Question about Sunday in the Park with George.- Page 3

Posted: 6/5/07 at 11:09pm

No there were others.. Brent? The Murphy Brown/Company guy (man I'm bad at names)? At least a few other people (besides Danielle) weren't in the show at the time, I know the SOndheim Review had a big article about the filming back when I still subscribed--but my back issues aren't with me.

DId critics give Mandy a hard time with Garden? I think he's great on the cast album... (yes, accent aside). But I really don't get how anyone but the most hardcore fan could appreciate him in Follies--on the concert DVD/making of he comes off as infuriating.

The Anthony Newley comparison is so apt though--I noticed that when I saw his Ed Sullivan performance.

Ray what do you mean about Jane Krakowski, et all, being Sondheim protogees? I admit my Neil thing is biased--on the CD I find his appraoch to the Baladeer in particular wrong, but I am overly used to the offBroadway recording and never saw him live.

As for John Barrowman--I like him in Tochwood/Who like I said, and saw and liked him on stage in London in Beauty and the Beast and Sunset Blvd (even if he was a bit too put together and smilie to be a truly credible Joe) but for some reason as he gets more successful he comes off as more and more Tom Cruise perfect annoying to me, (and even in Puttin git Together there ar emoments wher eyou wonder if he understands the song at all). To be honest that bland extreme handsomeness kinda works for Bobby (at least the non Raul version) so I can see Sondheim praising it.

(I admi to unfairly being more unimpressed with John after seeing his concert, still up on the websection, at Kennedy Center during the Company run where he sang his favorite songs which include an embarassing sign language take on Light of the Silvery Moon and a VERY amusingly sincere version of Enrique's Hero)

E

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 6/6/07 at 12:05am

Eric, I didn't know what other word to use. There's a group of selected actors that Sondheim seem to have a special like for so you can expect them to show up in his shows or CD compilations. Jane Krakowski for example has recorded a number of Sondheim songs, has appeared in different benefits honoring him, and has appeared in a few shows by him (COMPANY and I'm sure she did another Sondheim show that I can't remember, not on Broadway). Neil Patrick Harris has a similar history. That's kind of what I meant.
I think you meant Brent Spiner who was also in the STAR TREK that co-starred the delicious Donna Murphy as an immortal beauty.
I have to agree with you about Borrowman in PUTTING IT TOGETHER, he was way too "pretty boy" and perfect to make it work for me.

[lakezurich]

Posted: 6/6/07 at 1:34am

I will ask this question again since I don't think anyone notticed it was there. Does anyone know if the upcomming B'way SUNDAY revival will be doing a national tour? I would love for it to come down to CHI so I wouldn't have to spend so much money going to NY to see it.

Posted: 6/6/07 at 4:37am

Ray I got what you meant but just didn't know how Krakowski fit--I forgot she was in Company at the Roundabout (I did know she was on recordings like Sondheim atthe Movies but guessed that showed more how popular she was with the Broadway community who arranged those than Sondheim--but I get what you mean)

Yeah vocally John is GREAT on the PiT DVD but you look at his expressions during some of the songs and it just seems like he doesn't get it... My mom saw some of it I remember and said something (kinda unfair) like "wow he looks gorgeous and sounds gorgeous and yet I really don't care..."


Anyone who needs a laugh though needs to see his concert at http://www.kennedy-center.org/programs/millennium/artist_detail.cfm?artist_id=JOHNBARROW (He sings some SOndheim--trying to make this kinda on topic)

Oh and I do agree with someone else that the tempo decisions in the London Sunday are a BIT draggy in spots (though I notice it less than I do with the Papermill/Complete Follies where it's almost like Tunick wants you to hear all his little orchestral details but some songs are slower than they should, IMHO, be)

E

[jv92]

Posted: 6/6/07 at 3:09pm

Quick question-
I probably should know this, but why are you all calling Bernadette Bernie? I'm assuming it's a nickname. I've never heard it used.

Posted: 6/6/07 at 4:50pm

Yeah it's a slightly condescending nickname fans use I've found :P I dunno it's just easier to say Mandy and Bernie I'm actually not sure if she ever uses it in real life but there ya go.

E

[moljul]

Posted: 6/6/07 at 4:57pm

I can safely say Bernadette has never used the nickname Bernie because she has gone on record (interviews) stating she greatly dislikes the nickname. Can't say I blame her. Apparently several of her friends call her Bern but I think that is as far as she goes with nicknames. Carol Burnett called her Bern when introducing her to the audience in an episode of her 1990s show. I would venture to say that true fans do not call her Bernie because they know she doesn't like it.

EDIT: I found the article I was thinking of. It's a good interview posted on the Sondheim.com site called Side by Side With Bernadette Peters.

From the article:

Do people call you "Bernie"?
(Pause) Just a few.

So you don't like it?
No, I don't.


Updated On: 6/6/07 at 04:57 PM

Posted: 6/6/07 at 5:42pm

Well when I met her I certainly didn't use it