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Six by Sondheim

4.8 out of 5 stars 55 customer reviews

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Editorial Reviews

"Everybody has problems. Nobody goes through life unscathed, and I think if you write about those things, you're going to touch people," says Stephen Sondheim at the start of Six by Sondheim, an intimate look into his long and prolific career creating ground-breaking work that has redefined the musical theater. Directed by award-winning Broadway director and playwright James Lapine, and predominantly told by Sondheim himself, this film weaves together dozens of interviews of Sondheim, conducted throughout his illustrious career. Archival performances of Sondheim standards by stars like Bernadette Peters, Mandy Patinkin, Dean Jones, Yvonne de Carlo, Larry Kert and Ethel Merman are interspersed with new performances produced exclusively for this feature documentary, showcasing such stars as Audra McDonald, Darren Criss and America Ferrera. Blending theatrical footage with rare interview footage and Sondheim's candid anecdotes, the six songs featured in the film are: "Something's Coming," "Opening Doors," "Send in the Clowns," "I'm Still Here," "Being Alive" and "Sunday." Art and life are intertwined for Sondheim, and Six by Sondheim is a story of both.

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Product Details

  • Format: NTSC
  • Language: English
  • Region: All Regions
  • Number of discs: 1
  • Rated:
    NR
    Not Rated
  • Studio: HBO
  • DVD Release Date: June 13, 2014
  • Run Time: 86 minutes
  • Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (55 customer reviews)
  • ASIN: B00KXFRE6U
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #26,010 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)


Customer Reviews

Top Customer Reviews

Format: DVD Verified Purchase
An absolute must for Sondheim fans, this extraordinary documentary also should be required viewing for all fans of musical theatre. Ostensibly a look into how the master created six of his most famous songs, "Six by Sondheim" goes much further, offering us insight not only into the evolution of Sondheim as composer/lyricist, but also into the creation of some of the most important works in musical theatre history. Interviews with Sondheim filmed over the course of several decades are brilliantly intercut., providing an evolving insight into this unique artist.
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Six by Sondheim claims to focus on just six of Sondheim's songs but we cover dozens of then. Jim Lapine is the mastermind behind this HBO production and the quality is top notch.
The entire narrative is given by Sondheim through dozens of archived interviews from 1958-2007 including an interview with Adam Guettle (Mary Rodgers' son; the next Sondheim.) in addition there is rare footage going back to a rehearsal of Larry Kert singing "Something's Coming", four Mama Roses, a beautifully staged "Opening Doors" done by Lapine for this documentary and countless private film clips and photos as well as the first good look inside Sondheim's Turtle Bay townhouse.
This is not just a documentary about Sondheim's work, but an 86 minute lesson by Sondheim, a man who has spent his life giving back what Hammerstein gave him. Sondheim is a shy man, uncomfortable with his superstardom but aware that he's on a par with Schubert and Bach, so he makes himself available. There is still no word on his current collaboration with David Ives though a little thought and imagination can make it clear.
This is a very satisfying film and delivers substantially more than anything prior, including Meryl Secrest's biography. The visuals and clips are dazzling and moving from watching Sondheim sing. "Foxtrot" to the cast of "Follies" to Sondheim playing Joe Josephson in Lapine's cinematic "Opening Doors."
This is a gem.
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A truly must-see. The extensive commentary by the master is wonderful, as is the marvelous historical footage. It must have been quite difficult to chose what to include, but the producers and director did a fabulous job. If you like Sondheim, you'll love this.
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Sondheim's comments are clear and explain so much about his superb work. And the brief appearances by some of the stars who performed his musicals add to the magic of the DVD. This is top-notch for anyone interested in theater and fine music. And Sondheim looms as the most charismatic songwriter imaginable. He is bright and understanding...and he accepts what he feels were failures and 'why' they didn't make it.
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Format: DVD
My friend Joe sent me this recent HBO documentary (directed by frequent Sondheim collaborator James Lapine) and it is wonderful. In this 86-minute video there are so many highlights that I can't mention them all, but some of my favorites are of Sondheim holding forth on various talk shows ca. 1970 in his first flush of national TV publicity, vintage clips of Ethel Merman and Larry Kert, a generous montage of vocalists covering "Send In the Clowns," a goodish portion of MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG that appears to have been filmed for this documentary but edited to mirror the comments Sondheim is making, and also the original cast recording from COMPANY of "Being Alive," as sung by Dean Jones. But the star of the show is Sondheim himself: what experience has taught him, his seminal influences, the agony and ectasy of writing lyrics, and the fundamental role of teachers and teaching in his life. I've seen a fair number of bios, Q&A and making-of dealing with Stephen Sondheim's long and productive life; this may well be the best. Well worth the money, or as a present for the Sondheim aficionado in your life. Thanks, Joe!
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Truly warm and insightful documentary about Sondheim as a lyricist and songwriter over the decades. Just hearing all the various versions of Send In the Clowns is worth the price of admission, but Sondheim himself is a fascinating storyteller (his anecdote about Ethel Merman and Loretta Young alone is hilarious) and always illuminating about his artistic process.
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A fascinating documentary with some very amusing anecdotes (especially one concerning Ethel Merman) from the man himself Stephen Sondheim.
Additionally there are some great and unusual versions of six of his songs - still unsure about Jarvis Cocker's version of " I'm Still Here". This is a must for Sondheim fans
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If I could give this 100 stars I would. If you are a creative person this is a must see. It is amazing for all the reasons mentioned in the good reviews here but ultimately having this window into Mr Soundheim's creative life is priceless. His advice and honesty are helpful for whatever creative discipline you are in. I am embarrassed to admit I have watched it at least six times on HBO. I bought this to share with friends. Unfortunately the quality of the DVD is questionable but this is a must see.
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