Forbidden Broadway
Forbidden Sondheim: Merrily We Stole a Song
Don’t Tell Mama, NYC, August 23, 2023
Reviewed by Bart Greenberg
The Forbidden Broadway gang was back, if just for three performances (for now) in one of the most inventive of the zillions of tributes to Stephen Sondheim given its expected sassy attitude and passion for classic Broadway. Presented as a full-scale show on the small stage at Don’t Tell Mama, it was offered as a semi-mufti production with the actors clad in stylish black clothing with only a few witty wigs to add variety to the evening. The “orchestra” was the inexhaustible Fred Barton, who served as music director and pianist and played almost without a break for the 80-minute running time in an impressive variety of musical styles. The founder of the series, Gerard Alessandrini, returned to present one of the most coherent books in the series with its focus on Sondheim the Master. The evening was a mix of old and new on-target parody lyrics, all shaded with Alessandrini’s love for the art form. He also gave a charming and brisk welcome to the audience before bringing on a cast of mostly veteran Forbidden Broadway performers, including special guest Drama Desk-nominated Christine Pedi.
Two devices were used to keep the evening together. One was a recurring refrain entitled “Merrily We Stole a Song” cleverly used in the same way as in the original Merrily We Roll Along to link segments within the show. The other was the figure of Sondheim himself offering e-mails and voice mail (real or imagined remained the opinion of the audience) as portrayed by Michael West in a commanding performance. Some of the subsequent material was brand new, sand some were classic numbers from earlier editions, much of it showing the highest wit. As always, there was an occasional misfire. The peerless cast handled whatever they were handed with polish, wit, and full-on enthusiasm. They seemed to be enjoying what their castmates were delivering while they sat and waited for their turn to shine.
The opening sequence introduced the man of the evening with “Sondheim Tonight,” that included a brief appearance by Ethel Merman (embodied perfectly by Pedi) and a bouncy welcome by Nathan Lane (the very flexible Chris Collins-Pisano). After that West offered a surprisingly moving plea to “Send in the Crowds” in reference to the less-than-stellar financial success of several of Sondheim’s shows. Perhaps the problem was that his songs included “Another Hundred Syllables” as rattled off with both speed and clarity by the wonderful and somewhat underutilized Dayna Jarae Dantzler.
Bringing back a gem from the past, the gentlemen serenaded those to come with “Bankable Stars,” a parade of some of the major names associated with Sondheim’s work. These included the classic tune for Ann Miller, “I’m Still Weird” (performed by the incredibly versatile Jenny Lee Stern as she donned the first of several character defining wigs). She was followed by Elaine Stritch with “Broadway Maybe,” which had Pedi doing what she could with one of the weakest numbers of the evening—a one-note and rather tasteless joke about the star’s alcoholism. Stern returned in a new wig as Bernadette Peters with “In Stephen’s Ears.” Then came Mandy Patinkin with “Sondheim’s Blues,” in which Collins-Pisano nailed the manic nature of the singer’s triple-personality version of the number from Follies. After that came Angela Lansbury with “The Worst Shows from London” (Pedi bemoaning her duty as an Englishwoman to attend every Broadway production from across the Atlantic—somewhat off topic but amusing nonetheless).
Next came a clever segment about Sondheim’s returning to observe current and recent productions, mostly with a jaded eye. It opened the show to a variety of sources and a wealth of diverse songwriters from whom to draw, including “Some Like It Hot” and “New York, New York” (“ought to have starred Bjork”). Both featured Dantzler and allowed her to show off some impressive pipes. “Camelot” got the skewering many thought it deserved, especially regarding its rewritten book. But the highlight of this section was Stern, who delivered a hilarious sendup of Victoria Clark in Kimberly Akimbo in which she declared, “I’m Glad I’m Not Old Anymore.” Stern also brought her talents to a portrayal of an angry Patti LuPone.
In a return to Sondheim’s own work, the focus was on the current production of Sweeney Todd, or rather “Sweetie Todd,” in which the songwriter confessed “I Fear You, Josh Groban” and the leading man had his own “Josh Groban’s Epiphany,” which was not only insightful and funny and allowed Collins-Pisano to show off his impressive range and tone. The collection of songs devoted to one show recalled such Forbidden triumphs as “Grim Hotel” and “Les Miserables.” Pedi returned to reflect on “Barbra Streisand’s Remake of Gypsy,” and the inexact art of “Putting Up Revivals.” The evening came to a close with the return of Bernadette Peters as she advised Sondheim to “Live On,” which was surprisingly moving. It was an evening of surprises and delights and a welcome continuation of the series.
