Erivo, Graham, Gotay, and more to lead A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC IN CONCERT

[jacobsnchz14]

Posted: 3/25/24 at 10:07am

Producer Jeff Berger announced that Stephen Sondheim’s A Little Night Music In Concert, featuring brand new orchestrations by Jonathan Tunick, will play David Geffen Hall. Performances are Thursday, June 27 and Friday June 28 at 8pm and Saturday, June 29 at 1pm and 7pm. Mr. Tunick himself will conduct the 53-piece Orchestra of St. Lukes, playing for an all-star cast that includes Susan Graham, Cynthia Erivo, Ron Raines, Kerstin Anderson, Jonathan Christopher, Jason Gotay, Ellie Fishman, Jin Ha, Addie Harrington, Shuler Hensley, Samantha Hill, Andrea Jones-Sojola, Ross Lekites, Marsha Mason and Ruthie Ann Miles.

[Kad]

Posted: 3/25/24 at 10:13am

Aside from folks like Raines and Miles, this is kind of a strange cast for Night Music. 

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 3/25/24 at 10:30am

Kad said: "Aside from folks like Raines and Miles, this is kind of a strange cast for Night Music."

A bunch of these folks are represented by the concert's producer, Jeff Berger, a theatre talent manager who reps Tunick but hasn't produced much.

Dying to know who plays who. The ages are all over the place.

Updated On: 3/25/24 at 10:30 AM

[TaffyDavenport]

Posted: 3/25/24 at 10:32am

Cast is here:

https://alittlenightmusicconcert.com

[ColorTheHours048]

Posted: 3/25/24 at 10:34am

Would still love to see this, because a 53-piece orchestra playing this score sounds like Heaven, but I agree with Kad. Very strange casting for what sounds like a big event.

Is Cynthia Erivo playing Charlotte? Shuler Hensley as Carl-Magnus? Jin Ha or Jason Gotay as Henrik? (Would much prefer Jin Ha over dead-in-the-eyes Jason Gotay.)

EDIT: Okay, I saw the website and the casting, and now I’m even more confused. Kerstin Anderson is a much more natural fit for Petra than Cynthia Erivo, and Ruthie Ann Miles would be divine as Desiree. Also, how disappointing to have Jin Ha in a thankless role while Jason Gotay yells his way through “Later.”

Updated On: 3/25/24 at 10:34 AM

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 3/25/24 at 10:37am

Thanks, Taffy.

• Susan Graham (Desiree Armfeldt)
• Cynthia Erivo (Petra)
• Marsha Mason (Madam Armfeldt)
• Ron Raines (Fredrik Egerman)
• Shuler Hensley (Count Carl Magnus)
• Ruthie Ann Miles (Countess)
• Kerstin Anderson (Anne Egerman)
• Jin Ha (Frid)
• Addie Harrington (Fredrika Armfeldt)
• Ellie Fishman (Mrs. Nordstrom)
• Samantha Hill (Mrs. Segstrom)
• Jonathan Christopher (Mr. Erlanson)
• Jason Gotay (Henrik Egerman)
• Andrea Jones-Sojola (Mrs. Anderson)
• Ross Lekites (Mr.Lindquist)

directed by JOHN DOYLE
conducted by Jonathan Tunick
vocal direction by Rob Berman
lighting design by Ken Billington
sound design by Dan Moses Schreier

Updated On: 3/25/24 at 10:37 AM

[Kad]

Posted: 3/25/24 at 10:38am

TaffyDavenport said: "Cast is here:

https://alittlenightmusicconcert.com"

Okay, that makes more sense. But still quite a strange cast, though Miles as Charlotte is excellent casting. 
 

Susan Graham as Desiree is particularly odd to me. Putting an accomplished opera star in that role over an actor who sings seems… excessive. 

Updated On: 3/25/24 at 10:38 AM

[SonofRobbieJ]

Posted: 3/25/24 at 10:41am

Are they putting Silly People into this? Because otherwise Jin Ha is a bit of extravagant casting for the role of Frid. 

[Kad]

Posted: 3/25/24 at 10:45am

SonofRobbieJ said: "Are they putting Silly People into this? Because otherwise Jin Ha is a bit of extravagant casting for the role of Frid."

I thought that, too. But hey, I like looking at Jin Ha, so...

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 3/25/24 at 10:49am

A 74-year-old Fredrik (Raines) marrying an 18 year old is creepy beyond measure, even in just a concert and album. But I also don't think Fredrik sounds right as a basso profondo...you generally want more of a vocal contrast between him and the bombastic count.

Susan Graham, Marsha Mason, and Shuler Hensley aren't among the first 50 people I'd consider for their respective roles. What a missed opportunity casting an opera singer in a role with one and a half songs, instead of an actress (RUTHIE'S RIGHT THERE!) who can bring out new colors in the piece.

We've already heard Cynthia's Miller's Son.

Some people seem to forget that NIGHT MUSIC is a musical comedy. The show dies if Fredrik and Desiree aren't genuinely funny (plus the carnal desire(e) that underscores numbers like You Must Meet My Wife).

Maybe I'll skip this one, since the NYTimes previously reported that Tunick would also conduct a recording of his new orchestration (which, I assume, will have a similar if not identical cast).

Updated On: 3/25/24 at 10:49 AM

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 3/25/24 at 10:57am

This casting is “bizarre but” - I’ll be there!

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 3/25/24 at 11:00am

Marsha Mason an inspired choice for Mme. Armfeldt.  She will command the comedy particularly in the book scenes and, i would guess, also in song.

