Customer Reviews

Sunday in the Park With George [VHS]

5 star:		(58)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

"But it's warm inside his eyes ... and it's soft inside his eyes ..." Some say Sondheim is cerebral and sophisticated. However, I am always very moved by SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE. I especially find the first act to be the best part of the show. And Sondheim constantly warms my heart with his lyrics and beautiful music.

The production of the video of the show is very good. Lapine gets some good shots, even though it's basically a taped version of a Broadway show. The editing in spots is very good.

Bernadette Peters, a favorite performer of mine, is not in very good voice for the taping. I think I've read that she was having vocal problems at the time. Some dubbing is apparent in spots. Mr. Patinkin is very subdued and subtle in his performance.

The DVD is a preferable way to watch this show due to its extra audio track of Sondheim, Lapine, Peters and Patinkin reminiscing about it. There are some great stories told by the group. Mr. Sondheim sheds some light on the earlier drafts of songs and scenes.

Remember, this show won the Pulitzer Prize! It is not an "Oklahoma" kind of musical -- it's very artsy and concerns a difficult man obsessed with his art. But it is so sweet and clever. Like Seurat's famous painting that the musical is based on, the stellar talent behind the show blend together to produce a truly luminescent experience.

'Beautiful does not...'

This is more than a pretty play. There is a significance, sophistication and depth in this musical that goes well beyond what you would expect. Every time I have had the opportunity to catch this musical on HBO or PBS I have taken it - it has been well worth seeking out.

This story is a complete work of fiction that centres around the life of the painter. It's not really about the painter, or about the painting. It's about art. It's about the art of making art. It's about the search for significance and meaning to our lives. It's about connecting with the world around you. It's about living life for all it's worth, with all you've got, and not settling for the mediocre or second-best. It's about standing back from the dots that make up our lives and looking how it all fits together, allowing the perspective (or lack) fall into its proper place.

This DVD is worth obtaining for two reasons. First, you WILL want to watch this over and over, and review it from time to time. Because you have changed between viewings, the play will say different things to you. Second is the commentary with James Lapine who wrote the libretto, Stephen Sondheim who scored the music, and Mandy Patinkin and Bernadette Peters. There are times where the commentary goes completely quiet, which is sometimes confusing (I would have preferred if they spoke through the whole thing, and I can't tell if the recording equipment failed to record some parts, or if they were really silent. This is a minor complaint, and I'm still very happy to have this DVD.)

I have recommended this movie to many friends, of different backgrounds, and with a few exceptions most have come away with many reasons (often different from my own) as to why they enjoyed and were touched by the play.

As someone who did not see the original production of SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE, I am more grateful for this film of the stage play than I can possibly express. Although both Bernadette Peters and Mandy Patinkin have both enjoyed fine careers in film and television in addition to their stage work, their best work has been on stage, and by the nature of the medium, it has been more or less lost to us. This performance captures them doing what they do best. It is ironic that with the semi-rebirth of the film musical in recent years, there has been no attempt to do so with Patinkin, the premiere musical stage performer of the past thirty years. Here he is a marvel, crafting songs with vocals stylings of an inconceivable range.

Sondheim's score is a thing of glory. Unlike many previous composers, Sondheim was concerned with making each song an organic part of the work as a whole. They don't stand alone, but absolutely require their setting in the rest of the musical. It is as if Sondheim wanted to make it impossible for any of them to be excerpted. Yet, each one is utterly remarkable, stamped with the highest possible craft and talent. What sets Sondheim's art apart from his fellow composers is the brilliance of his arrangements. He clearly has invested as much effort in arranging the music as he has in crafting the lyrics and writing the initial music. The arrangements are so hypnotic that at times I actually had to listen twice to a couple of musical numbers because I realized that I had failed to listen to the lyrics. The effect of the brilliant songs, the extraordinary performances, and the astonishing arrangements is absolutely breathtaking.

