Sondheim in the Park (Chicago)

[SorryGrateful]

Posted: 7/13/06 at 12:19pm

On Saturday and Sunday of this week (July 14 and 15), the Grant Park Music Festival will be doing a tribute to Sondheim. Performing will be George Hearn, Judy Kaye, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Brian d'Arcy James, Liz Callaway, and Danny Gurwin. The full list of songs being performed is at the music fesitval website.

For those of you in Chicago this weekend, GO!
Grant Park Music Festival

[chinkie azn jai]

Posted: 7/13/06 at 12:28pm

Im sooooooo mad that its this weekend!!! Oh well, at least Ill be in NYC instead.

[SorryGrateful]

Posted: 7/13/06 at 12:30pm

For one of the few times, I think it'll be better to be in Chicago this weekend rather than New York.

This is going to be so exciting! George Hearn? Yes, please!

[Theatreboy49]

Posted: 7/13/06 at 2:20pm

Im going this saturdya with a couple friends of mine. Its gonna be absoutly amazing.

[SorryGrateful]

Posted: 7/13/06 at 2:26pm

I'll be there with my roommate tomorrow night. I can't wait. I never thought I'd get the chance to see George Hearn perform. This is such a dream! Do you think there'll be a chance to "stagedoor?"

[SorryGrateful]

Posted: 7/13/06 at 4:13pm

Shameless bump for genius.

Get out to Millennium Park this weekend, Chicagoans!

Updated On: 7/13/06 at 04:13 PM

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 7/13/06 at 4:29pm

I believe you mean Friday and Saturday.

[kgee30]

Posted: 7/13/06 at 4:40pm

That's Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

[SorryGrateful]

Posted: 7/13/06 at 4:57pm

Ah, yes, you're so right. Thanks for correcting me. In any case, get your bums out there. But stay out of my seat near the front.

[The Distinctive Baritone]

Posted: 7/13/06 at 5:14pm

I'll be performing with the cast of the recent Chicago production of "Assassins" during the festival, so check it out! We're at 4:00 and 5:00 on Saturday. A bunch of other local theater groups will be performing throughout the weekend as well in addition to the main attraction, which of course is George Hearn, et al.

Actually, when I flew to NY last week, Brian D'Arcy James and I were on the same plane I believe. I guess he had been in Chicago rehearsing.

[SorryGrateful]

Posted: 7/13/06 at 5:35pm

Congrats, Baritone! Good luck!

[DirtyRottenGirl]

Posted: 7/13/06 at 6:18pm

So for sure what days? Do you have to buy a ticket?

[brdwaybaby17]

Posted: 7/13/06 at 6:20pm

I'm actually going to visit my aunt who lives in Chicago this weekend. (I live in Ohio). I didn't know this was going on when we planned it, but now I'm psyched! I think my parents have all our cameras though... dangit...

[gustof777]

Posted: 7/13/06 at 7:01pm

hey everyone
soo happy to see this up on the boards. Me and Donna Darko took the train down from WI and are staying through Sunday...can't wait it is going to be an amazing weekend...all sondheim music friday, sarturday, sunday. come say hi to us. we're headed off to go see tick tick boom this evening but we'd love to meet up with any other sondheim fanatics! Have fun in the park

[SorryGrateful]

Posted: 7/14/06 at 11:23am

brdwaybaby-- I don't think you're allowed to take photos anyway, so don't worry too much. That didn't stop me from bringing mine to work today for when I leave straight from here to go to Millennium Park.

Dirty Rotten Girl-- It's definitely starting tonight at 6:30 and will continue until Sunday. And it's free to go, so you should definitely go. It'll be so amazing to see these great people perform to such incredible music.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 7/14/06 at 11:38am

Techincally, the performances begin at 4pm today. The big concert is at 6:30 tonight and 7:30 tomorrow night at the Pritzker, but there are several small concerts scattered throughout the park over the entire weekend.
Sondheim in the Park Schedule

[kgee30]

Posted: 7/14/06 at 12:36pm

Keep your eyes peeled.From the Sun-Times this morning:

***

In Millennium Park, it will be wall-to-wall Sondheim, today through Sunday, with word that the composer himself is to be in the audience tonight for the first of the two centerpiece events...

