes to life in a way that I have never heard it before.

There is a great deal of dialogue recording as well, which is almost vital for a show where music and text are so tightly bound. At first, hearing these French personages talk and sing in various UK accents is jarring and sounds wrong, but then you realize that on Broadway, no one spoke in a french accent either. The accents in the London version turn out to have a great effect, drawing lines between the varied classes presented on stage.

I won't dissect the entire CD, because it will only delay you from purchasing it! Buy it now...you won't regret it!

I first became familiar with Sunday in the Park from the Original Broadway Cast Recording. It is my favorite, and consider as the best (together with Sweeney Todd). It is indeed nice to revisit Sunday with this version. Here is the comparison:

(1) Arrangement and orchestration: It will be like comparing apples and oranges. If you go for a fuller orchestration, go with the broadway cast. It is very nimble, and quick. However, if you go for intimacy, definitely go with this one. As oppose to sweeney, where the material is calling for a fuller sound, a small group of musicians works very well. The use of solo instruments to highlight some phrases and ideas is very good. Especially on some very intimate songs like "We do not belong together" and move on. Also, the chorus acts like an orchestra. Very good

(2) Dot: Bernadette Peters is very good in the original cast. It would indeed be very intimidating for any actress to play Dot, much more preserve her version with B Peters' version still out there. Still, Dot here is very good and tackled here solos differently. Also, the delivery of the lines is clearer (B Peters sometimes is difficult to understand), the accent is crisp and very appropriate. the Dot here is very good.

(3) George: It is still Mandy Patinkin. the confidence, confusion, of George was portrayed very well by Patinkin. He created a very distinct George. Very precise. In this version, george is sometimes drowned out by his "creation" , especially in the o season. In the original cast, Patinkin is in control. So, his confusion and attempt to still maintain order is more heartfelt.

(4) Chorus: This one is better. the original cast in a way relied too much on the orchestra. here, it is more of vocal work. Very good. Accents are definitely much better .

(5) Pacing: the additional lines are very much welcome...It will definitely help those who were not able to see the video understand the show (especially the lyrics of "Lesson #8).

Quite wonderful, to my surprise. I say "to my surprise" not because, as many of my friends have said, the memory of Mandy and Bernadette is so strong. (My memory of them is very good, but not so strong that it doesn't allow for other interpretations.) I was mostly surprised how splendid this recording is because I've seen several London casts take on Sondheim shows, and have generally been unimpressed. (Some of the productions have been downright dreadful.) But this cast is strong, the orchestrations are lovely and restrained, and the flow of the CD itself is beautiful. You get not only a good sense of the strengths of the show, but of the merits of this new production, which seems to prize George's relationship to Dot and Marie and his mother as much as it does George's relationship to his art. When Daniel Evans sings, "George misses Marie," you believe it, and when Jenna Russell tells him later that he gave her "so much" (with a perceptible, audible ache in her voice), you believe her. And later still, when the great Gay Soper (whom I saw do Side by Side many moons ago) asks, "Has it changed much?", you really find yourself awaiting George's response. I could list a couple of things I don't like ("We Do Not Belong" sounds a little restrained, the Chromolume a little cheeky), but I finished the recording thinking, "I'd like to see this production."

This is the cast album to the acclaimed 2005 Menier Chocolate Factory production of Sondheim's SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE, and features a highly-talented cast bringing back to thrilling life one of Sondheim's most personal works, the tale of a man who cannot give himself totally to the woman he loves because of a commitment to art. The original Menier production was widely-acclaimed and transferred to London's West End this year.

The story takes what little is known of the life of Parisian artist Georges Seurat and weaves it into a story of life, loss and coming to know yourself. The first act follows George (played by Daniel Evans) as he paints the legendary "Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte". His mistress and model Dot (Jenna Russell) attempts to pursue a relationship with George that goes beyond art. She is rejected and leaves for America with another man (and George's baby).

The second act of the show opens with George's great-grandson (again played by Evans), who's an artist struggling with his own inspiration. Dot's daughter Marie (also played by Russell) gently guides his hand, but it's only when George returns to the scene of his great-grandfather's masterwork that the past comes to reconcile with the future.

Of all Stephen Sondheim's scores, SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE is one of the most rewarding. Just as the story follows painter Georges Seurat as he paints the masterpiece "Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte", so too the music takes on the fragmented quality that reflects the frenetic, pointillism style of painting which Seurat pioneered.

Daniel Evans gives a fresh youth and vitality to George. For all those who were left cold by Mandy Patinkin (the role's originator on Broadway in 1984) with all his mannerisms and odd vocal techniques, having the role sung so pristinely and straight-forward is a real plus.

A lot of people have been quite unfair to Jenna Russell, playing the dual roles of Dot and Marie. It must be noted that at the time of this recording, Russell had not yet performed these roles onstage (she was a replacement for Anna-Jane Casey who had starred in the original Menier run), so she must be forgiven for having a lesser grasp on the material. Nevertheless, in the first act, she's a dynamic and feisty force as Dot, particularly "Everybody Loves Louis" and the wrenching "We Do Not Belong Together". For the role of Marie, Russell adopts a lilting Southern accent which works very well.