The cast is beyond reproach, with numerous stellar performances beyond those by Patinkin and Peters. Barbara Byrne, Dana Ivey, Charles Kimbrough, and many others perform their roles to perfection. Interestingly, shortly after the run of the musical was over, two of the cast members went on to major television stardom: Charles Kimbrough stood out as Jim Dial in MURPHY BROWN while Brent Spiner created one of the most beloved characters in television history as Data in STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION.

In general, I have a low opinion of the stage musical. Most of them are more glitter and surface than substance, with superficially appealing music. SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE, however, is one of the grand exceptions. The word "genius" is thrown around far too often, but it can be applied here with no impropriety.

In the theatre SUNDAY baffled some, and enthralled others. The TV version (taped the week after the show closed in the Booth theatre where it played for 604 performances) is a beautiful transfer from stage to(small)screen.

The sensitive performances, the delicate orchestrations, Tony Staiges Tony Award winning scenery, James Lapine's Pulitzer prize winning writing and Stephen Sondheim's deceptively beautiful score all combine to make this something very special.

Perhaps a little too special: SUNDAY lost the 1984 Tony award to LA CAGE AUX FOLLES - an enjoyable yet conventional musical comedy (HELLO DOLLY! in drag) - and most of the initial reviews were unfavourable. But the show had its supporters and continued to attract audiences and even some of the critics who disliked the show at first later reversed or at least "clarified" their opinions.

Truth be told, SUNDAY is a rich piece and it is just not possible to penetrate all its layers in a single vieweing.

The DVD allows viewers a chance to study, to consider, and yes, even question both the show and the painting that inspired it. Is that really a baby carriage? Why a monkey? How is the flower in the hat made to have such a shimmering violet color?

The show contains sequences that do not in any way resemble standard musical theatre: The long number "The Day off" or even more startling, "It's Hot Up Here!" are in no way "standard" showtunes in 4/4 time. If anything, it is actually more like a chamber opera, but then labels are irrelevant.

SUNDAY tells a tale of artistic creation. The artist makes many sacrifices in his quest to "finish the hat." This DVD makes the case exceptionally well, with a fascinating commentary by Sondheim, Lapine, Peters and Patinkin. Yes, Mandy is a hyper person and he does try to dominate the proceedings but Sondheim corrects him on some facts -politely but firmly - and in spite of it all you sense that all four look back on their time creating the show as a very special time in their lives and remain enormously proud of their accomplishment.

I can't watch this DVD without crying. The story is incredibly compelling - I would think even more so to someone who is passionate about creativity and who loves art, musical theatre and exceptional writing.

This Pulitzer Prize winning play is a love story on many different levels.

It is about love for art, love for the product one is creating, love for the moment.

It is about making wrongs right, about coming full circle.

It is about the choices we make and the long lasting and far reaching ramifications of those choices.

Like someone said in an earlier review, this is not anything like "Oklahoma!"

Bernadette Peters is incredible, Mandy Patinkin is passionate - at some points his face takes on such an enraptured quality I forget he ISN'T 19th Century George. I also enjoyed seeing the actor who played "Jim" on "Murphy Brown" as Jules, haughty art critic.

Secondly, the commentary provided by James Lapine (writer, director), Stephen Sondheim, (music and lyrics) and Peters and Patinkin is like getting an inside peek at the process they went through to bring this play to the stage.

I found myself yelling at Sondheim one time, though - as he interrupted right as Peters asked Lapine an especially wonderful question about Barbara Bryne's portrayal of George's mother and Sondheim spoke right over her.

I literally screamed at the TV set.

I couldn't help myself - I played the role in a local production and said to the Director "James Lapine must have an interesting relationship with his mother, he writes such interesting mother roles."

This is a DVD you should watch over and over and over to capture the many nuances and subtleties. And if you are a passionate artist, be sure to have Kleenex handy. You will recognize yourself in the story.

