Putting It Together

Putting It Together
1999 Broadway production poster
Music	Stephen Sondheim
Lyrics	Stephen Sondheim
Book	Stephen Sondheim Julia McKenzie
Productions	1992 Oxford 1993 Off-Broadway 1998 Los Angeles 1999 Broadway

Putting it Together is a musical revue showcasing the songs of Stephen Sondheim. Drawing its title from a song in Sunday in the Park with George, it was devised by Sondheim and Julia McKenzie. The revue has received several productions, beginning with its premiere in England in 1992, Broadway in 1999 and the West End in 2014.

Production history

Original UK production

The revue came about due to many requests for a new version of Sondheim's 1976 revue, Side by Side by Sondheim. Having resisted a new show, he was finally convinced by producer Cameron Mackintosh, and Julia McKenzie was brought in to assist.^[1]

Putting It Together was first performed on January 27, 1992 at the Old Fire Station Theatre in Oxford, England, where it ran for 24 performances. Directed by Julia McKenzie and produced by Cameron Mackintosh, the cast included Diana Rigg, Clive Carter, Claire Moore, Clarke Peters, and Kit Hesketh-Harvey.^[2]

Original Off-Broadway production

The Manhattan Theatre Club production opened Off-Broadway on April 1, 1993 at New York City Center, where it ran for 59 performances and 37 previews. It was directed by McKenzie and choreographed by Bob Avian, with scenery by Robin Wagner, costumes by Theoni V. Aldredge, and lighting by Tharon Musser. The cast included Stephen Collins, Christopher Durang, Michael Rupert, Rachel York, and Julie Andrews, making her return to the New York City stage after an absence of more than 30 years.

The markedly revised revue now had a slight plot: At an all-night, black-tie party in a penthouse. The hosts, an older couple (Andrews and Collins) face their disillusions and marital troubles; a younger, less jaundiced couple (Rupert and York) struggle with their feelings and desires, and a commentator (Durang) oversees and influences the action. The spouses deal with infidelity and divorce but finally reconcile before dawn.^[3] A double-compact disc recording was released by RCA Records.

Broadway revival

A production ran at the Mark Taper Forum (Los Angeles, California), from October 22, 1998 to December 6, 1998. The cast included Carol Burnett, George Hearn, John Barrowman, Ruthie Henshall, and Bronson Pinchot. This production transferred to Broadway, opening on November 21, 1999 at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre, where it ran for 101 performances and 22 previews. It was directed by Eric D. Schaeffer and choreographed by Bob Avian, with the cast featuring Burnett (The Wife), Barrowman (The Younger Man) and Pinchot (The Observer) reprising their roles, with George Hearn (The Husband) and Ruthie Henshall (The Younger Woman), with Kathie Lee Gifford replacing Burnett at some performances. The production marked the return of Burnett to the Broadway stage after performing in Moon Over Buffalo in 1995. Hearn was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical.

A recording of a live performance is available on both videotape and DVD as Putting It Together: Direct from Broadway^[4] At the final show, Burnett's skirt fell down during the song "Back in Business", which was included in the DVD.

Original London Production

The revue received its West End premiere in January 2014 at St. James Theatre, London with a cast that included Janie Dee, David Bedella, Damian Humbley, Caroline Sheen and Daniel Crossley. It was directed by Alastair Knights, with choreography by Matthew Rowland and Musical Supervision by Alex Parker. It ran for a strictly limited 3 week run, closing on the 1st February 2014. Rumours of a possible transfer have been in circles, with the Wyndham's Theatre being a possible new home for the show. ^[5]

Songs

Original production

Act I Invocation and Instructions (The Frogs) Putting It Together (Sunday in the Park with George) Rich and Happy (Merrily We Roll Along) Merrily We Roll Along (Merrily We Roll Along) Lovely (A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum) Everybody Ought to Have a Maid (A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum) Sequence: Sooner or Later (Dick Tracy) I'm Calm (A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum) Impossible (A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum) Ah, But Underneath ...! (Follies - London) Hello Little Girl (Into the Woods) My Husband the Pig/ Every Day a Little Death (A Little Night Music) Have I Got a Girl for You (Company) Pretty Women (Sweeney Todd) Now (A Little Night Music) Bang! (A Little Night Music) Country House (Follies - London) Could I Leave You? (Follies)

