6 March - 4 April 2009
Director: Scott Andrew
Musical Director: Barry Jones
Choreographer: Andrew Norman
CAST/PRODUCTION PERSONNEL - click here
PHOTOS - click here
REVIEWS
SOPHISTICATED SHOW TO WOW AUDIENCES
Reviewed by Sandra Crosbie (Feilding Herald)
Put on your bling, and sip on a martini and then you would feel at home with the cast, music and setting of Sondheim’s Musical Review, Putting It Together. This is a sophisticated hi-brow production that challenges the minds and entertains the audience through a plethora of Sondheim songs. It is not a light and frothy show.
Set at a black-tie party in a Manhattan penthouse given by wealthy hosts ‘Charles’ (Chris Green) and ‘Amy’ (Andrea Potts), the couple look back through their relationships and its various emotions and marital difficulties.
Another couple at the party, ‘Barry’ (Bradford Meurk) and ‘Julie’ (Amy Hunt) are in a completely different stage of a relationship, being younger and more optimistic.
Known only as ‘The Observer’ (Andrew Norman) puts the songs into context as they are all extracted from a long list of Sondheim musical productions such as Merrily We Roll Along, Sweeny Todd, Follies and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.
Solos, duos and group numbers, the small cast of five works well together with both their rich-toned voices and characterisations. These are challenging roles and the cast require more than just a great voice – it requires dynamic musical theatrics.
Potts is at her best in some of her solo performances. With comedic timing her Not Getting Married Today had the audience gasping in support of her musical athleticism. The duet with Amy Hunt – Lovely – was also another highlight. Both women got the chance to show off their abilities to a maximum level and were well appreciated by the audience.
The men also shined in their roles with some beautiful and soulful renditions of some delightful songs while Norman had the challenge of filling in various roles and linking the songs together.
The simple but striking set is brought to life with ever-changing and effective shadow projections.
The four-piece band conducted by Barry Jones is set at the back of the stage and their challenging effort of continuous playing during the 34 songs was superb and deserving of full credit.
Scott Andrew’s tight direction and Norman’s choreography ensures the show works well and is entertaining. It could be easy to get the direction of this show quite wrong.
Putting It Together will be appreciated by a mature audience who enjoy classy musical entertainment.
CAST SINGS UP SONDHEIM STORM
Reviewed by Tina White
Putting It Together is a collection of songs from about 14 Stephen Sondheim musicals, some of them classics like A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum and A Little Night Music, others lesser-known. But don't expect Send in the Clowns or Comedy Tonight.
Take five people at a New York cocktail party: An older married couple whose long relationship has hit a stale patch; a pair of attractive young lovers, whose future still lies before them; and the Observer, a character who acts as interpreter and Greek chorus for them all.
This is pretty much the whole plot, and the characters' musings during the evening are summed up in songs and dance numbers both wry and sad, funny and hopeful.
Sondheim has said that this is a "review" not a "revue" because he wants the audience to think. Personally I found myself ditching the rather cliched deep thoughts of brittle, sophisticated Manhattan, in my enjoyment of the cast singing up a storm at the Abbey Musical Theatre last Saturday night.
Chris Green and Andrea Potts play 'Charles' and 'Amy', the well-heeled party hosts, Bradford Meurk and Amy Hunt are 'Barry' and 'Julie', the young lovers, and Andrew Norman (in his Abbey Theatre debut) plays 'The Observer'.
Director Scott Andrew, Choreographer Andrew Norman and Musical Director Barry Jones have honed the performers into a crisp, workman-like ensemble. The cast's strong singing, musicality and timing invests the songs with all the nuances possible, and on Saturday night, especially in the high-energy second half of the show,there was one standout solo or duet after another.
Mind you, I'd have liked to hear some of Andrew Norman's lines more clearly (possibly masked by the music's volume) and I felt that Andrea Pott's character deserved a more glamorous costume and make-up, as befitted her New York society status.
Well worth a visit.
