February 2011
124 posts
The Story Of Lucy And Jessie
Janis Siegel
You might know Janis Siegel as a member of the Manhattan Transfer. But have you heard her solo Sketches of Broadway album? It’s great, with a song stack that defies standard expectations for a set of jazz takes on show tunes. (“A Woman’s Prerogative” from St. Louis Woman? Genius choice.) On the Sondheim front, in addition to this track, she also sings “Sorry/Grateful.”
“If Cole Porter represented utter elegance, Sondheim was determined dishevelment.”
—Craig Zadan, Sondheim & Co.
Everybody Loves Louis
Jessica Molaskey
Continuing my weekend obsession with Sunday in the Park with George, and my overall obsession with Jessica Molaskey, here’s her rendition of “Everybody Loves Louis” from her excellent album A Kiss To Build A Dream On.
“[Her] lyrics were often characterized by introspective ruefulness infused with self-deprecatory humor and eventual optimism…”
—Stephen Sondheim on Dorothy Fields
reflecting on her influence on his lyrics for the second half of “I’m Still Here”
(Finishing The Hat page 221) (via dorothyfields)
reflecting on her influence on his lyrics for the second half of “I’m Still Here”
(Finishing The Hat page 221) (via dorothyfields)
Play
“If you feel a sense of coalition,
then you never really stand alone.
If you want your work to reach fruition,
what you need’s a link with your tradition.” —“Putting it Together,” Sunday in the Park With George
then you never really stand alone.
If you want your work to reach fruition,
what you need’s a link with your tradition.” —“Putting it Together,” Sunday in the Park With George
You'll Never Get Away From Me (from Gypsy)
Judy Kuhn
Latin-themed covers of showtunes never fail to please me. This is Judy Kuhn with a fantastic take on “You’ll Never Get Away From Me” from her Jule Styne album, in a delightful nod to Peggy Lee’s classic Latin ala Lee.
Wait
Judy Kaye
Judy Kaye followed Patti LuPone at Mrs. Lovett in John Doyle’s production of Sweeney Todd on Broadway. This recording, from The Musicality of Sondheim, uses the more familiar Jonathan Tunick orchestrations rather than those from the Doyle production, but it gives you a nice flavor of how Kaye was in the role.
What More Do I Need?
Dawn Upshaw
Dawn Upshaw is one of the few opera stars to produce really satisfying “crossover” albums of Broadway songs. This arrangement of “What More Do I Need?” from her album I Wish It So is a little over the top, but it sure does capture the song.
Follow Friday: FuckYeahSondheim
but if you enjoy this blog, go check out Fuck Yeah Stephen Sondheim as well. The guy who runs it has more Sondheim knowledge in the tip of his little finger than I will probably ever possess, and his posts feature amazing lesser-known/obscure stuff like this. Our content will inevitably overlap at times but think of us as two complementary Sondheim tumblrs, providing your daily dose side by side (by side?)
Wow, that really made my day! Thanks! And right back at you! If you’re following me but not Fuck Yeah Sondheim, there’s probably a whole in your life like a great black pit. Had I realized that blog existed, probably wouldn’t have started this one, but…
If I dare,
It’s because I’m becoming
Aware of us
As a pair of us,
Each accepting a share
Of what’s there.
Okay, that was way dorky even for me. But the point is there - follow us both.
The Ultimate Sondheim Spoiler Alert: Seven Secrets From Look, I Made a Hat →
nymag.com
Apparently, 1994’s Passion was inspired not by Ettore Scola’s film Passione d’Amore or its source novel Fosca by Iginio Ugo Tarchetti, but by a particularly upsetting episode of Duck Tales.
Thanks for the tip off, @kevinddaly!
(And because the world is inexplicably small, can I point out that I used to do theatre in college with the author of this article?)
