On Friday the resumption of theatre life began in New York; meanwhile, today is the 50th anniversary of the Broadway opening night of Stephen Sondheim’s Follies, his jagged and shattering tribute to the musicals as well as the marriages of yesteryear, as James Goldman’s characters confront their current predicaments as middle and old-aged people looking back on their lives through the prism of the nostalgia of their theatrical pasts — all set to a score that gently pastiches the songs of the period while actually improving on them.
‘There’s always something new to speak to me’: Mark Shenton chooses his top ten Sondheim songs
We are now onto the third of my new weekly musical theatre podcast series ShenTens. This week I count down my top ten favourite Sondheim songs — at least my favourites right now.
The Show People Podcast: Stephen Mear uses a harness and a swing
The Show People Podcast is back and in this episode host Andrew Keates is joined by world renowned and Olivier Award-winning choreographer Stephen Mear.
Losing my mind over Losing My Mind: 10 top takes on Sondheim’s classic
With the National’s highly anticipated production of Follies about to start previews, I thought I’d listen to about a hundred different versions of perhaps its most famous song – Losing My Mind – and try and decide on a top ten.
Report on: Stephen Sondheim Society Student Performer of the Year Awards 2016
Sunday 15 May 2016 saw the Stephen Sondheim Society Student Performer of the Year Awards 2016 take place at London’s Novello Theatre, with Guildford School of Acting’s Courtney Bowman (pictured centre) crowned the winner. Catherine Francoise was at the event for www.jonathanbaz.com and reports.
GUYS & DOLLS – West End
History-Boy-made-good Jamie Parker is beyond excellent, refining Sky Masterson with a crisp intelligence and occasional glimpses of hesitant motive and the inner workings of a genuinely three dimensional character that completely escaped Brando in the movie.
Why do we love celebrating Stephen Sondheim so much?
Next weekend, the 85th birthday of American composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim will be marked (albeit, somewhat belatedly – his actual birthday was on 22 March) in grand, celebratory at the West End’s 2,000-seat Theatre Royal Drury Lane, care of the Sondheim Society.
Judging Sondheim Society Student standouts and new songs … from my seat in the stalls
On Sunday, I attended my first Stephen Sondheim Society Student Performer of the Year Awards (or, the SSSSPOTYs, ‘for short’!). The competition is now in its ninth year – and I, for one, certainly intend to be back for its tenth anniversary in 2016. The SSSSPOTYs …. wait, wait, do I really have to call them […]