[binau]

Posted: 3/25/24 at 11:11am

Will we get a recording from this? Feels like the main purpose of this cast, concert, orchestrations is to be heard not seen.  

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 3/25/24 at 11:14am

I'm glad they're using these amateurs to work out the kinks before Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis step in for the full production. Smart!

[ljay889]

Posted: 3/25/24 at 11:16am

This all seems very strange. 

[chrishuyen]

Posted: 3/25/24 at 11:39am

At this point, it's so bizarre that it makes me want to go (though Ruthie Ann Miles's Charlotte alone would probably get me to buy a ticket)

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 3/25/24 at 11:54am

binau said: "Will we get a recording from this? Feels like the main purpose of this cast, concert, orchestrations is to be heard not seen."

According to the NYT back in January, yes, we are getting a recording. But that was not announced for this concert press release.

Can't stress enough that the cast is as weird as it is because this is a tertiary-level talent manager casting a number of his clients (some of whom haven't had a high profile gig in years) and giving them opportunity, whether they're right for the part or not.

Updated On: 3/25/24 at 11:54 AM

[inception]

Posted: 3/25/24 at 12:04pm

Most actors would likely already have their performance/concert schedules set for three months from now.  This seems like it was "Get on the phone & see who is available!"

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 3/25/24 at 1:37pm

ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "A 74-year-old Fredrik (Raines) marrying an 18 year old is creepy beyond measure, even in just a concert and album. But I also don't think Fredrik sounds right as a basso profondo...you generally want more of a vocal contrast between him and the bombastic count.”

Just because Ron Raines is 74 it doesn’t mean that the character of Fredrik is also now 74. By that logic, the character of Anne is no longer 18, because Kerstin Anderson is 29.

The age gap is always going to be part of the story, and obviously Fredrik has certain feelings about it as well, since they are now several months into their marriage when the story starts and it still remains unconsummated.

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 3/25/24 at 2:27pm

Sure, but being 10 years older than a character is different than being 30 years too old (with an actor who's closer in age to his Madame A than his Desiree). Even if this is merely a concert and album, we can only suspend our disbelief so much. But ages are the least of the problems for some of this casting :)

As with a lot of classic musicals, the actors playing the principal roles have gotten older and older as time goes on. The original cast was 49 (Johns), 33 (Cariou), 34 (Elliott), and 33 (Guittard). For me, ALNM usually works best when Desiree/Fredrik appear to be early 40ish, instead of in the twilight of their lives.

Of course, the National production is regarded as one of the best ever done, and the ages of those actors disprove what I've written above (Judi Dench was 60 and Sian Phillips was 62).

[Broadway Flash]

Posted: 3/25/24 at 2:39pm

The only way to buy tickets is at the box office or by calling.  Someone tell us the prices.  Also, this sounds like the concert they did of Camelot before LCT did the full revival.  That was also strange casting. Lin Miranda played Arthur

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 3/25/24 at 2:46pm

Broadway Flash said: "The only way to buy tickets is at the box office or by calling. Someone tell us the prices. Also, this sounds like the concert they did of Camelot before LCT did the full revival. That was also strange casting. LinMiranda played Arthur"

This goes on sale tomorrow at 10am online. Tickets aren't on sale yet as far as I know.

This ALNM concert has nothing to do whatsoever with LCT. That was a one-night benefit reading and LMM wanted to play Arthur. This is being put together independently by Jeff Berger, Jonathan Tunick, and John Doyle with the Orchestra of St. Luke's, renting out Geffen Hall.

[Melissa25]

Posted: 3/25/24 at 2:46pm

I would have been more excited if Doyle just used the same cast from the 2022 Barrington Stage version which included Daniely, Skinner, Boggess and Peil. And to think Baldwin is super ready for Desiree.  

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 3/25/24 at 2:50pm

ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "Sure, but being 10 years older than a character is different than being 30 years too old (with an actor who's closer in age to his Madame A than his Desiree). Even if this is merely a concert and album, we can only suspend our disbelief so much. But ages are the least of the problems for some of this casting :)

As with a lot of classic musicals, the actors playing the principal roles have gotten older and older as time goes on. The original cast was 49 (Johns), 33(Cariou), 34 (Elliott), and 33 (Guittard). For me, ALNM usually works best when Desiree/Fredrik appear to be early 40ish, instead of in the twilight of their lives.

Of course, the National production is regarded as one of the best ever done, and the ages of those actors disprove what I've written above (Judi Dench was 60 and Sian Phillips was 62)."

Now the ever creeping upwards of the age ranges being cast in a lot of these classic shows is something I definitely agree with. I think a lot of that has to do with how people seem to physically age slower now than how they looked at those same ages back then, due to better diets, health practices, and of course advances in cosmetic surgery.

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 3/25/24 at 8:05pm

Nobody asked, but here's who I might have called first for a mostly-American NIGHT MUSIC concert/album cast. (with the classic disclaimer that it's very possible they ended up with some 10th choices for this concert staging.)

• Desiree: Ruthie Ann Miles or Audra McDonald
• Mme. A: Harriet Harris, Cherry Jones, or Patti Equity LuPone
• Fredrik: Santino Fontana or Conrad Ricamora
• Count: Joshua Henry or Jordan Donica
• Countess: Carmen Cusack or Stephanie J. Block or Amber Gray
• Henrik: Joe Locke
• Anne: Maria Bilbao
• (They can keep Cynthia as Petra, Frid, and the Quintet as announced here)

In a true dream scenario, I would have loved to hear Bernadette Peters in a fully-orchestrated version with the keys at an appropriate pace.

Updated On: 3/25/24 at 08:05 PM