Act II Entr'acte/ Back in Business (Dick Tracy) Rich and Happy (Merrily We Roll Along) Night Waltzes (A Little Night Music-stage and film) Gun Song (Assassins) The Miller's Son (A Little Night Music) Live Alone and Like It (Dick Tracy) Sorry-Grateful (Company) Sweet Polly Plunkett (Sweeney Todd) I Could Drive a Person Crazy (Company) Marry Me a Little (Company) Getting Married Today (Company) Being Alive (Company) Like It Was (Merrily We Roll Along) Old Friends (Merrily We Roll Along)

Broadway production (1999)

Act I Invocation and Instructions to the Audience (from The Frogs) — The Observer Putting It Together (from Sunday in the Park with George) —The Company Rich and Happy (from Merrily We Roll Along) — The Company Do I Hear a Waltz? (from Do I Hear a Waltz?) — The Wife, The Husband Merrily We Roll Along #1 (from Merrily We Roll Along) — The Observer Lovely (from A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum) — The Younger Woman, The Wife Hello Little Girl (from Into the Woods) — The Husband, The Younger Woman My Husband the Pig (from A Little Night Music) — The Wife Everyday a Little Death (from A Little Night Music) — The Wife, The Younger Woman Everybody Ought to Have a Maid (from A Funny Thing Happened On The Way to the Forum) — The Wife, The Observer Have I Got a Girl for You (from Company) — The Younger Man, The Husband Pretty Women (from Sweeney Todd) — The Younger Man, The Husband Sooner or Later (from Dick Tracy) — The Younger Woman Bang! (from A Little Night Music) — The Younger Man, The Observer, The Younger Woman Country House (from Follies) — The Wife, The Husband Unworthy of Your Love (from Assassins) — The Younger Man, The Younger Woman Merrily We Roll Along #2 (from Merrily We Roll Along) — The Observer Could I Leave You? (from Follies) — The Wife Rich and Happy (Reprise) — The Company

Act II Back in Business (from Dick Tracy) — The Company It's Hot Up Here (from Sunday in the Park with George) — The Company The Ladies Who Lunch (from Company) — The Wife The Road You Didn't Take (from Follies) — The Husband Live Alone and Like It (from Dick Tracy) — The Younger Man More (from Dick Tracy) — The Younger Woman There's Always a Woman (from Anyone Can Whistle) — The Wife, The Younger Woman Buddy's Blues (from Follies) — The Observer Good Thing Going (from Merrily We Roll Along) — The Husband Marry Me a Little ( from Company) — The Younger Man Not Getting Married Today (from Company) — The Wife Merrily We Roll Along #3 (from Merrily We Roll Along) — The Company Being Alive (from Company) — The Company Like It Was (from Merrily We Roll Along) — The Wife Old Friends (from Merrily We Roll Along) — The Company

References

1. Abernathy, June."'Putting It Together' history" sondheim.com, retrieved August 31, 2010
2. "'Putting it Together' production history" sondheimguide.com, retrieved August 31, 2010
3. Rich, Frank.Review/Theater; Julie Andrews Sings in a Sondheim Revue (p.2)" The New York Times, April 2, 1993
4. amazon.com listing, "Putting It Together"
5. Shenton, Mark. "Sondheim Revue 'Putting it Together' to Receive London Premiere at St. James Theatre" playbill.com, November 8, 2013

External links

• Internet Broadway Database listing
• Putting It Together on The Stephen Sondheim Reference Guide
• Putting it Together (1999 Broadway version) at the Music Theatre International website
• Lortel.com listing for 1993 production
• Curtain Up review, 1999 Broadway production, date unknown
• talkinbroadway.com review, November 22, 1999