Sunday in the Park With George

[Chrysanthemum62001]

Posted: 2/6/05 at 1:46am

I just wanted a thread on this musical. I love it. Everything about it. Why hasn't it been revived? Hello, Roundabout. It's just sitting there waiting to be done. Someone? Anyone? Please!

[MyNameInLights]

Posted: 2/6/05 at 1:52am

I'm sad to admit I used to strongly dislike it, but now it's seriously grown on me. Mandyyyy!

[WISHIHADATONY]

Posted: 2/6/05 at 3:04am

Most likely because it would lose money like most Sondheim works on stage do. I would gather that you fell in love with SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE via the recording.

Most Sondheim works are virtually inaccessable unless you are familiar with the score beforehand.

Many of us theater folk fall in love with a recording and then "romanticize" it into loving the show.

SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE was a dreadful bore in the theater, although I do love the cd. And as was recently mentioned on another thread.........there are very serious book problems, with the second act being a particular shambles.

LET US THEATER FOLK REMEMBER! Never recommend someone see a show that we really fell in love with via the recording. It is a good way to tarnish a friendship. We theatergoers sometimes lose perspective and forget that we love a show because we have heard it on cd a million times. THIS IS a very bad reason to recommend someone see a show.

IT IS VERY RARE that someone meets anyone or knows anyone who actually likes a Sondheim show upon first view unless the first viewing was preceeded by a repeated listening of the score.

It is so curious that one of the most brilliant composers who ever lived works with creative teams that make his works so dreadfully dull onstage.

THAT is the big secret to why his shows do not sell. As for the massive cult following?????? Where was this massive cult following to keep the revival of FOLLIES running, or INTO THE WOODS or PASSION for more than four months???

Sondheim works are best appreciated on video, on recording or in revue type shows such as SIDE BY SIDE BY SONDHEIM and PUTTING IT TOGETHER....I believe those two shows have been Sondheim's most successful financially.

[InfiniteTheaterFrenzy]

Posted: 2/6/05 at 3:31am

Please oh please oh please revive...

with Audra!!!!

COME ON, ROUNDABOUT!

[Chrysanthemum62001]

Posted: 2/6/05 at 3:36am

Actually, I own the DVD. I've watched it several times and I think it is f*cking brilliant. I had heard a few songs, but watching it was what made me love it. Really incredible.

[melissa errico fan]

Posted: 2/6/05 at 7:57am

I just watched the DVD again the other noght. I always cry during "Children and Art".

[Aphexis]

Posted: 2/6/05 at 8:26am

I never had the opportunity to see the show live, but after watching the DVD, I'm going to have to disagree with WISHIHADATONY.
His pieces...are rarely dull. People just don't get his shows at times, but that certainly does not make them dull. In particular, this musical appears to be one of his most interesting. I'm taken somewhere else with the help of the performances, Sondheim's score, Lapine's direction, and Tony Straiges beautiful set.
I do have to agree that there are areas in the story where the book becomes mushy, however, I've come to realize why people so dislike the second act. It throws us off. As audience members, ranging from thirteen to sixty, we like some sort of consistency and we lose it with the second act of "sunday.." but the core of the show is still there. The heart and ideas are still stuck with what we had seen fifteen minutes earlier. And overall, Sunday in the Park with George really is a magnificent show.

[seasons of love]

Posted: 2/6/05 at 8:35am

Good "review" Aphexis. I agree with everything that you said. :) I love this show so much, and I own the DVD. Whenever I get the chance I watch it. I do think that a lot of people would probably find it boring, because there is not "tons of action," but I think that the inner meaning and the core of this show are so amazing and important. A revival? Yes... it's about time. It would be so amazing for me to see this show live, having, in my freshman year of high school, only seen the DVD. I'm not sure that I can picture Audra as Dot, but maybe if I think about it harder.... I just can't possible imagine anyone filling Bernadette's shoes, but I do think that Audra could do a great job if given the chance... :) :)

[melissa errico fan]

Posted: 2/6/05 at 8:37am

Melissa Errico played Dot at the Sondheim festival in DC three years ago. My god, it was like sex watching those two together!

[Aphexis]

Posted: 2/6/05 at 8:42am

haha, Melissa Errico. Audra did play dot at the Ravinia Festival in Chicago and there was also the tenth anniversary concert in '94 where most of the original cast came together for one night at the St. James Theatre. Jeeze, I wish I could have been there.

