Reading of New Sondheim Musical with Nathan Lane and Bernadette Peters — Page 6

Michael Paulson confirmed in Sondheim’s last interview that it is absolutely the Bunuel project.


Maybe there’s enough music to make it a one act? Maybe Ives can tweak the rest of the lyrics? So many unknown. I’m sure we’ll learn more.

I would guess his lawyer and/or husband. I truly don’t know, but hope we find out soon.

Whoa, that’s stunning. I hope we get more.
I still have hope there was enough completed for Ives to finish the piece or at least reconstruct it to one act.

Oh, God, I hope so.

Balcony Bill said: "Nathan Lane talks about Sondheim and working on the new Bunuel show in the reading:

https://variety.com/2021/theater/people-news/nathan-lane-beanie-feldstein-stephen-sondheim-1235123585/"

Thanks, Bill!

Here are the specific Buñuel/Square One excerpts for anyone just looking for those…

“His material was challenging and complex to learn and perform but once you got it into your head, it never left you because it was just so brilliantly written. I can’t say we became close friends, I was too in awe of him to pursue that kind of friendship, but it was a very friendly and warm working relationship that went on for thirty years. I was always in awe of him until the very end – that recent reading we did for “Square One,” the last musical he wrote with David Ives. Every time I’d see him I’d still say to myself, ‘Oh my God, it’s Stephen Sondheim.’

I’m not on social media, but when you see all of the beautiful tributes and this tremendous outpouring of love and admiration for his incomparable legacy, and believe me, we will never see its like again, you can’t help but feel it’s all been said. But it feels good to remind ourselves how great and important he was to the world and that we were lucky enough to get the opportunity to work with that kind of legend. I assure you I’ve kept every one of his notes and letters and emails and I will treasure them.

[…]

The last time I would see him was at the reading for “Square One”. It was supposed to be done a few years ago at The Public, but was postponed and then cancelled. I thought it was gone forever, but after the pandemic the director Joe Mantello felt a surreal musical based on two Bunuel films might be just what the doctor ordered and encouraged Steve and David Ives to resurrect the piece and take another crack at it. He named it on “The Colbert Show,” by the way. It didn’t have a title until that moment. Bless his heart, but it’s actually a good title.

Anyway, I was excited to see him at the reading, but was concerned when I saw him walking in slowly with a cane. He was recovering from a bad fall, but once we sat down and talked, he was as sharp and as funny as he’d ever been. It was a phenomenal group of actors and Bernadette Peters and I got to be a married couple and it doesn’t get any better than that. Steve said he was encouraged by the reading, which was great fun, and hoped we might get it on next season. It would certainly be a terrific way to honor the greatest composer/lyricist the American theater has ever known. A lovely way to say goodbye and thank you.

In the meantime allow me to say thank you for everything, Steve, from the bottom of my heart.”

Details of this Square One reading seem to have been kept fairly close to the vest. It’s fascinating to imagine Nathan and Bernadette working on it — and under the direction of Nathan’s old castmate, Joe Montello.

Does anyone know where it was held? Or if there’s a cast list? I’d love to learn who else was involved. And, I know it’s too much to ask, but a list of song titles would be incredible if anyone has such a thing.

why would they possibly do this at the barn of a space like the armory? especially with him passing this should go to broadway.....

Can’t be too soon if nathan is locked up for the spring.

jacobsnchz14 said: "Georgeanddot2 said: "Hearing rumors that this is apparently coming to Broadway very soon and has a theater secured and a creative team on board????????????????"

Either you heard from TikTok or… ?"

I did not hear this from TikTok.

Sounds like this will likely be aiming for fall 2023.

With Sweeney too, it seems pretty likely we could be looking at three Sondheim shows on Broadway at once in the Fall! Would be awesome to have!

One could also dream of a 2024 Tonys where Sondheim shows win both Best Musical and Best Revival. That's probably getting ahead of myself. But, also considering we have both Sweeney and Into the Woods in the running this season and Merrily next season, it's decently likely we could be looking at back to back to back Sondheim Best Revival wins...

Updated On: 12/13/22 at 04:23 PM

That and the Twitter account that tweeted out an announcement is coming at 10 am tomorrow, 12/15. https://twitter.com/SquareOneBway

> Unsubstantiated rumors aside, squareonebroadway.com domain is a registered trademark. This is the strongest, evidential indicator of an eventual staging.

i think you mean it's a registered domain; a trademark is something different altogether.

not intending to be snarky here ... i was genuinely curious, so i went to the Trademark Office's online search site - nothing. then i went to the ICANN site (where domains are registered) and -- something! the domain was created yesterday.