A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC

After seeing the touring production of COMPANY, I bought A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC immediately after the cast album became available. I knew nothing about the show except what I heard and read in the liner notes. What a glorious score. The photos made it look equisite. I played that album constantly. The intricateness of the score, vocally and melodicly, still captures my attention. Within a year's time I moved to Manhattan and the first musical I saw on Broadway was A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC. Front row of the Mezzanine on a Tuesday night in mid-summer. It was a glorious and thrilling as I had imagined it would be. Glynis Johns was still starring. Her "Send In The Clowns" remains the version because of the breathless, etheral quality she imbued. I'd be pleased to hear from others who also have thoughts to share about NIGHT MUSIC.

Yours for a Broadway full of smiles of a summer night!

Updated On: 8/23/03 at 11:39 PM

Sadly, I've never seen the show (and I understand the film version was just horrible). The play came out while I was in high school, and a friend constantly raved about it. I have vague memories of listening to the soundtrack, but the only song I remember well is Send in The Clowns. A wonderful song.

Hopefully I'll get to see it one of these days.

A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC was one of those unexpected, special experiences for me. A friend and I went to see a version by the University of Texas opera department about 8 years ago--we thought the students would not be that great, but that their efforts would be cute and enjoyable to watch. I knew little about the score beyond "Send In The Clowns." Well, these students put on one of the most enchanting nights I've ever spent at the theatre. The voices were glorious, the comic timing impeccable. Song after song after song was a joy. My friend and I still remember it as one of the best things we've ever seen. I saw the Kennedy Center production last year (loved Randy Graff, thought Blair Brown was less-than-adequate), but I still remember the student production most fondly.

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Updated On: 8/24/03 at 12:10 AM

I'll see if I can find it, thanks!

"Send In The Clowns" is the only song from the score of NIGHT MUSIC to have a life outside of the show. The score however has many gloriious melodies and sharp sophisticated lyrics and rhyme schemes. To those of you haven't experienced NIGHT MUSIC, I highly recommend it.

Yours for a Broadway filled with smiles of a summer night!

I love this show and have seen several productions of it (though sadly not the original). And I've never seen a production that nails all of the show. But it still can be wonderful even in an uneven production. I love Dench's version of Send in the Clowns both on the Cameron Mackintosh tribute and the Bravo documentary. There is also a wonderful scene in the documentary that shows Dench and Laurence Guittard rehearsing You Must Meet My Wife. Aside from being a fascinating peek as these actors find their characters, the scene and the song, it is the best version I've yet seen of that moment. I would have loved to have seen the Dench production.

Thanks for starting this thread, BB.

And thanks,too, to all who shared their experience of seeing this show on stage. Have there been any talks of a revival at all?

I had brought up the subject on another thread, and having been able to listen only to the CD of the show ( which I liked very much), I had asked about the movie version ( as that would be my only chance to see it performed, albeit in a movie). Is it really all that bad?

This is the only Sondheim ( apart from where he was a lyricist) musical that has been transformed into a movie. Maybe, I might still give it a chance, if it's ever released on DVD.

jo

Updated On: 8/25/03 at 12:24 AM

I also wish that NYC Opera would release their version on video tape. It was a wonderful production and the cast was excellent. There is probably too much red tape with the unions to ever have this happen.

As for Judy Collins version of Send In the Clows, I think its hideous. She takes one of the great songs from musical theatre and with her whiny, grating voice turns it into garbage.

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Updated On: 8/25/03 at 08:30 AM

DofB, the musical is actually very funny and yet also very heartwrenching. Though not of the same "pop culture" status of Send in the Clowns, you may have also heard the song The Miller's Song. Arguably, one of Sondheim's best.

SS himself was pained over Judy Collins' version of "Clowns." The song, he has said, is not a ballad and comes from a very angry place in the heroine. He was never satisifed with Glynis John's version, either, but was apparently thrilled with the NYC Opera's version.

I am surprised that said production not out on video, so many of the live performances from PBS are now. It was quite beautifully done.

Thanks for info, QueenS. Never to old to learn!

D

I felt that A Weekend in the County is amazing. I liked it when they did it on the Sondheim Celebration at Carnegie Hall.

I'm glad you remember them both. I was pretty young at the time and it was a few years after I saw Night Music that I came across an album of Anna Russell's. Very funny. She is long gone now, but I think Taina Elg is still around. I recall reading somewhere that it was out of Taina and Glynis Johns for the original production which would make sense being that she (Taina) is Swedish.

Updated On: 8/27/03 at 09:39 AM