Sunday in the Park with George stage version on DVD

Do you think Georges Seurat was OCD? What about Stephen Sondheim? How about Mandy Patinkin? I say meds are needed all around.

Fortunately, everyone is at the height of their powers in the creation and performance of Sunday in the Park with George, filmed from the stage musical in 1985. Sondheim, Patinkin, Peters, Lapine and even Seurat combine in some kind of alchemy to produce one of the greatest musicals of all time--beloved by many.

Movement and stillness are important components of this production, and I assume director and book writer James Lapine is due the thanks for so carefully choreographing this aspect of the show. Light also plays an important part of the show, and the physical aspects of the production are exceptionally good and really help build the drama (not to mention the painting) in the first act.

I was surprised by my reaction to Act Two. I have never seen this show on stage, but had heard the cast album many times. I was prepared to think less highly of the second act than I did of the first act. Judging just by the music, it feels, at times, a little preachy on issues that have been dealt with more subtly in the first act. On the contrary, I found the second act very emotionally moving. I had a good cry during it, actually. Perhaps it was because of the family connection that Marie dotes on, or the love of a grandparent exhibited by second act George, but it was very moving. I was moved. Now I have to move on.

Sunday in the Park with George
Music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Book and stage direction by James Lapine
Original broadway cast filmed on stage in 1986
Cast: Bernadette Peters, Mandy Patinkin, Charles Kimbrough, Brent Spiner, Barbara Bryne

Jekyll & Hyde The Musical stage version on DVD

My Year is invaded by The Hoff! Yes, David Hasselhoff appears as both Jekyll and Hyde in this filmed version of the stage musical Jekyll & Hyde The Musical.

Frank Wildhorn's erratic and rambling tunes do no favors to his performers. While being very listenable, they seem to lack a structure that allows a performer to build songs into a climax. The Hoff suffers the most under this limitation, as Jekyll and Hyde are of course given the most power ballads. A lot of the exposition and plot-moving is accomplished in the equivalent of musical theater recitatives, which have even less structure than the songs.

My first response to listening to this was that Mr. Wildhorn suffered under his own, pedestrian lyrics. But in looking this show up on the Broadway database, I see that Mr. Wildhorn did not write the lyrics or book. They are credited to Leslie Bricusse, famous for a long partnership with Anthony Newly that led to such shows as The Smell of the Greasepaint, the Roar of the Crowd. Fortunately, there is enough blame to go around.

As for Mr. Hasselhoff, I doff my hat to him. He gives a very committed performance that requires a huge range of emotions, and a large vocal range. If his baritone at times seems a bit unsupported, then at least the short phrases of the libretto allow for frequent breaths.

Mr. Wildhorn's wife, Linda Eder in her Broadway debut, originated the role of Lucy, the club singer. Here that role is played by Coleen Sexton. Barrie Ingham appeared both in the Broadway original and this cast. Of course this show ran for more than 1500 performances, proving that no one ever went broke underestimating the tastes of the public.

Jekyll & Hyde The Musical

Music by Frank Wildhorn

Lyrics and book by Leslie Bricusse

Based on a story by Robert Louis Stevenson

Cast: David Hasselhoff, Coleen Sexton, Andrea Rivette, Barry Ingham, George Merritt

Canterbury Tales original Broadway cast album on CD

I had never heard of this show, any of its creators, or any of its cast (with the exceptions of Sandy Duncan, and Geoffrey Chaucer), so I was very interested to listen to this album when I came across it in the library soundtrack collection. Canterbury Tales seems to have all the ingredients of a good show. It ran for more than 2,000 performances in London, but only 121 on Broadway.

After listening to the cast album, I have a sense why it wasn't better received on this side of the pond. The music seems to stride several styles, while not really having a point of view. Is it medieval? No. Is it of 1969? No. It's kind of both and neither at the same time. Also, each song (at least as presented on the album) is so short, it's hard to get anything from them. They never develop either to tell something about the character which is singing it, or develop musically.

With song titles like "I have a Noble Cock", "Darling Let me Teach you to Kiss", and "Hymen, Hymen" there must have been some bawdiness in this show, but it doesn't come out all that strongly in the music. I'm grateful that someone thought that the cast album had enough worth to be transferred onto CD in 1994, but I'm certain it didn't fly out of the sales bin at Tower Records.

Canterbury Tales
Music by Richard Hill and John Hawkins
Lyrics by Nevill Coghill
Book by Martin Starkie and Nevill Coghill
based on the translation of Chaucer by Mr. Coghill
Cast: George Rose, Hermione Baddeley, Martin Green, Sandy Duncan, Ed Evanko, Ann Gardner

Patience, or Bunthorne's Bride television production on DVD

What, ho! Another Gilbert and Sullivan production? I thought he had given up on them as out-dated, over-played, and uninspired? Well, sort of. While this production has a lot more to speak for it than the previous one of the series I encountered, The Mikado, I continue to look for a production of Gilbert & Sullivan that justifies my love of the genre.

