City Center's Sondheim birthday concert...

[ljay889]

Posted: 1/20/10 at 5:20pm

Pretty great line-up as well.

Michael Cerveris, Barbara Cook,
Claybourne Elder, Ral Esparza,
Sutton Foster, Victor Garber,
Alexander Gemignani, Joanna Gleason,
Mark Jacoby, Angela Lansbury,
Patti LuPone, Debra Monk,
Donna Murphy, Bernadette Peters,
Jim Walton, B.D. Wong and Chip Zien

http://www.playbill.com/news/article/136115-Lansbury-LuPone-Peters-Murphy-Esparza-and-More-Set-for-City-Center-Sondheim-Concert

I'll be at this and the Philharmonic concert. Can't wait.

[Pgenre]

Posted: 1/20/10 at 5:26pm

PBS has just confirmed that they are filming the Philharmonic Concert, so I guess this one will be the bastard stepchild.

P

[theaterkid1015]

Posted: 1/20/10 at 5:36pm

Well, the bastard stepchild is good enough for me. I'll be there!! (In the very, very back, but there all the same!!)

[Mildred Plotka]

Posted: 1/20/10 at 5:42pm

Lol, pgenre.

I read ljay's post as a standard cast list and thought for a second Michael Cerveris was playing the role of Barbara Cook. I'd also like to see Sutton Foster as Victor Garber and Donna Murphy as Bernadette Peters.

[theaterkid1015]

Posted: 1/20/10 at 5:48pm

I'd be most impressed with Jim Walton as B. D. Wong AND Chip Zien.

[Yero my Hero]

Posted: 1/20/10 at 5:55pm

Nah, I think Alex Gemignani as Joanna Gleason is most impressive.

And I'd pay to see Patti LuPone as Debra Monk.

[Pgenre]

Posted: 1/20/10 at 6:09pm

Wait, I thought Debra Monk ALWAYS plays Patti LuPone?

Unless she's playing a vegetable like in THOU SHALT NOT.

[callitquits]

Posted: 1/20/10 at 6:19pm

Pgenre -- do you have a link to PBS giving official word about filming the Philharmonic concert? I just Googled to no avail, and I don't want to get my hopes up for a recording of what is sure to be a legendary night until I'm certain it's happening!

[Pgenre]

Posted: 1/20/10 at 6:22pm

It is official. They are filming both nights. When an official press release pops up I'll be sure to link to it.

P

[Mildred Plotka]

Posted: 1/20/10 at 6:44pm

I'll go but can I take bong hits in the bathroom during Alexander Gemignani's performance? I don't care to see him perform Sondheim (or even usher me to my seat at a Sondheim show) ever again.

[Patti LuPone FANatic]

Posted: 1/20/10 at 7:47pm

Imagine the possibilities....for example...Angela Lansbury, Patti LuPone and Bernadette Peters singing "Everything's Coming Up Roses" together. One can dream. from RC in Austin, Texas

[Sauja]

Posted: 1/20/10 at 8:05pm

I wish Sondheim could turn 80 every year. I have tickets for this, the Philharmonic, and (of course) Sondheim on Sondheim). And I CAN'T WAIT! I'm going to be squealing like a 15-year-old at Wicked.

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 1/20/10 at 8:40pm

I wish Sondheim could turn 80 every year.

Haha. Brilliant. Agreed.

[orangeskittles]

Posted: 1/20/10 at 9:33pm

They've had birthday concerts for Sondheim every year since he was in his 60s; the only thing different about this year is that there's 10 concerts instead of 2.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 1/20/10 at 10:19pm

I really want to go to this, as I'll be out of town for the Lincoln Center one, and this one is more exciting to me anyway. Does anyone know what the deal is with those ticket blocks that are marked "unavailable"? Will they become available, or are they set aside for something...?

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 1/20/10 at 10:23pm

I was wondering the same thing, Em. I'd call City Center, honestly.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 1/20/10 at 11:03pm

Yeah, I'm going to do that, or just stop by there.

[binau]

Posted: 1/21/10 at 1:35am

Yayyyy. I bet Bernadette Peters will sing "Losing My Mind", and it will be recorded (At the Philharmonic)

Can't wait to see what Donna Murphy sings, too.

I don't understand all these different concerts with the same 'stars' though - are they going to sing different things? It just seems so strange.

[taylorPHENOMENON2]

Posted: 1/21/10 at 1:50am

So happy they have $25 tickets available, even though those City Center cheap seats are pretty terrible...but I think it's worth it to attend this!

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 1/21/10 at 6:29am

I don't understand all these different concerts with the same 'stars' though - are they going to sing different things? It just seems so strange.

There's an awful lot of songs in the Sondheim canon that can be done, including songs from Gypsy and West Side Story. I'm sure there'll be some overlap in repertoire, but it'll be in a different space with a different audience. It definitely will not feel like going to the same concert more than once. Besides, who would honestly sit there thinking "::sigh:: Watching Bernadette Peters sing Losing My Mind live at a Sondheim birthday concert is *so* old hat"?

Updated On: 1/21/10 at 06:29 AM

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 1/21/10 at 8:31am

Don't forget that they've got different directors, too.

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 1/21/10 at 9:14am

^ Yes, definitely. And the concert with the NY Philharmonic will have (I believe) selections from the scores for Stavisky and Reds. I don't think any of the other concerts will have that.

[CompanyFan]

Posted: 1/21/10 at 5:43pm

Any advice on seating at City Center? I've never been.

[Yero my Hero]

Posted: 1/21/10 at 7:30pm

It's BIG. The gallery is a much better seat than the rear mezzanine, despite being higher. The rear mezzanine is raked so shallowly that you're going to have a very hard time seeing the stage.

Bring binoculars.

I'm slightly exaggerating, but the place is humongous.

[Drunk Chita Rivera]

Posted: 1/21/10 at 9:16pm

I just got my ticket to ifhr, front row gallery to the side. Anyone know what the attire would be?