Stephen Sondheim

Mel Giedroyc joins the cast of Stephen Sondheim’s Company at the Gielgud Theatre

News, West End
Mel Giedroyc joins the cast of Company at the Gieldgud Theatre

Mel Giedroyc will join the cast of Marianne Elliott’s upcoming production of Stephen Sondheim and George Furth’s musical Company at the Gielgud Theatre. Mel Giedroyc is to play  Sarah joining Rosalie Craig as Bobbi and Broadway’s Patti LuPone as Joanne when Company opens at the Gielgud Theatre from 26 September 2018.  This production sees the central role of Bobby re-imagined as Bobbi, the first time this role will have been played by a woman with the blessing of Stephen Sondheim. Mel Giedroyc said: ‘I am absolutely thrilled to be playing Sarah in Marianne Elliott’s upcoming production of Sondheim’s Company in the West End.  It’s been an ambition of mine to be in a Sondheim show, and to be working alongside Rosalie Craig and Patti LuPone and to be directed by the genius director that is Marianne Elliott is just the icing on the cake.’ Mel recently co-presented The Great British … Read more

REVIEW: Follies, National Theatre ✭✭✭✭✭

Reviews, West End
Stephen Sondheim's Follies at National Theatre

Follies National Theatre, 8th September 2017 5 Stars Book Follies Tickets Folly is an interesting concept: it has fascinated the western mind all the way from Erasmus of Rotterdam’s philosphical contemplation, through the artificial landscaping constructions that adorn the estates of Stowe and Stourhead, Ermenonville and Versailles, to the variety entertainments of late 19th century Paris, and into the area which principally concerns this epic musical divertissement based upon the idea: the expensive and spectacular early 20th century Broadway revues of Florenz Ziegfeld. Oddly, a lot of time seems to have been spent worrying about whether this show, with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and a book – or at least ‘scenes’ – by James Goldman, is ‘really’ a musical or just some kind of astonishing hybrid failure: its original producer Harold Prince dubbed it a ‘long-running flop’.  While these practical questions have merit, they detract from the actual … Read more

FIRST LOOK: Stephen Sondheim’s Follies at the National Theatre

Features, Gallery, West End
Stephen Sondheim's Follies at National Theatre

Enjoy Johan Persson’s gorgeous first look production photos of Follies at the Olivier Theatre. 1971, New York. There’s a party on the stage of the Weissman Theatre. Tomorrow the iconic building will be demolished. Thirty years after their final performance, the Follies girls gather to have a few drinks, sing a few songs and lie about themselves. Follies features a book by James Goldman, music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, design by Vicki Mortimer, choreography by Bill Deamer, musical supervision by Nicholas Skilbeck, orchestrations by Jonathan Tunick, musical direction by Nigel Lilley, lighting by Paule Constable and sound by Paul Groothius. Follies returns to the National Theatre in February 2019 FOLLIES TICKETS

Top 100 Greatest Musicals Poll – Number 6 – West Side Story

Features
Top 100 Greatest Musicals - West Side Story - Number 6

West Side Story with book by Arthur Laurents, music by Leonard Bernstein and lyrics by a then-aspiring young lyricist (although he wanted to write both music and lyrics) Stephen Sondheim is one of the truly great musicals of all time. In taking Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet and transposing its story to the gang culture and conflicts of 1950’s New York, its composers created a musical which is as timeless as its source material. Originally directed and choreographed by the legendary Jerome Robbins, West Side Story opened on Broadway in 1957 where it ran for 732 performances. Surprisingly, when you look back the show only won two Tony Awards in 1958 for Choreography and Scenic Design. The big winner that year was The Music Man! There is little doubt that the popularity of West Side Story grew as a result of the movie adaptation made in 1961 which was co-directed by … Read more

Top 100 Greatest Musicals Poll – Number 9 – Sweeney Todd

Features
Sweeny Todd - 9th Greatest musical of all time

Attend The Tale to find out how a Victorian penny dreadful became the subject of a play by Christopher Bond which caught the eye of one Stephen Sondheim. Taken with the tale of revenge on a grand and gruesome scale Sondheim started work on what would become the 1979 musical thriller Sweeney Todd – The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street. With music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and a book by Hugh Wheeler, Sweeney Todd was directed by Harold Prince and would follow their ground-breaking work on Company (1970), Follies (1971) A Little Night Music (1973) and Pacific Overtures (1976). Returning to London after 15 years of exile, a revenge-driven Sweeney is out for blood. Judge Turpin stole his wife, his daughter and destroyed his life. Sweeney teams up with Mrs Lovett, who has a serious problem – she is in need of a supply of fresh meat for her … Read more