The supporting cast is first-rate; in particular Gay Soper shines as George's senile mother, and Liza Sadovy is a revelation playing the repressed Yvonne. The orchestrations are crisp and clean, further enhancing the pointillism motif that runs throughout the score.

[PS Classics/Image Entertainment 640]

The 1985 cast recording of this show was alot shorter but made better by stronger acting and sheer brilliance. This recording at least makes more of the show available on CD but since there is a DVD out -- that is not really much of an issue.

I have a feeling this show really needs to be seen rather than heard. Most of the performances are strangely robotic -- thinking more George than Dot. While Mandy Patinkin brought forth the inner demons and drive of the artist -- here it is more of a bland read-through rather than a heartfelt performance.

The ensemble and music are brilliant though and it is worth getting if you are a true fan. Just don't expect to throw your previous recording in the trash.

I've loved the original Broadway cast of "Sunday In The Park With George" for years but I must confess that's it's wonderful to hear Sondheim's score (and a good deal of Lapine's book) performed by this English cast. The acting/singing is more nuanced that the Broadway company - no vocal straining by Bernadette Peters; no self-indulgent, over-the-top hamminess by Mandy Patinkin. The score comes to new and brilliant life without the familiar vocal caricatures of Peters and Patinkin. I know, it sounds like heresy! There's also something to be said about hearing this particular musical with "English accents". Class distinction is instantly recognizable and adds a whole other layer to our American ears.

I'm as much a purist as the next musical theater afficianado and cringe at orchestral reductions and "rethinkings" but this time around it is skillfully handled lending appropriate fullness and intimacy as dictated by the score. Particular attention should paid to the remarkable engineering/mixing.

It is a treat to hear Sondheim's words and music deliverd with such care and passion. I usually don't care for English cast recordings but this is my one exception.

I have to agree with everything said in the earlier review. However just wanted to say that Jenna Russell is using a Lancashire accent for Dot. Which is several hundred miles away from London:-) That said its very effective and the more northern, earthy tones is a great contrast.

Reasons to Buy this Album:

The Leads: Daniel Evans and Jenna Russell are both Olivier Award-winning/nominated actors. They act beautifully on this CD, and have wonderful singing voices. Love or loathe their Broadway counterparts Mandy Patinkin and Bernadette Peters, these two are less mannered, less "showbiz" and more "real".

The Supporting Cast: Gay Soper, Alasdair Harvey, Simon Green, Mark McKerracher, Liza Sadovy. You would usually find these people headlining in musicals, rather than playing small parts. You NEVER get supporting talent of this quality. Extraordinary. The younger actors are equally good, and boast some exceptional voices.

The Bonus Track: This witty song has not been heard since 1983. It is not some creaky old archive recording of Steve singing his own stuff. Rather, it is brilliantly sung by the actors themselves, who had built up a rapport during the length of the run. The lyrics are charming.

The New Orchestrations: Amazing. Sondheim once said, "It seems right to me that [the score to] Sunday in the Park with George is very spare. And that seems right, because look at what Seurat did - the score echoes the subject." It was always intended as a chamber piece, and the eight musicians on this album sound perfect. Yet the overall sound is not that different to the big orchestra of the Broadway CD. Everyone should be happy.

The CD Itself: PS Classics have done their usual incredible job. The Broadway album was let down by poor sound quality. Here, it sounds as if the singers are in the same room as you. You can hear every harmony, and as a result the big choral numbers like "Sunday" have never sounded richer. And the design! The booklet! The sleeve notes! The photographs! This is a beautiful item that should please every music theatre aficionado.

The Downside? Putting It Together could have been a little faster... Er... That's it.

I had hoped that a few things would happen regarding the score for this production. One was that more musicians would be hired for the recording. That didn't happen. Then I really hoped (and rather expected) that more musicians would be hired for the Roundabout Broadway revival. That, sadly, did not happen either.

Perhaps I'm unfairly comparing this production to the original, which I grew up on, but to my ear this recording sounds thin and the orchestra sounds lifeless. A shame, considering the extreme passion of the performers. But, even there, I feel that the tinny quality of the orchestra negatively affects the performances, as well. The supporting cast is good in Act One and intolerable in Act Two. The very deliberate American accents (most of them an odd combination of Southern and Western, despite the fact that this portion takes place in Chicago) are simply embarrassing, and get in the way of the performances.

Jenna Russell is a stunning Dot and possibly (probably) the only person who could make me actually forget Bernadette Peters' performance for the time being. Daniel Evans, while very impressive, is a little too effusive for the "cold" George of Act One. While this may have been a tactic to prove that he is not, in fact, a cold artist, one can't quite seem to understand, based on Evans' performance, why others would consider him to be cold. However, his performance in the second act finally meets Jenna Russell's.

It's a shame that these two performances should be captured in such a shoddy recording.