[SorryGrateful]

Posted: 7/14/06 at 3:03pm

No bleeping WAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm sorry to turn into a fangirl, but EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!

[katygrace84]

Posted: 7/14/06 at 3:40pm

SG, I'm tihnking maybe we should brave the heat and go to a few of these performances this weekend.

[commasplice]

Posted: 7/15/06 at 1:08am

Any reviews/thoughts from anyone that went tonight? (Of the main concert, the smaller concerts, anything!)

I'll be there tomorrow--I can't wait!
Updated On: 7/15/06 at 01:08 AM

[RENTingFAME]

Posted: 7/15/06 at 1:23am

I wish I could go... but I have rehearsal tomorrow at a very inconvenient time. Would love to hear about it though from those who go!

[gustof777]

Posted: 7/15/06 at 2:14am

Thought the main concert was amazing. Having Stephen Sondheim at the end was a glorious moment to really cap off a wonderful performance. More in depth review - I'm tired.

Updated On: 7/15/06 at 02:14 AM

[Tirso de Molina]

Posted: 7/15/06 at 5:18pm

Does anyone know if these performances are being recorded for radio broadcast? Can't be there, but I'd love to hear some of the sets!!

[brdwaybaby17]

Posted: 7/16/06 at 9:08pm

Um, so I was at the Friday performance... GOD AL-FREAKING-MIGHTY!

So, I'm a total cheat and sat in one of the seats for members only... psh, whatever, there were plenty of seats left. I absolutely adored it. The orchestra was beautiful and the performances were fantastic (even when Mary Elizabeth Mastroantonio messed up on "Could I Leave You." There was an old woman who was sitting next to me and we decided that we forgave her since they had so much to learn.) I have always disliked Danny Gurwin and I still do. I'm sorry if it's unpopular, but I just don't think he's any good!
Anyway, at the end of the show, I was going nuts, cheering and whatnot and then my aunt found me and told me we had to leave because my cousin was "sick." So, we're kind of rushing out and I hear a bunch of loud screams, and I turn around and STEPHEN SONDHEIM is on the stage! I literally started crying, I couldn't believe it! I turned into a big fangirl, but I don't care... it was an amazing feeling even if I was about fifty feet away... but, still, fifty feet away from a living genius is pretty good!

I saw a few sets on Friday and Saturday... we actually heard some people singing "Getting Married Today" yesterday before the concert and then saw Liz, Brian, and Mary do it... my aunt said it was like hearing her sing and then me sing.
And after the small concerts you could go talk to all the people who performed. I talked to Telly Leung again who I had seen at my CMU audition and we talked about college stuff... and then Heidi (last name escapes me) who was Nessarose in Wicked.

Anyway, it was fabulous... I wish I had gotten to stay a little longer to at least attempt to stalk the performers (I'm surprisingly good at it), but what can you do. When a six-year-old makes himself sick because he's tired of listening to Sondheim (I know, shocking!), ya kinda gotta go with it.
Updated On: 7/16/06 at 09:08 PM

[The Distinctive Baritone]

Posted: 7/16/06 at 10:56pm

I should have tried to sneak into the orchestra section for subscription members only, because the "commoners" section was so far back everyone was just a dot! I agree that Danny Gurwin is not great--his voice is powerful, but it's kinda strange sounding. However, I can see why he's played Henrik in "A Little Night Music" so many times--he's perfect for that kind of part.

George Hearn, as well all know, is amazing, but I'm sad to report that old age has finally gotten to his voice. Of course, it was still cool to see him perform "Epiphany" live, but...well, I'm just going to stop right there. I don't want to commit blasphemy

Brian D'Arcy James was wonderful, as was Judy Kaye, although she has such an authoritative voice that songs like "Losing My Mind" don't exactly work for her, and her cockney accent during "A Little Priest" was pretty phony sounding. Overall though her voice really is quite impressive.

Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio however did little to improve upon the mediocre impression she made on me in "Man of La Mancha," especially when she came in in the wrong key during a song. She's not a bad singer, but I did find it funny that she was being billed as a "Broadway star."

All in all, it was an enjoyable evening, but I left before the last two songs A) because I had had enough Sondheim for one day (having both performed in and seen other groups in the festival), and B) because I did want to have to try to beat six thousand people to the exit!