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Manhattan’s Quad Cinema on 13th Street is currently screening SIX BY SONDHEIM twice daily at 1:00pm and 3:00pm through Thursday. The HBO documentary will be seen for the first time on the cable channel Monday evening at 9:00pm.
Those who have followed Stephen Sondheim’s career over the years probably won’t come away with any new information, but will be entertained by the film/video archival material of interviews with Mr. Sondheim conducted over the last fifty years or so. The various segments are well edited and assembled, each to make a point about songwriting, the Broadway musical, art, or about the subject himself.
While the documentary uses familiar performance material from the past -- such as Dean Jones singing “Being Alive” in the documentary about the recording session -- there are three new staged numbers.
“Opening Doors” is performed by Jeremy Jordan (Charlie), Darren Criss (Frank) and America Ferrera (Mary) in two parts, one early in the program and the other later. That part two is the highlight of the entire documentary. It opens with Frank and Charlie auditioning for the producer who is played by none other than Mr. Sondheim (a treat); and then goes on from there to the nightclub audition (Jackie Hoffman doesn’t get the part, but Laura Osnes does) and back to the rooftop. Would this ever be a terrific cast for a revival! (Or too bad “Merrily” has already been done at Encores!)
After a montage (from YouTube) of famous women singing “Send in the Clowns,” Audra McDonald picks up and finishes the song (superbly), while Will Swenson (in shadow) accompanies on the guitar.
There is a bizarre staging of “I’m Still Here” in a nightclub where Jarvis Cocker of the rock band Pulp sings to an audience mostly of “women of a certain age” whom we see in closeup. They often look like subjects Diane Arbus was fond of photographing. Well, at least, the number demonstrates “I’m Still Here” can be explored in unusual and unconventional ways.
“Six by Sondheim” has a running time of 1 hour, 25 minutes.
Click here for more information, per the HBO website.
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