To those who believe the sound of Sunday worked:
Sondheim himself originally had his score orchestrated for 11 diferent instruments to match the 11 differet colors Seurat used in his painting. Take them away, and you lose an incredible connection between the two works of art that seems so subtle, but so huge at the same time.
And to all those crazy about the Doyle revivals, we often forget that the orchestra is another character and another voice in the show. You take that away, and you're minus a central part of your show. I think people got so caught up in the drama/story that they forgot that the music is what so often drives the plot and the drama that is taking place onstage. This is more suited however to Sweeney than Company.
While I was surprised at how "loud" the orchestra sounded at Sunday, the change in the amount and type of instruments used had such a detrimental impact on me. The song sunday is suppossed to have such an impact musically and dramatically as that chaotic painting (the dissonant, disjointed music) finally comes together in that glorious harmony...and that small, overly-miked orchestra just didn't do it at all!
Not to turn this into a Sunday thread, but, I think the reason why so many people are stating that this production is the first to justify the second act is because this production also manages to miss the point of, and ruin the first act. It had NONE of the feeling, emotional punch, or impact that the original does for me (minus Jenna Russel who was magnificent, and three standout performances from Mary Beth Piel, Alexander Gemignani, and Michael Cumptsy). The second act was much better becuase the first was so weak.
Anyway, to make a long story short, the composer and orchestrator chose to have certain instruments and sounds used in specific places for specific reasons. You change that, or take it away, you have changed and dishonored the work.
-There's the muddle in the middle. There's the puddle where the poodle did the piddle."