This play is hard to review--because there's so much going on.

When I was in High School, my Theatre teacher (who I'll leave anonymous, as I haven't asked his permission to use his name) had us study this piece in extreme depth. He had us write our own stories for the painting, and then had us read through the first act and say how we'd write the second. Then he had us go through in excruciating detail and start picking out the nitty-gritty of what was in the script. GOOD LORD--there's more there than should rightfully fit in something twice as long. I fell in love with the work before we were even half finished. And I still keep finding more stuff in the script. That's why I won't review what's in the musical--I'm not up to it, especially in under 1000 words.

Instead, there's the performances. The music is nearly flawless, with stunning performances. My favorite moment is the haunting "Finishing the Hat," although the Painting resolving and Dot's changing the bustle to an unborn baby are both stunning.

Then there's the second act, which transcends mere moments. Bernadette shows every little bit of her talent in her dual role, and the supporting cast hardly disturbs the atmosphere. One of the few videos I've ever gotten deeply involved in. Easily five stars.

What amazes me most about this production is that it is intensely visual at the same time it is phenomenal to listen to. Both the music and the images support the story and recreate George Seurat's famous painting. Very little is known about Seurat's life, so this biographical piece takes great liberties. But it is a stunning show.

As George creates his work, the audience is introduced to the figures in the painting. Young girls, soldiers, servants, nurses, mothers and artists are developed as characters before coming together for the final tableau. At this point, a screen with the painting drops in front of the stage, showing how perfectly the scene was recreated.

The emotional theme of the show is the story between George (Mandy Patinkin, fabulous as always), who is obsessed with his work, and Dot (Bernadette Peters), his often-ignored lover. The pair truly love eachother, but George's work and his inability to express his feelings get in the way. "Finishing the Hat" and "Move On" are two songs/scenes that beautifully show the characters emotions. The actors come back when the show flips to modern day -- as a new artist named George and his grandmother Marie (the child of Dot and the original George). And the younger George learns new lessons from the failures of Dot and the older George.

Musically and lyrically, Sondheim perfectly captures the emotions of the characters and the painting itself. "Red, red, red, red, red, red, orange, red, red, orange..." George sings while he works. The staccato words and music evoke the pointilistic style of the painting itself. Incredible! (But, what else would one expect of Sondheim?)

Highlights to watch for: "Mr." and "Mrs." a hilariously ignorant couple of American tourists. "WE...ARE...LOST!" they say to the French, while making huge gestures. Also note Brent Spiner (before he became famous as Star Trek's "Data") as a German servant.

I will forever be in the dark as to why anyone would dislike this piece of theater. So many times you hear about how "cerebral" and "inaccesible" Sondheim shows are. Is it so hard for people to think and feel at the same time? The beauty of this piece is that it forces the audience to think about their relationship with art (either as an artist or a patron) and at the same time allows you to care for the characters deeply. Alright, so you have to listen to it a few times before you really begin to "get it." This work allows you to witness an artist (considered a genius by many) who devotes himself competely to his work only to realize that he must do it at the expense of all of his other relationships. From "Beautiful," during which George tries but realizes it's too late to connect with his aging mother, to "We Do Not Belong Together," when the love of his life tells him that she simply cannot be #2 anymore, I am not sure how anyone can watch these amazing moments and NOT be moved.

The score is haunting and the acting (except for a few moments that don't quite work from Mr. Patinkin) is astonishing. It is a very risky choice having an opening number during which the soloist hardly moves, but Bernadette Peters draws you in from the start...brilliant acting. Perhaps the voices are not as "perfect" in the DVD as they are on the original soundtrack, but give me actors who are willing to sacrifice perfect vocal delivery for emotional content any day. This production is one of my favorites and is essential for anyone interested in the artistic process.

