Product Description

Sondheim: A Celebration at Carnegie Hall includes: Symphonic Sondheim: Sweeney Todd, Evening Introduction, Loveland/Getting Married Today, Back in Business, Good Thing Going, Losing My Mind/You Could Drive a Person Crazy, Our Time/Children Will Listen, Being Alive, Sooner or Later, Ballad of Booth, Broadway Baby, Not a Day Goes By, Green Finch and Linnet Bird, A Weekend in the Country, Send in the Clowns, Old Friends, and Sunday.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #36320 in DVD
• Released on: 2002-04-16
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Color, Compilation, DVD, Full Screen, Live, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 86 minutes

Customer Reviews

Excellent celebration!
The video shows an all-star cast performing Sondheim's songs. Special attention is required all the time because of the high quality of the interpreters but I have to choose my favorites : Liza Minelli is superb, Glenn Close is fantastic in "Send in the Clows" and you will simply adore the girl that sings "Broadway Baby"! Have lots of fun and enjoy the diversity of the work of this composer. Must have it.

Disappointed that the full performance not shown
I am a huge Sondheim fan, but I am disappointed that some of the performances that made the CD recording did not make it to the videotape. For example, the medley of "Waiting for the Girls Upstairs - Love, I Hear - Live Alone and Like It" would have been enjoyable to watch, as was the "Remember" piece from "A Little Night Music." It makes an uneducated viewer wonder why these people join everyone in singing the end to "A Weekend in the Country." The order in which they present the songs is a little perplexing. This videotape would work much better if they maintained the integrity of the production by presenting everything in the manner in which it was performed.

A Memorable Night At Carnegie Hall
On June 10, 1992, I had the good fortune to be in the audience for "Sondheim - A Celebration At Carnegie Hall." As someone who has seen the original Broadway casts of every Sondheim show since (and including) "Company," I can only say that this was a THRILLING concert. And though some numbers have been omitted, this DVD captures the excitement of that memorable evening.

Bill Irwin's hilarious opening monologue apologized for Angela Lansbury not being on hand to host the celebration. This of course alluded to Ms. Lansbury's great success presiding over the Tony Award telecasts, and how she'd become everyone's first choice to host ALL theatrical events. The audience got the joke and thoroughly enjoyed Mr. Irwin's routine. From all indications even Ms. Lansbury was amused; she happily narrated the "Anyone Can Whistle" concert at Carnegie Hall three years later.

Madeline Kahn delighted the crowd with her rendition of "Getting Married Today" and, based on the strength of her performance that night, was also invited to participate in the "Anyone Can Whistle" concert.

Other rousing highlights included (and this is just a partial list) Liza Minnelli's "Back In Business," Dorothy Loudon's "Losing My Mind"/"You Could Drive A Person Crazy," Patti LuPone's "Being Alive," Karen Ziemba & Bill Irwin's "Sooner Or Later," Patrick Cassidy & Victor Garber's "Ballad Of Booth," Bernadette Peters' "Not A Day Goes By," Harolyn Blackwell's "Green Finch & Linnet Bird," the New York City Opera's "Weekend In The Country," and Glenn Close's "Send In The Clowns." Paul Gemignani (Sondheim's conductor of choice) performed his usual magic with the orchestra, and - if that wasn't enough - a proud Stephen Sondheim appeared at the end to set up the evening's moving finale, "Sunday."

As you can imagine, this was a night of old-fashioned, full-throttle Broadway charisma. Truly an evening to remember!