May 7-22, 2010 in the Drury Theatre in the Bartell
Music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, Meghan Randolph, Robert Goderich & Christine Callsen sing “Buddy’s Blues” from FOLLIES. Photo Credit: Marie Schulte.
with music also by Leonard Bernstein, Mary Rodgers, Richard Rodgers and Jule Styne.
Music Direced by David Sytkowski with Staging by Wendy Jones Hill
presented by Four Seasons Theatre in cooperation with Madison Theatre Guild
The sophistication, wit, insight, heart and genius of Broadway’s most innovative and influential artist is at the center of this tribute to composer-lyricist Stephen Sondheim.
Featuring a small cast accompanied by two pianos, the concert includes an array of numbers from landmark shows that revolutionized the musical theatre with their masterful craft and astounding creativity: Company, Follies, A Little Night Music, A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum, Anyone Can Whistle, and Pacific Overtures. Also included are classics written with musical theatre giants Leonard Bernstein, Jule Styne and Richard Rodgers including West Side Story, Gypsy, and Do I Hear A Waltz and rarities from the television musical Evening Primrose, the film “The Seven Percent Solution,” and The Mad Show.
Orginally conceived in 1975 as a fundraising concert for a theatre company in Wavendon, Side by Side by Sondheim went on to a full Broadway run.
“You really see the scope and artistry of Sondheim’s work in these songs. For those who’ve long admired his work, the evening is a pleasant stroll down memory lane. I imagine that audience members who aren’t as familiar will come away fans — a successful outcome for the production and a suitable birthday gift to Sondheim.”
from the review by Katie Reiser, “Talented Cast sings Four Seasons Theatre & Madison Theatre Guild’s Side By Side By Sondheim,” for The Isthmus
“This music is moving, ironic and funny, sometimes all at once. The dozen fine singers in “Side by Side” capture that, over and over again.”
from the review by Lindsay Christians, Four Seasons gets a gimmick (and it’s a good thing), for The Cap Times/77 Square
Read “Sing a Song of Sondheim (or many)” an AV Club preview by Jason Albert for The Onion.
Read “Sampling Sondheim,” a preview article by Lindsay Christians for 77 Square.
Orginally conceived in 1975 as a fundraising concert for a theatre company in Wavendon, Side by Side by Sondheim went on to a full Broadway run.
Friday 5/7/2010 at 7:30 pm
Saturday 5/8/2010 at 7:30 pm
Friday 5/14/2010 at 7:30 pm
Saturday 5/15/2010 at 3:00 pm
Thursday 5/20/2010 at 7:30 pm
Saturday 5/22/2010 at 7:30 pm
Tickets for Side by Side by Sondheim are $15. Doors to the Bartell Lobby will open at 6:30 pm for in person ticket sales for our our closing night 7:30 pm performance on Saturday, May 22.
All seating is general admission so plan to arrive early for best seating. Doors to the Drury Theatre will open half an hour before the show begins.
The Drury is located in the Bartell Theatre at 113 East Mifflin Street in Madison, WI. A second floor 190 seat theater, the venue is wheelchair accessible. All seating is general admission so arrive early to get the best seats. Concessions are sold in the Bartell lobby before the show and during intermission.
There is a city parking ramp at the corner of E. Mifflin Street and Webster. Several restaurants are located nearby including the Mercury Diner, The Blue Marlin, and The Old-Fashioned.
Rick Henslin, Doug Swenson, Wendy Jones, Tamara Brognano, Marja Barger
Leslie Cao, Sarah Melton Blakeslee, Christine Callsen, Meghan Randolph
Kevin Blakeslee, Jordan Peterson, Bobby Goderich
The UW-Madison Wisconsin Center for Film and Theater Research (located in the Wisconsin Historical Society) has many of Sondheim’s original papers including an early score for “Climb High,” a musical he wrote in college and lyrics for “West Side Story.”
Listen to a recent interview of Stephen Sondheim on NPR.
Learn more about this history of Side by Side by Sondheim.
Listen to samples from the 1976 cast recording.