Stephen Sondheim. James Lapine. Put these two names together,and you know that you are in for some heavy, moving, and unforgettablemusical theatre. Being the first of three collaborations between the two men (along with the touching/important "ITW" and lustful/macabre "Passion), I must say that Sunday in the Park With George is, in fact, their masterpiece (and my favorite musical as well).

Now let me start off by saying that if you would have asked me about this musical three years ago, I would have told you that I hated it; But that was when, of course, I had little knowledge of theatre and was hung onto musicals like Rent (that is a brilliant piece in itself--but i was drawn in merely by the score--not the meaning or spectacle). Now, I am an 18-year-old freshman at Indiana U and within those past three years, have grown to learn so much about the musical theatre and the unmatchable music and lyrics of Stephen Sondheim. I share my thoughts on this musical with you.

Based on an the brilliant painting "A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte" by the then ridiculed, now praiseworthy Georges Seurat, Sondheim has written a truly unforgettable score which contains such unique orchestrations and the finest of instruments and vocal demands. Lapine's gorgeous creation of bringing life to each of the featured people in the painting only adds pure serendipity and brilliance to Sondheim's music and lyrics. How the first act carefully concentrates on setting up the second act, we are introduced to the two major roles of the piece: the artist, Georges Seurat, and his fictional mistress, Dot. We are then taken into the lives of the colored ensemble as they spend their Sundays in the park. Wondering how each individual ends up in that famous pose for the painting is brought to our attention at the first act's conclusion (which is perhaps one of the finest Act I finales ever produced in the musical theatre). The second act takes place 100 years later and gives us hints of mystery, inspiration, determination, and elation as we all feel uplifted after the second act finale.

Although I'm not a huge Mandy Patinkin fan, he does more than suffice in the dual role of both Georges Suerat/George. This role really does suit this actor well and it is said by many to be his most accomplished work.

Bernadette Peters on the other hand is an absolute Godsend. This woman not only has to portray a somewhat naive, heartbreaking, and adorable young mistress in the first act, but a 98 year old grandmother in the second act. Not only can she pull it off to the point that her acting is extraordinarily believable, but she also has to change from one to character to the other in a matter of minutes. How she does this, and allowing the audience to buy this flawless performance is beyond me. I recently had the honor of seeing Stephen Sondheim speak at the St. Louis Jewish Center on November 7th. He said that this is the piece of theatre which opened Bernadette Peters' acting range in the musical theatre. Sunday in the Park with George is what really gave Bernadette that mastery craft of acting--and you know something? I couldn't agree with the genius more.

The rest of the cast is splendid as each take on dual roles from the 1884 generation to the 1984 generation. From the haunting "Beautiful" to the harshness reality of "Putting it Together" to the awe-inspiring "Move On"--this piece of theatre is without a doubt, a masterpiece within a masterpiece.

Lapine's direction could not have been any more carefully thought out or more intelligent; the performers couldn't have portrayed their roles any better; and Sondheim could not have written a more gifted score than that which is given to us in the Pulitzer Prize winning Sunday in the Park With George.

It's a shame that this show didn't win the Tony Award for Best Musical (though La Cage is certainly a fine show). For anyone who is interested in a musical that is unique, fun and incredibly thoughtful, this is your musical. While I amost always enjoy Bernadette Peters, and every now and then Mandy Patinkin, I think Sondheim's score and lyrics are the star (as usual). Songs like "Putting it Together" reminds anyone who considers themselves an artist the struggle of getting their art to the audiences. The miracles of creation and the struggle with life outside of creation is so finely done with "Finishing the Hat." Amidst all of the inticate "pointillistic" music that Sondheim has created to emulate the art of Sarat's painting, I consider the first act finale "Sunday" to be one of the finest choral pieces I've ever heard. Many critics have the opinion that the extreme contrasts of the first and second acts makes for an uneven musical, but they in fact work together, as one show should. The story has next to little facts about Sarat and his mistress, but the show itself as a whole, with Lapine's flowing direction, is a masterpiece, and, for this reviewer, brilliant.