sunday in the park question.

[apdarcey]

Posted: 2/9/05 at 12:02am

so during my sondheim recital next month i'm doing finishing the hat. great song! my one concern, and my accompanist's complaint is that you don't learn about the story or plot of the song just through the music. she thought i was a hatmaker at the end of the piece. so i'm trying to learn about the preceding scene and what causes this song in the storyline. i would appreciate any help. me and my recital partner are also considering maybe doing this scene before the song if it is between george and dot. if anyone has it and could let me see it or could just tell me about it i would love you forever! andrew

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 2/9/05 at 12:08am

The scene is just George painting in the park, and the other people in the park gossiping about him.

[Justice]

Posted: 2/9/05 at 12:08am

Very simple...
He's painting a hat.
He has put his painting before his lovelife, and his goal, instead of keeping his relationship alive with Dot, is to finish the ppainting that has consumed every moment of his waking life.

Dot left him for a baker.

[apdarcey]

Posted: 2/9/05 at 12:53am

so is there any scene before it that can be done by just one person or by two people to put the song in context? because the ideas of putting the finish on the painting because he can't in the real world with his relationship with dot doesn't come across through just the song, without knowing anything about the story or the moment when this song comes. do you know what i'm saying?

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 2/9/05 at 1:00am

When george is singing FINISHING THE HAT, he is not painting, but sometimes sketching what he sees in the park. There isn't a scene before it or anything that's doable with 2 people. Why don't you read the script?

[Jazzysuite82]

Posted: 2/9/05 at 1:25am

Better yet, buy or rent the video or DVD. Generally when dealing with any music that's from a larger work whether it's an opera musical or play, it's your job as the performer to read, listen to and if possible watch the entire work. It's better to do this so you don't ask on a message board and get an answer that might or might not help. Instead you are free to see it and make your own observations and interpret it how you see it. That's part of the work of being an artist. That being said I suggest you take the lyrics apart from the music. If you look the entire song is a story. At the top of the song he's flipping through his sketch book, looking at the people he's sketched. Hence bonnet flapping, ruff etc. All of that is established in the Day Off sequence (yet another reason to see or read it). An artist is always thinking about his work. He's always seeing something new to add or change about it (that's par for artistry). In the back of his head he knows that Dot expects more from him emotionally but he can't give it to her. Even when they're together there's always a part of him thinking about a project. And he realizes that it's something that's inevitable and he'll always end up hurting the women he loves because of it. And the women who don't hurt, aren't the women he really cares about. In the end,as it has been said before, he chooses his art. It's a complete journey if you look closely. Sondheim isn't as cryptic as he initially seems. I hope this helps!!!

[SueleenGay]

Posted: 2/9/05 at 2:41am

Great description, Jazzy, but here is my question...Why the hell are you doing this song in a recital if you don't know what it is about? Is that not part of your job? To research and explore the material? Don't you have a mind of your own? Why did you choose this song if you did not know everything about it? Who is advising you and what grade are you in? I am just saying that "next month" is a bit late to be wondering what the song is about.

[MusicMan]

Posted: 2/9/05 at 10:50am

Why not do a portion of the COLOR AND LIGHT sequence, where Georges is actually working on the painting and refers to "finishing the hat" and " Dot getting fat" in a pointillistic manner, and then segue into FINISHING THE HAT proper? The context and the relationship will have been established without a lot of unnecessary exposition or explanation. You'll also score points for creativity and cleverness of construction.

[apdarcey]

Posted: 2/9/05 at 12:21pm

thank you music man, this is the type of help i was looking for. I KNOW THE STORY, I KNOW THE SONG. as i said. my pianist did not and was very confused and that's indicative of the audience because the normal audience doesn't come in knowing every detail about this show. other shows, perhaps. not this one. i don't enjoy being scolded as jazzy did because i have done my job and my research, i could answer any question that my teacher or pianist answered me. what we were searching for was a way to incorporate those answers for the audience's sake. so that they are not confused and understand that journey that jazzy spoke so eloquently of. but as far as i can gather there's no scene that would help me out? am i right in assuming that?

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 2/9/05 at 12:43pm

That's exactly what we're saying - buy or read the script or watch the movie and find out for yourself. You obviously don't know it as well as you claim to if you have to ask us.

[Jazzysuite82]

Posted: 2/9/05 at 6:53pm

Ummm for the record I wasn't scolding you, that was SueleenGay. I was just merely telling you in case you didn't know that because that's the impression people are getting from your post. You were asking about scenes prior to the number. It just sounded like "I don't know the play". I simply said it's a good idea to do all the research. I think the idea Music Man said is interesting and generally a good idea. It would take some work on you and your accompanist to make it work. It might even include doing some arranging. And what i was saying before is the song is a journey in and of itself. Force your audience to listen. Or since it's a recital, there's nothing wrong with doing a little explanation of the peice. Set up the scenerio.

[Jud Faginsky]

Posted: 2/11/05 at 7:37pm

Perhaps just introduce the song by explaining that many of us get so involved in work that we tend to neglect our families. As others have said, there are many indications in this song of George's obsession with painting and correspondly ignoring his relationship with Dot, so she gets frustrated and leaves him. Tell the audience that the song is about a person's obsession with work and the consequences of that obsession. They also need to know that the person happens to be a painter. Given that, I think they would understand the song. There's a line in the song about always a part of you is standing by, thinking about something else (I'm paraphrasing here). Maybe quote some of those lines before you sing the song, that will help to put it in context and get the audience to relate to it. I think any set up of this type really helps the audience connection. I don't think I would do a whole scene, unless you want to devote a large part of your recital to this show.