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The Manhattan
Theatre Club added the piece to its 1993 season. Work commenced on
American casting. Meeting in Sondheim's New York brownstone, the
production team set out to audition, and to woo, various well-known
performers. Seeing the newly conceived work acted out, everybody grew
increasingly excited, but could not settle on a cast. Finally, someone
suggested Julie Andrews, who had not been seen on Broadway in nearly 30
years. She reports being terrified at the prospect not merely of
performing live again, but of tackling Sondheim's notorious words and
music. |
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Far from
finding the songs cold and distant, she found the greatest challenge was
letting herself be so exposed: "Sondheim's music bares your soul.
He pierces to the heart of all our lives." She relished the
opportunity to play a character who begins with wit, charm, and the
veneer of sophistication, only to have it and her illusions stripped
away. And all in music. With Andrews won over by the challenge and
thrill of the work, the rest of the pieces fell into place. |
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| Jenny
(left) queuing to get Julie's autograph |
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Julie
is signing Jean's Playbill |
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Perhaps
the next-most inspired casting coup was to enlist
playwright/screenwriter and erstwhile actor Christopher Durang to play
the mysterious party guest who guides us through stage by several
stinging reviews, but returned for Putting It Together--like Andrews,
drawn by the work itself. In the end, he was warmly received in his
role, singled out for his inspired comic turn and devilish wit. Also in
the cast were Stephen Collins, Michael Rupert and Rachel York, all of
whom shone.
(Court Theatre) |
Mr.
Sondheim's songs are dazzling on their own merits. Has there ever
been any doubt of that? Link them as they've been linked here, and
you also get an eminently civilized investigation into the myriad
ways we catch one another or let ourselves be caught [and] what we
do once the trap has sprung shut.
-David Richards, New York Times review of Putting it Together,
1993. |
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| Jean
had arranged our tickets and I was lucky enough to have tickets for two
performances. This was the biggest thrill as I got to see Julie in a
stage production - singing, dancing and acting - and looking bloody
marvellous! |
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Intro
to "Putting It Together" - YouTube |
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Anders,
Jenny, ?, and Jean |
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