Putting It Together

Stephen Sondheim is a genius. Now that that's out of the way and everybody relizes that every score he has written is a new and complex work of art I can continue with my reveiw. The show is quite good. The cast handles the various songs with ease and style. Carol Burnette is wonderful in her numbers and really funny. She also manages to make some real moments of pathos and sadness that I didn't think she was able to do. She was great. The real spotlight, however goes to George Hearn. I can see why his part earned him a Tony nomination. He not only stole the show from Carol Burnette without changing a word of the lyrics or book but he created a sense of Broadway style and flare that was not in any of the other performances. He is a master at Sondheim and I beleive one of his better interpreters. His wonderful feeling and stunning phrasing in his numbers make him a delight to watch. The rest of the cast, though good, cannot compare. See this for Hearn's preformance, you won't regret it.

This show is my favourite DVD - I've had to buy a new one to replace the old one which I pretty much wore out. There are 2 reasons this is the best: 1) Stephen Sondheim. The best musical theatre writer in history. His music is original, unexpected and really beautiful. But his lyrics are what set him apart from the others. One of the other comments mentions that his lyrics are "inane". Sorry that's just wrong. How can the following quotes, all from Sondheim musicals, be described as inane?: "Slow, love, slow! Time's so fast. Now goes quickly, see, now it's past. Soon will come, soon will last. Wait!"; "The history of the world, my sweet, is who gets eaten and who gets to eat. How gratifying for once to know that those above will serve those down below." (from Sweeney Todd). "There's another national anthem, and I think it just began, at the ballpark. Listen hard!... There's another national anthem, folks, for those who never win, for the suckers, for the pikers, for the ones who might have been." (from Assassins). 2) Ruthie Henshall. I have never quite understood why she hasn't made the big impact in other media that she has on the London stage. Over here she is the First Lady of musical theatre, and something of an iconic national treasure. I've had the pleasure of seeing her on stage in 'Chicago', and without doubt she is the most fully-rounded performer I've ever had a chance to watch. She has a voice that one reviewer described as "turning through all the colours of the rainbow", she trained as a dancer and has a grace and litheness that is all her own, and she is a rare commodity in the musical business as a woman who can actually act. All I can say is, if a young and not-that-well-known actress from England can steal a show from under the nose of one of the most successful American comediennes in showbiz history (Carol Burnett), she's got something. For these two very important reasons, this show is superlative.

PUTTING IT TOGETHER was another valentine to the musical genius of Stephen Sondheim, the best composer working in the musical theater today. Nobody can craft a tapestry of words the way Sondheim can. This is maybe the 4th or 5th musical revue based on his music but this one is a little different because each performer is assigned a thumbnail character to base the songs on and the characters are supposedly at a cocktail party when the songs are performed. The cast is sublime, led by the incomparable Carol Burnett, a gifted actress and comedienne that a lot of people forget is an amazing singer and skillful musician. She puts her own stamp on Sondheim classics like "The Ladies who Lunch", "Getting Married Today", and "Every Day a Little Death", which she duets on with Henshall. Burnett commands the stage and when she is on, you don't notice anybody else, except maybe George Hearn, the ultimate interpreter of Sondheim, having played SWEENEY TODD and Ben in the concert version of FOLLIES. His rich baritone effectively serves songs like "The Road You Didn't Take" from FOLLIES, "Good Thing Going" from MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG and his duet with Harrowman, "Pretty Women" from SWEENEY TODD. Harrowman scores with a song cut from COMPANY called "Marry Me a Little" and Henshall shines performing two songs from the movie DICK TRACY...the Oscar winning "Sooner or Later" and "More", as well as "LOVELY" from A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM. But the biggest surprise for this reviewer was Bronson Pinchot, who I had no idea was so adept at musical comedy. He serves as narrator/host for the show and opens the show with a funny song, which I believe is also from FORUM, which instructs the audience on how to behave. He is very funny dueting with Burnett on "Everybody out to have a Maid" from FORUM and brings down the house with "Buddy's Blues" from FOLLIES. And Sondheim's five part arrangement of "Being Alive" from COMPANY is just spectacular. This show is not for everyone, but if you're a fan of musical theater in general and Sondheim in particular, this show is a must-see event.

If you are a fan of Carol Burnett (and you're not bothered by her scary, plastic-surgery face), if you like Bronson Pinchot, and if you don't mind prerecorded music (and heavily miked singing...), then by all means watch this program. I *hated* it! I was so disappointed. One longs for a live orchestra, band or pianist...and better singing! I wasn't thrilled that Perfect-Strangers-Balki was in it (and even more dismayed when he opened his mouth), and I was bitterly sad that George Hearn deigned to appear in this travesty. A performer like him shouldn't be in this!

There are however some pretty good extras: an interview with Ms. Burnett and an outtake (very hilarious! It was my favorite part.)

This is the best filmed performance of a Broadway show that I've seen since Victor/Victoria. The music is fantastic, the story is what it needs to be, the performances are remarkable. Of course, I've always been a fan of John Barrowman, I think he was probably the best performer on the stage, with the exception, of course, to the great Carol Burnett. This was her show, even with Barrowman, Henshall, and Hearn, she made this her own. She is funny, but at the same time, I think a lot of people might be surprised at her incredible ability to truly act. The seriousness she provides in some of her songs is absolutely stunning and heart wrenching. My favorite song in the show was "Unworthy of your Love" I was very happy that they added that song to the show. However, I must say that I was a little disappointed in the changes in plot and songs. The original, with Julie Andrews, had a really great plot point where all of the guests at the cocktail party play games, and through the games, they are able to sing the songs connecting with the answers they gave to certain questions, and there were so many good songs that came out of it, among them, Love Takes Time, A Little Priest, The Gun Song, The Miller's Son, Sorry-Grateful, Remember, Impossible, and so many others that were switched out for other, not quite as good songs such as Ladies Who Lunch, More, It's Hot in Here, The Road You Didn't Take, There's Always a Woman, Buddy's Blues, and Good Thing Going. Still, great performances that will change your life.