Region: All
MSRP: $21.99
The Production: 4.5/5
Stephen Sondheim, the dean of American musical-theater composer-lyricists, has been fortunate to have been interviewed throughout his noteworthy career, and weâre even luckier that he is both intelligent and articulate, able to summon at will his thoughts about fashioning words and music tightly into a musical libretto so that the process flows effortlessly from dialogue to songs in a way unmatched by composers of his own or previous generations (though he freely gives credit to his forefathers in tributes to Jerome Kern, Cole Porter, and Oscar Hammerstein II). Now 90, the composer and his comments contained in the 2013 HBO documentary
Halfway through
Simply Sondheim comes a one-two punch of timely resonance, and in a way that’s far more impactful today than when the musical revue premiered at Signature Theatre six years ago. Sagely leading the group number “Now You Know” from
Merrily We Roll Along, Awa Sal Secka might as well be commiserating with all those whose views about life, people, or society writ large have become appreciably less optimistic as a result of the pandemic and the related social ills it has exacerbated. “Alright, now you know: life is crummy,” Secka sings briskly. “I mean, big surprise; people love you and tell you lies. Bricks can tumble from clear blue skies.” The moral? “So life lays you low; learn to live with it…. It’s called letting go your illusions, and don’t confuse them with your dreams.”
Do what you want
âIt s important that young artists feel itâs important to choose to develop their work in the way that they think is going to be helpful to them. I don t think it is as helpful for lots of outside people to go, âHere, do it this way, do it this way. Here, you re BIPOC, you can have this, you can have that.â There are going to be people who do well with that, but that, in my experience, wasn t the thing that was helpful. It s going to sound contradictory, but the struggle actually helped me. Even though there were moments during the struggle where I was like, âOh my god, this is the worst thing ever,â I wanted to do it more than the worst thing ever. The thing I would hope is that if they don t want to do it, then they won t. Feeling like you have to do it just to feel something is a kind of poison in you. Sometimes saying no is going to save your soul. You can also say that the struggle is worth it, and that is also valid.â
Broadway Icon Jerry Herman Gets Moving Tribute by Andy Einhorn With You I like
On 1/25/21 at 12:01 AM EST
th century. He had three megahits
Mame and
La Cage aux Folles one cult favorite
Mack and Mabel and a boatload of hummable songs. Now Herman is the subject of a charming tribute,
You I Like: A Musical Celebration of Jerry Herman, which has been conceived, written and directed by Andy Einhorn.
Einhorn has been musical director and/or conductor for eight Broadway shows, included the 2017 revival of
Hello Dolly!, which starred Bette Midler and, later, Bernadette Peters. Talking to Einhorn, one notes very quickly that putting
Chess, Mowtown the Musical), Jamie Muscato (
Heathers, West Side Story), Julian Ovenden (
Merrily We Roll Along, Showboat), and Layton Williams (
Everybody s Talking About Jamie, Billy Elliot the Musical).
Producers Greg Barnett and Hugh Summers said, We re so excited to be announcing revised dates and further cast for
Monday Night At The Apollo. In light of the newly imposed national coronavirus restrictions, we feel it was the correct decision to postpone the original performances.
Public health and the safety of our audiences is our utmost priority and will always be the most important factor in informing any decisions we make. With that said, we truly believe that we are on the way back to reopening theatres and feel it is important to press ahead with getting these concerts staged. It in no way dampens our spirits, rather it strengthens our resolve to get the industry restarted. In doing so, we hope to be able to raise funds for ‘Acting For Others to continue to suppo