One of the best things about G & S operettas are their ridiculously inspired Act One Finales, which seem to go on forever, involving every character and presenting twist after twist--both musically and in the storyline. Patience has one of the best Act One Finales, I think, and it's well presented here in a production that improves upon the staticness of the earlier production of the series I saw.

Part of the problem with this production may be the age of the cast. It's hard to believe Bunthorne or Grosvner as the apple of anyone's eye, when both performers are on the far side of 50. Even Sandra Dugdale, who enbodies the wide-eyed innocence and ample bosum of the title character, is a little long in the tooth to portray the role. But her singing is the musical standout of the cast, so I'll forgive. Kudos to Anne Collins as Lady Jane for accompanying herself on the cello during her Act Two aria, although Ms. Collins' voice lacks a bit of the contralto heft that I wanted to hear.

Patience or Bunthorne's Bride
Music by Arthur Sullivan
Libretto by William Gilbert
Based on a production by the English National Opera directed by John Cox
Cast: Derek Hammond-Stroud, Sandra Dugdale, Anne Collins, John Fryatt

Mayor: The Musical original cast album broadcast on Sirius Radio

So occasionally I have access to a car that has Sirius Radio service, and I've enjoyed listening to much of what is broadcast on "Broadway's Best Channel 77." Today I happened to be in my friend's car while they broadcast the complete cast album of Mayor: The Musical. So it's another vehicle (pun intended) for expanding my Year.

It's the high-flying 80s and Mayor Ed Koch is shaking up the establishment in New York City. According to the Broadway database, this show only ran for 70 performances, which surprises me, because the lyrics are hysterical and the premise funny. And I'm not even a New Yorker.

Maybe it cut a little too close to home, since Koch was still Mayor when this show opened in 1985. Some of the humor is lost on me because it involves local issues or New York personalities of the time. The best songs are those that poke fun at attributes of the City or it inhabitants. Maybe that's what cut a little too close?

Lenny Wolpe is a good singer but isn't given the best stuff to sing here. The funniest stuff is for the chorus: "You Can Be A New Yorker, Too!" and "March of the Yuppies", the latter which lampoons Koch's clean-up of the City.

Mayor: The Musical
Music lyrics by Charles Strouse (he redeems himself for imflicting Annie on us!)
Book by Warren Leight
Cast: Lenny Wolpe, Nancy Giles (who you may know as a commentator for CBS Sunday Morning), Ilene Kristen

The Act original Broadway cast recording on CD

Liza with a z won a Tony for her portrayal in this musical, and Kander and Ebb were nominated for the Tony in the Best Score category, but I had never heard one song from The Act. Well, I'm ready to make up for lost time.

There is a lot to like from this 1977 musical, which was the follow-up to Cabaret for the team of Kander and Ebb. It was clearly written as a star vehicle for Ms. Minnelli, and she delivers on this album. There is little for anyone else to do (at least as far as the score is concerned). As the liner notes for this CD are non-existence, I can't comment on the story or any of the non-singing roles.

Some of the music seems very much like a modern "revival" meeting, including the opening "Shine it On" and the almost humorous version of the Shaker tune "Tis a Gift to Be Simple." "Arthur in the Afternoon" is a very funny song, and I hope is included in someone's cabaret act.

Martin Scorsese directed this show! His only Broadway credit, I believe.

The Act

Music by John Kander

Lyrics by Fred Ebb

Book by George Furth

Cast: Liza Minnelli, and a couple of other people that don't really matter as far as this album is concerned.

The Apple Tree original Broadway cast recording

I've conquered the library system and checked this cast album out from the Evanston Public Library. I had never heard of The Apple Tree, and chose it because it featured Alan Alda and Barbara Harris. Neither are wonderful singers, but are clearly charming performers. The singing of Alda the younger reminds me of the singing of his father, Robert Alda, who was in the original cast of Guys and Dolls--each has a likable voice with enough legato to let the music survive. Ms. Harris has a light soubrettish voice.

This is really three musicals, each one act telling different stories that are really only connected by having the same cast, and loosely the theme of temptation. Much of the music is very witty, particularly "It's A Fish", from the Adam and Eve act of the show.

The second act is set in Roman times and the world of fighting in the lion's den. Harris really sells it in the funny, vampy "I've Got What You Want" although I don't quite understand how it fits into the story.

The third story is a Cinderella variation with Passionella (Harris) dreaming of being a movie star. Harris is the real treat of all three acts. She had her roots in comedy in Chicago 's Second City, and this show made her a star. But perhaps from the short-form of the storytelling, I don't feel any real connection to the characters. This is musical comedy at it's fluffiest.

The Apple Tree

Music by Jerry Bock

Lyrics by Sheldon Harnick

Book by Harnick and Bock

Based on stories by Mark Twain, Frank R. Stockton, and Jules Feiffer

Directed by Mike Nichols

Cast: Alan Alda, Barbara Harris, Larry Blyden, Robert Klein, Marc Jordan