Play it again, Steve

ost rabid Beatles tans rolled their eyes in the mid-1990s when collections of rarities (Live ut the BKC, the three Anthology sets) were officially released. Beatle bootlegs had eireled the globe hundreds of times over the previous three deeades, and Fab Hour purists insisted that the tndy great Beatle outtakes were nowhere to be found. Ultimately the 1990s compilations, however imperfect, sold millions worldwide and allowed a new generation to become hardcore Beatles fans. Likewise, Stephen Sondheim fanatics might cavil at the selections on Sontlheim Sings (PS Classics Inc., the only nonprofit record label devoted to musical theatre), the first in a projected scries of CDs of Sondheim performing his songs from private demo recordings, and they might prefer other versions of other songs in their own bootleg collections. But for those unfamiliar with Sondheim's performing, and unaware of his rarer works, this album of songs from A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum through A Little Xight Music is an excellent introduction. Sondheim has been quick to denigrate his singing ability, and he's quoted in the liner notes as saying, "1 tend to sing very loud, usually off pitch and always write in keys that are just out of my range." With the exception of Johnny Mercer or Comden and Green, who started their show business careers as performers, Sondheim's singing is no better or worse than that of most of the great Broadway songwriters. \\Tiat he might lack in professional polish, however, he more than makes up for in enthusiasm and an obvious pride in his songs. One such example is Sondheim's performance of an early version of "The Glamorous Life," before a small, appreciative audience at a backer's audition for<i Little Xight Music. He quickly juggles back and forth singing each of the three characters (Desiree, Mme. Armfeldt and FYedrika) while also playing Fredrika's scales: "She even hits wrong notes ...," Sondheim reassures the audience. The original version of the song had an additional third verse, and Desiree's lyrics .verc markedly different: at one point she sings "ct cct'ra," which would reappear in "A Weekend in the Country," where it would be rhvnied with "Petra."

REVIEW BY ANDREW 1 I

Seven of the 19 songs included were ally cut from Sondheim shows, while two mure were significantly condensed by the time they reached Broadway. Listening to the previously, unknown material in this collection, you can appreciate Sondheim's sheer versatility, while totally understanding why these songs were either shortened or cut entirely. For example, Sondheim Sings includes the two attempts at an opening number for forum before "Comedy Tonight." "Love Is in the Air" would be performed in 197,Vs Sondheim: A Musical Tribute and Side by Side by Sondheim; it appears here with slightly different lyrics. It's a pleasant song, but it left audiences unprepared for the ensuing comedy. The first section of Sondheim's replacement song, "Invocation," was reworked into the opening song of The Frogs ("Gods of the thuatc* smile on us ...",, but the entire song has never been recorded. "Invocation" has a jaunty melody and some phrases Sondheim would retain for "Comedy Tonight" ("Allow matters weighty to wait"; "Forget laurels, helmets and crowns/Receive lovers, liars and clowns"), but a closer examination of the song reveals it lacks the visual imagery to establish what Forum is all about. Play doctor Jerome Robbins was right to demand that Sondheim write an easier opening number to choreograph. In some of the unknown songs on the album, listeners can hear concepts that reappear in later Sondheim works. During a deleted section of--"-Don't Look at Me" from Follies, the middleaged Ben asks Sally, "Ought we to do what one does/Reminisce about how we miss what never was?" This anticipates the conclusion of "Like It Was" from Merrily We Roll. Along, where a middle-aged Mary laments, "That's what everyone does/Blames the way it is/On the way it vvas/On the way it never ever was." And the central ' theme of obsession in Company's "Multitudes of Amys" ("Avenues of Amys/Offieefuls of Amys/Everywhere I go") prefigures Giorgio and Fosca in Passion ("Everywhere I turn, you are there/Everywhere I look, things are different"). Some of the album's pleasures are subtler. It's a novel experience to hear "Broadway Baby" and "Losing My Mind" minus their familiar (almost preordained) opening vamps, and the latter song without the A-flat major scale accompaniment in the final section (under "I dim the lights ..."). It's further testimony that a sizable amount of the credit for the Sondheim sound belongs to orehestrators like Jonathan Tunick. The producer, Peter E. Jones, is to be commended for digitally cleaning up the original reel-to-reel demo tapes, which now sound as if
CONTINUES ON PAGE 44