[melissa errico fan]

Posted: 2/6/05 at 8:46am

I wish that they had recorded some of the shows that played at the Sondheim festival. They were all great, like:

Sweeney Todd w/ Stokes and Christine Baranski
Sunday w/ Melissa and Raul
Merrily We Roll Along w/ Raul, Michael Hayden and Miriam Shor
Passion w/ Michael Cerveris, Judy Kuhn and Rebecca Luker

[misterchoi]

Posted: 2/6/05 at 9:07am

you may have the opportunity to see sunday live in ny this year or next year...

Posted: 2/6/05 at 12:11pm

I just don't know where to being with "Iwish"'s remarks: Indeed, Sondheim's shows regularly lose money. And Van Gogh never sold a painting during his lifetime. Do we really need to even mention how financial success and artistic merit don't necessarily coincide?

And you are right that Sondheims scores are best appreciated after hundreds of listens. I'd say he was like Opera that way.

But to say that his shows can't or aren't appreciated on first encounter? I've seen "Sunday" several times and have known first time viewers to break down in sobs from it's beauty. Dreadfully dull? A second act in shambles? What show were you watching?

[Justice]

Posted: 2/6/05 at 2:13pm

Audra could never play Dot. Unless they change the colors of the painting.

[Chrysanthemum62001]

Posted: 2/6/05 at 2:14pm

What? Are you really serious? Please, tell me you are joking.

[Bwaydreams01]

Posted: 2/6/05 at 2:15pm

I really love this show. I actually liked it upon viewing, never heard or seen anything about it. It's such a beautifully written show with a great story. My favorite Sondheim show.

[Nokros]

Posted: 2/6/05 at 2:33pm

"IT IS VERY RARE that someone meets anyone or knows anyone who actually likes a Sondheim show upon first view unless the first viewing was preceeded by a repeated listening of the score."

I disagree... I fell in love with many Sondheim shows via the DVDs (couldn't see them live), including Sweeney, Sunday, Forum, and Into the Woods.

[BlueWizard]

Posted: 2/6/05 at 3:03pm

SUNDAY IN THE PARK is one of my favourite musicals. I disagree that the show is dull -- although I love the recording, it was watching James Lapine's original production that made this musical so very special. The original production was so full of colour and lush vitality, and Lapine's book so seeped in melacholy, that I could not help being brought to tears.

I will agree that Act II is sometimes problematic; there isn't a strong enough connection between the first and second acts. I believe that the character of George's ex-wife is superfluous and a detriment to the show -- she's given too large a part in the second act and serves little purpose. If she were removed from the show, there'd be a stronger focus on the relationship between George and Marie, would would evoke the relationship from Act I better. The ex-wife creates a triangle that ruins the whole paralleling between the two acts.

I don't see a problem with Audra McDonald playing Dot -- I'm all for colour-blind casting in roles that don't demand a particular ethnicity to tell the story. Just because the woman in the painting isn't black doesn't mean much; we're all in the theatre, we're watching illusion anyway, the colour of the painted woman's skin is pretty minor. The only problem I foresee is that Bernadette Peter's portrayal is so definitive, it'll be strange to see an actress of a different acting style play the role.

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 2/6/05 at 3:07pm

Although I am always open to color blind casting, here I can't see it possible - it would be historically inaccurate. The woman in the painting is white. As I said in other threads, it would be like a musical about Mona Lisa played by a black woman. It's just inaccurate.

[Chrysanthemum62001]

Posted: 2/6/05 at 3:10pm

I'm sorry, but that is rust rediculous! Isn't George french??? Mandy is most definately not, and I don't see how that mattered any.

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 2/6/05 at 3:12pm

French isn't the same as Asian, black, or anything else. French people are still white...

[Chrysanthemum62001]

Posted: 2/6/05 at 3:14pm

But it is still "historically inaccurate."
And not that it matters, but all french people are not white.

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 2/6/05 at 3:18pm

No, but George Seurat and the woman in the painting definitely are.

[BlueWizard]

Posted: 2/6/05 at 3:48pm

This may be a bit of a stretch, but maybe Seurat's mistress really was dark-skinned and, to please his public, he painted her as a white woman.

I'd rather have a glorious and moving performance with a black woman as Dot than a half-baked Dot from a white woman.

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 2/6/05 at 3:55pm

Of course, I agree with you. I never thought about the possibility that she were black, but that might be a bit of a stretch. It's not written into the story, so it's not like the audience would get that from the show unless they added that element - which I think they shouldn't. But I completely agree - it's not like I wouldn't go see a black Dot, and it's not like she would be less effective, but the show IS based on an insanely famous painting. It would have been like Halle Berry playing Greit in GIRL WITH A PEARL EARRING, then at the end they show the real painting, and it's of a white girl.