Everybody sings Sondheim. Many of his songs, with their sophisticated, intricate music and lyrics and their story-telling power, have become must-sing pieces for cabaret performers. To really “get” the songs, it’s illuminating – for performers and audiences alike – to hear and see them in the context of the shows they come from. Which is why this past season’s innovative film series at the Laurie Beechman Theatre, Screening Sondheim, was a fresh, right-on idea.

Presenting filmed versions of the original theatrical productions, the room screened four shows: Company in February, immediately prior to its PBS broadcast; Into the Woods in March; Sunday in the Park With George in April, coincidental with its modernized Broadway revival; and Sweeney Todd in May. For each of the screenings, a member of the original show cast guested, sharing anecdotes and insights about the production. Coming up: musicals from the movies, with their own popular songs that have – or may – become cabaret standards.

Peter Haas
Cabaret Scenes
April 4, 2008
www.cabaretscenes.org