My Musical Theater Voyage of Discovery; The Sondheim Files - Sunday in the Park with George

SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE is my favourite musical. This and NINE – and why not? They are musicals about the plight of the artist and every word and note of the script and score are essential to the telling of each story. I spent years watching the PBS video and listening to the obc with Mandy Patinkin and Bernadette Peters. It is, all of it, complete perfection. I have been in love with Sunday from day one. I turn on the cd and let it run, allowing the artistry of all to wash over me.

A few years ago, a production of the play was brought over from England – along with it came its’ two stars, Daniel Evans and Jenna Russell. I saw the production (the rest of the cast was American actors, including Mary Beth Piel, who we love) twice and both times I was destroyed by it. It was one of the most memorable trips to the theater in my life.

Usually, I tend to favour the first version of a record that I hear – but that doesn’t mean I don’t like subsequent versions that I hear. I actually enjoy almost all of the different recordings of FOLLIES, though not all the different versions of A Little Night Music. With Sunday in the Park With George, I am equally devoted to each cd. One was my first and the other was the one I saw. I have both the obc and the revival cast in my Ipod and I play them, each of them, depending on my mood. I will say this – when I listen to the obc I am happy. When I listen to the revival cd (it is actually the UK recording – no Broadway cast recording was done) – I cry because I am reminded of how exemplary it was.

I can always listen to Sunday in the Park with George.