Product Description

An unforgettable chronicle of the redemptive power of love, this is a mesmerizing musical rhapsody from the Broadway team of Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine. In 19th century Italy, handsome soldier Giorgio, is embroiled in a steamy affair with lovely, and married, Clara. Giorgio is transferred from Milan to a remote military outpost where he comes into contact with the ailing, homely Fosca, his commanding officer's cousin. Fosca falls instantly and deeply in love with Giorgio, who resists her affections. Gradually she reveals, and Giorgio learns to appreciate, what is truly beautiful about herself. This highly acclaimed Broadway musical features extraordinary performances from Donna Murphy (The King & I), Marin Mazzie (Ragtime, Kiss Me Kate) and Jere Shea (Damn Yankees). A haunting study of obsessive love, this striking production offers a visual and musical feast that will linger in your heart and soul forever! Winner of 4 Tony Awards: Best Musical, Best Actress (Musical) - Donna Murphy, Best Book (Musical) - James Lapine, Best Original Musical Score - Stephen Sondheim

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #22431 in DVD
• Released on: 2003-06-10
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, Full Screen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 115 minutes

Amazon.com essential video
Based on the Italian movie Passione d'amore, Stephen Sondheim's Passion is a story of obsessive love. Giorgio (Jere Shea), a soldier, and Clara (Marin Mazzie), a woman with a husband and child, are deeply in love, but their idyllic happiness is disrupted when Giorgio is transferred to another post. Here he meets Signora Fosca (Donna Murphy), a homely and ill woman who is the cousin of the regiment's commanding officer. Fosca soon falls in love with Giorgio and pursues him relentlessly, saying "Loving you is not a choice / It's who I am." He is repulsed and resists her advances, but eventually he succumbs to the power of her love.

Rather than a succession of individual songs strung together by dialogue, Stephen Sondheim's score is a constant flow of gorgeous music. (The original theater program listed no individual songs.) The plot is conveyed by song, some dialogue, letters between the characters, and a group of soldiers that serves as a Greek chorus. The result is more of a chamber opera than a conventional musical. Passion won Tonys for Best Musical, Best Score, and Best Book of 1994.

This video is a stage production filmed for American Playhouse with all of the original Broadway principals, though not before a live audience. To suit television audiences, the producers weakened the opening love scene by removing the nudity of the stage version; instead Mazzie awkwardly tries to keep herself wrapped in sheets as she sings to Giorgio of her bliss. Murphy gives a powerful, Tony-winning performance as Fosca, Mazzie is in glorious voice as Clara, and Shea brings a pretty voice, a pretty face, and a wooden personality to Giorgio. --David Horiuchi

DVD features
The Passion DVD commentary track offers a rare opportunity to hear composer Stephen Sondheim discussing his work, joined by writer-director James Lapine, artistic associate Ira Weitzman, and actors Donna Murphy, Marin Mazzie, and Jere Shea. (Sondheim, Lapine, and cast also recorded a commentary for Sunday in the Park with George.) Things get off to a rousing star with the opening nude scene, as the others pepper Mazzie with questions such as where the microphone was stashed. Their giddiness is a lot of fun (after one five-second waltz they say "We hope you enjoyed the big dance number!" and Murphy recalls that her husband asked, "Do I have to have breakfast with Fosca? Wash your hair, for Chrissakes!"). But there are serious moments too. Passion is a powerful, challenging work that tends to polarize audiences, and the group discusses how they felt about some of the reactions they received. Note that the commentary should put to rest the old rumor that they filmed an alternate version of the opening scene that revealed more nudity. --David Horiuchi

Customer Reviews

Lapine Shines, Sondheim Falls Short
I love Sondheim. He is a god to me. Every work of his I've ever seen is one I've loved - Into the Woods, Sweeney Todd, Company, Sunday in the Park With George. I ordinarily credit him with all the greatness of each musical, despite the profound efforts of his collaborators - Lapine, Furth, Wheeler, etc. - because I always feel that his score and his lyrics so perfectly capture the entire essence of the characters and the play itself that the writers deserve very little credit. However, that is not the case in Passion.

Don't get me wrong - the music is gorgeous (I hear a little Sweeney in there), and the lyrics are great. They just aren't his best. I didn't feel the characters quite as strongly through the music as I did through the scenes, which just isn't usual for a Sondheim show. Hence - Lapine shines, while Sondheim falls short of delivering the way we're used to, which I wouldn't credit any less than near perfection - no doubt, a lot to live up to. More than forgivable.

That being said, it's a good show. I can find fault in many places. There is an expectation of the audience to identify with Fosca by the end, which is not plausible considering the entirely creepy way Donna Murphy portrays her. Perhaps it is not so much her performance as it is the costumes and make-up. Granted - she is not supposed to be beautiful. But that does not mean she is supposed to be hideous or mortifyingly stalker-ish. It is hard to identify with someone who blatantly disregarded the will of the one she loved, following him anywhere he went.

That being said, Donna Murphy's acting was incredibly emotional and moving. Jere Shea and Marin Mazzie, less so, but still good. Tom Aldredge shines as well. The entire show itself is simply top-heavy with emotion...not surprising, considering the title, but a little humor or applause to break the tension would have been entirely fitting. It is just incredibly mentally taxing to sit through 2 hours of - literal - passion.

All that said, good show, and good performance. Just too much, for lack of a better term.

Sondheim's Masterpiece!
This is undoubtably Sondheim's masterpiece. An almost 2 hour rhapsody beautifully sung, acted, staged and filmed.
This is a must for every Sondheim fan!!!

I love this work...
I love all Sondheim but this is my favorite.
The one thing that would make my life perfect (well,almost) would be if the concert performance from Jazz at Lincoln Center were also released on DVD so I could have both, with their different emphasis, to enjoy.
Till then this is the more "human", the other walks into catholic mysticism, of the two great performances and it's devastating.