Anyone catch Six by Sondheim on HBO? — Page 3

EXCELLENT. Thank you for the info. This weekend I will be watching this and my Mary Poppins Blu Ray.

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Caught up on this lovely documentary today. I thought it was lovingly and tastefully created and assembled. I have to agree that I didn't really gain new insight into the artist or his process, but I think you'd need a multi-part series to truly do that. It was good to be reminded that though he is now almost universally regarded as the greatest living theatre composer, during the 70 and early 80s when he was composing the bulk of his work, he often faced indifference and even hostility from both audiences and critics. I'd be very curious to know what those who are not familiar with his work thought of the film.

As for the performances, as lovely as Audra McDonald is, must she be in every damn Broadway-themed television production? Enough already. On top of that, we have to hear yet another over-sung rendition of this tender song?

Opening Doors - Not the biggest Merrily fan and was puzzled by this choice when details of the doc started emerging. However, seeing it in context of the documentary, it was clearly a great choice. LOVED getting to see Sondheim in this number -- though I really think they could have spared 30 minutes more to find a shirt that fit him or is the seinfeld "puffy Pirate shirt" look back in? I loved the trio. Sure, Darren Criss wasn't quite as strong as America and Jeremy, but I still found them charming and they didnt't -- bless them -- oversell it.

I'm Still Here - this was just genius. If you're going to deconstruct a song, do it all out, not like that tepid Audra/Will Swenson performance (which was filmed at Lamps Plus?). I'd forgotten Jarvis Cocker was involved. I'm a big Pulp fan -- my favorite Britpop band after Bluhhhh -- but when Jarvis started in with his usual impish, rubber-band-man stage persona I got worried. But, the jazzy arrangement was really interesting and the introduction of the women was a total stunner. What marvelous actresses each of them was. So emotive and yet so subtle without saying a word. This made me want to see a full film of deconstructed Sondheim songs. Well, only if a director as talented as Todd Haynes is involved.

Must she, really? I can't look at her without thinking of a PBS pledge drive now.

For those truly puzzled by Jarvis Cocker, you might remember his wonderful vocal contribution to Wes Anderson's 'Fantastic Mr. Fox' film, but I think the best introduction to him is with the wonderfully theatrical 'This is Hardcore', an absolute triumph and one of my grandmother's favorite songs.








THIS IS HARDCORE -- (the best Pulp song)

Updated On: 12/12/13 at 11:57 PM

Just watched it last night..and loved it. I obviously didn't know as much as Sondheim as many here so I learned a lot about the man. I knew he didn't really have a great relationship with his family and that The Oscar Hammerstein family was really his family...but hearing his talk about his mother and what she said to him before surgery was heartbreaking.

Loved the mix of his professional and personal lives - which made him who is it today and how he became the professional he became.

All the songs were interesting but I will always have a special spot in anything from Company and I have the DVD of the original cast of Company making the recording - but I could never get tired of watching Dean Jones sing Being Alive.

I need to DVR it again and save it..it was worth more than one watch.

I plan on getting the DVD, but *coff* does anyone know where to find this online (HBOGo doesn't work in Canada.) I'm surprised it hasn't shown up on torrent sites yet, given all the good press it's gotten.

I loved every moment of every clip of Sondheim speaking. Even though I'd heard the stories and theories before, I could listen to them again every day or two.

And I loved seeing the Larry Kert and Dean Jones numbers again, as well as all the archive footage.

Otherwise, I didn't know what the hell James Lapine was trying to accomplish--which isn't unusual.

If you Google HBG Six by Sondheim there will be a link on the HBO site that gives its future airings.

I'm especially fascinated by that footage from Gypsy, which was advertised as "recently discovered." I would love to know how much more there is. Loved seeing her bump and grind through "Rose's Turn."

And for those who share my fascination with Merman as Rose, there used to be a clip online of her singing "Everything's Coming Up Roses" in costume at Madison Square Garden for some JFK event in 1960 (she arrived late and didn't have time to change out of her costume). It's probably the closest we'll ever get to seeing her perform that song as she did in the show. The clip used to be online at some official JFK site, but I can't find it now.

Correction: It was not the Inaugural Ball. It was lat at night, the night before the Inauguration, January 198-19, 1961.

First, there was a serious concert at 8 PM in honor of Eleanor Roosevelt at Convention Hall.

Then selected guests moved on the National Guard Armory, where Kennedy's brother-in-law Peter Lawford had organized a show that included performances by Leonard Bernstein, Ella Fitzgerald, Harry Belafonte, Bette Davis, Louis Prima, Keely Smith and Sir Laurence Olivier. Frank Sinatra sang “That Old JACK Magic" and, at the new president's request, Ethel Merman sang “Everything’s Coming Up Roses."

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Finally caught up with it. So moving and exhilarating.

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LejtDwoY1bY

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I was leery. But I really enjoyed "I'm Still Here"
It seems like the kind of thing Sondheim would have loved too. He's said that he's a big fan of people reinterpreting his songs.

The rest of the show was amazing. "Being Alive" made my night. Love Audra. But as someone said, she brought nothing new or remarkable to "Send in the Clowns" I suspect that's why they tried to make it interesting with the fade in/out business. They failed.

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