STYLISH BLACK TIE CABARET
Reviewed by Richard Mays
Composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim is certainly prolific. 19 stage shows, a number of film and TV scores, seven Tony Awards - including a special Lifetime Achievement award, as well as an Academy Award, a couple of Grammys and a Pulitzer. Among his works are Sweeny Todd (the movie version starred Johnny Depp), A Little Night Music, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Into the Woods, songs for Warren Beatty's Dick Tracy, the lyrics for West Side Story, and famously, Send in the Clowns.
Putting It Together is something of a sampler (Sondheim's fourth), containing the recontextualised songs from 14 shows in what can only be described as a black tie cabaret. Sondheim has taken 34 songs out of their original contexts, and redistributed their sophisticatedly acerbic lyrics and complicated scores amongst five people at a New York cocktail party.
Younger couple 'Barry' and 'Julie' are all over one another while older couple 'Amy' and 'George' are just over one another. Fifth character 'The Oserver' offers commentary and is often a foil - especially for 'Amy's' extra-marital desires and escapdes.
A little stilted to start with, the ensemble gradually warmed to lay on what evolved into an exceptional review - rather than revue. As 'The Observer' commented during the introduction, a review gives the audience something to think over.
Be that as it may, the trick is all in the presentation and execution. Enhanced by cleverly choreographed movement, Andrea Potts, Amy Hunt, Chris Green, Bradford Meurk and Andrew Norman delivered polished vocal interpretations, enhanced by appropriate poses, poise, expressions and interaction.
Many of the numbers are highly theatrical - several being little spats in song - and while the first act felt about three songs too long, the second came together with panache. Back in Business, Ladies Who Lunch, the super-bitchy There's Always a Woman, Buddy's Blues, Pott's superb Not Geting Married Today, and the ensemble work from Merrily We Roll Along, made it a second half to savour. Detracting slightly from this was some patchy lighting.
Partially visible through a backstage screen, Barry Jones' terrific four-piece combo provided perfect accompaniment for this tuneful and witty expose of well-heeled cosmopolitan style.
SONDHEIM PUTS TOGETHER A TREAT
Reviewed by Mary Procter
Putting It Together, Abbey Theatre's latest production by Stephen Sondheim, had many parallels with the delicious complimentary dessert, a chocolate gateaux, I was given before the show began. The show was rich but not too heavy, there were whipped cream moments but also some of pure dark chocolate. At the end you felt replete, but not overwhelmed, challenged, but joyful.
Set in an upmarket apartment, the show follows a cocktail party, and the developing, and perhaps decaying, relationships between the four characters, introduced and commented on by 'The Observer'.
Using songs from many of his other shows, Sondheim and Julia McKenzie have put together a "review" - a look back - that they hope will challenge and invigorate their audiences.
Chris Green and Andrea Potts, playing 'Charles' and 'Julie', bring experience and maturity to their characters. The sadness of a long-time relationship in trouble, along with the love that has sustained it, provides pathos and humour.
The younger couple, 'Barry' and 'Julie', played by Bradford Meurk and Amy Hunt, showed a freshness that excited the audience. Andrew Norman, as 'The Observer', introduced, commented, and almost stole the show in his Buddy's Blues. I particulary enjoyed the interaction between the women - the jealousy, the fake friendship and eventually the acceptance; the comic irony lifted the intensity.
Each of the actors had a fine voice, and I would have loved tohear them sing without microphones as they were all strong, confident singers, and some of the integrity of the characterisation was lost due to the slightly tinny amplified sounds.
They were ably supported by the band, made up of Barry Jones, Melanie Smith, Ben Michael, Jonathan Woolley and Liam Prince.
The set was minimalist, just as you would expect from the apartment of such a wealthy couple, but enhanced by interesting use of gobos, for different effects such as street facades. The use of levels, hidden windows and trapdoors was also effective.
The direction team. director Scott Andrew, musical director Barry Jones and choreographer Andrew Norman have put together a slick, professional show, one that invites reflection but also entertains.
I thoroughly recommend this performance. From the dessert to the finale, it was a treat worth savouring.
