Putting It Together

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 has a wonderful cast of singer/actors. It is a funny piece of work that is fun to watch and very enjoyable. Now I can't just give applause to Carol Burnett for her performance, but to the rest of the actors:John Barrowman(The Fix, Sunset Boulevard, Miss Saigon), George Hearn, Ruthie Henshall(TAC Les Miserables, Hey, Mr. Producer!, She Loves Me, Chicago), and Bronson Pinchot(The Langoliers). All these actors make a wonderful performance. They hold their act together until...(well I won't give it away to those who've not seen it). All of these actors have great voices. This performance is undescribable. It is absolutely wonderful to watch. I recommend this to those who enjoy theatre or Stephen Sondheim. EponineFantine.

Well, judging by the other comments people have written about Putting It Together, there's nothing I can say that is anything different. As the blurb outside the Ethel Barrymore said this is a "Galaxy of Broadway Brilliance".

I first caught this programme on cable, and I thought it was just incredible, the next time it was on I taped it, and showed it to a few people who are also in the theatre business. And they loved it as well and all ordered copies of it. It is probably the best filmed staged production I have seen.

But why is it so good I hear you beg and plead?? Well Stephen Sondheim's songs are deeply moving, hilariously funny, warm, witty, intelligent. He ranks, in my mind, as one of the best lyricists of all time. His songs strike a deep personal chord. His songs are also excellent and challenging to perform. The cast in this production are brilliant as well. Carol Burnett handles the emotional range of Sondheim's music superbly. In the humorous numbers, she gets laughs with incredible ease, a veteran comedy performer, however as the intro for the next song starts, she will display an emotional performance of resounding sadness and bitterness, that breaking tinge that always is the basis of a Sondheim song. George Hearn is also magnificent, performing his role with a cool aloofness and casualness before sinking down into heartfelt soul-searching. However it does have to be said that I feel in a Sondheim production it is slightly more difficult for the men, because the Women end up with the slightly better material. John Barroman is an incredible singer, dancer and the love songs he sings in the show are very moving. However he has been kind of lumped with the straight man role in this show, but he does a beautiful job. Bronson Pinchot is excellent as well, providing the role of the narrator and the singer of the bits and pieces, but he too performances his numbers with comedic brilliance and excellent emotion. His number "Buddy's Blues" is a stand out. And finally, Ruthie Henshall is simply amazing: her stage presence, her singing, dancing, is all fantastic. She projects incredible meaning into songs and is a true stage star. He rendition of "More" is particularly exceptional.

The direction, the musical direction, lighting, choreography: everything in this show is brilliant, and simply done. This show is the living proof that with simplicity you can put on a brilliant show. There's is basically no set, except for strategically raised boxes, no costume changes, simple but effective lighting, chamber-size orchestra, and yet it all works so perfectly and amazingly. It really is brilliant.

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.

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.)