142 The Sondheim Review

Candida on DVD
trip to the theatre for Bernstein's Candide affords us the chance at a lovely ideal; "The best of all possible worlds." A delightfully irreverent new concert version, directed by Lonny Price, reveals a marriage of live theatre and film whereby Bernstein and Voltaire's ideal is distinctly true. Originally aired on public television's Great Performances series and taped in a single night, the DVD is a combination of theatrical fun mixed with the solid musicality of the New York Philharmonic, conducted by Marin Alsop. At times a touching look at love and triumph, the production is in the same breath a biting social commentary whose themes remain strikingly topical. The original 1956 production perplexed theatregoers, and was not received as well as Bernstein had envisioned. But a revitalization of the piece occurred with Harold Prince's 1974 revival. It included a new book by Hugh Wheeler (who also wrote the book for A Little Night Music) and additional lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. For the concert endeavor recorded on this DVD, Price strove for a combination of versions that would suit audience members and experts alike keeping the spirit of the Voltaire novella, yet being careful not to trample on the music. Though the silliness of the production is entertaining, it lacks the tenderness and subtlety that could have revealed the shows' varied colors. Kristin Chenoweth, as Cunegonde, leads the

REVIEW BY M. GRUNERUO

eclectic cast. She scales the peaks and valleys ofij Bernstein's marvelous score with comedic prowess. She is most suited to the role of qu ingenue and looks like a dainty ballerina atop t| music box in frothy pink. Patti LuPonc is the saucy Old Lady, and her fame is unabashedly exploited in the tongue-in-cheek production. She plays herself, rarely deviating from her brash, familiar antics, although her voice seems"! uncomfortable with the demanding music. The title role of Candide is sung by opera tenor Paul Groves. Although he sings with supreme ease and musicality, he does not possess the same comic sensibility of his co-stars and that which the production demands. (The Juilliard student and the Westminster Chorus make for a robust sound and add youthful frolic to the various bits of business, although the decision to clothe them in orange track suits reminiscent of prison garb is strange at best.) Rounding out the tight principal players are Jeff Blumenkrantz as Maximilian in a bit of humorous concept casting, and Sir Thomas Allen as the splendid chameleon Pangloss. The score leaps through genres and styles with ease part opera, part musical comedy amusement with unforgettable melodies such as the breathtaking finale, "Make Our Garden Grow." In addition, Candide is gifted with crisp, witty lyrics that pop from the stage. In Price's skilled hands, this garden blossoms, and the lighthearted romp is not to be missed on DVT). ITSRI
M. GRUNERUD is a professional performer and freelance writer who lives in New York City.

PLAY IT AGAIN, STEVE, FROM PAGE 42

PACIFIC OVERTURCS, FROM PAGE 43

they were recorded yesterday. Sondheim Sings includes color and black-and-white production photos, and lyrics to all the songs, including revised lyrics to earlier versions of songs. Larry Gelbart offers a brief tribute to his Forum collaborator, and .Jones, also Sondheim's friend and archivist, provides extensive liQer notes. PS Classics Inc. is promising further collections of Sondheim demos, including private songs for friends and music from college shows. This initial release indicates they have the skill and professionalise to pull it off. Sondheim Sings will be a must-buy for the Sondheim fan ... and even Sondheim purists will have to pick up a copy. ITSRI
ANDREW J. MILNER reviews books and CDs for the Philadelphia City Paper. His essay, "Let the Pupil Show the Master," appeared in Stephen Sondheim: A Casebook.

and military advances in each case. Those productions omitted any reference to World War II, but the new recording finally acknowledges the impact of the atomic bomb in "Next" with a chilling explosion. intimately, this recording wins you over, its limitations only rarely diverting attention from the brilliance of Sondheim's achievement. And there's an added treat: The composer-lyricist himself in 1975 performing "Prayers." which was cut before the original production, with producer-director Harold Prince as narrator. The song has kernels of musical material that show up throughout Pacific Overtures. It's proves to be a thrilling companion to Sondheim Sings, the recording of fascinating demos also just released by PS Classics Inc. ITSRI
DONALD ROSENBERG is classical music critic of The Plain Dealer (Cleveland) and author of The Cleveland Orchestra Story: 'Second to None.'

144 The Sondheim Review