A harvest of Sondheims

The situation can only be pure coincidence. The final weeks of the Manila theater season will see the opening of three musicals with words and music by Broadway legend Stephen Sondheim. These are Company by the Upstart Production at the Globe Auditorium Maybank Theater at the BGC Arts Center on Sept. 13 to 22; Passion by the Philippine Opera Company at the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium in the RCBC Plaza in Makati on September 14 to 29; and Sweeny Todd, The Demon Barber of Fleet Street at The Theatre in Solaire on October 11 to 27.

A Sondheim musical is not like one of those Rodgers and Hammerstein warhorses. Think Oklahoma or The King and I. It is also not like those phenomenal blockbusters from the West End like Les Miserables and Phantom of the Opera. I say Sondheim does not work by the book. He is an acquired taste. He can be odd at times and risky at the box-office. He can baffle or transfix and even shock audiences at times and then completely turn things around with moments of sublime beauty.

So I do not think these Manila producers and directors or actors got together one day and over lunch or dinner decided that they would all produce musicals by the great Stephen Sondheim. I think closer to the truth would be some fairy of musicals whispering to them in their sleep. “Do a musical by Stephen Sondheim. Do a musical by Stephen Sondheim. Again and again. Until they did. And happily, they all hit the perfect spots with their choices. Theater-going with Sondheim within these next few weeks is bound to be an experience.

The Tony Award winning Company tells the story of Robert, a man with commitment issues whose problems are exposed and dissected for the audience by his married friends and his three girlfriends. Directed by Topper Fabregas, this production boasts of big names of Philippine theater. Cathy Azanza-Dy, Caisa Borromeo, Maronne Cruz, Bianca Lopez, Jill Pena, Sweet Plantado Tiongson, Ariel Rional, Joel Trinidad, Nicky Trivino, James Uy, Chino Vegullas, Michael Williams and Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo. Playing Bobby is OJ Mariano of the vocal group The CompanY. Lucky OJ not only gets those three girlfriends, he also gets to sing the showstopping ballad, Being Alive.

Now while Company is a sophisticated musical comedy, Passion, another Tony winner, is just what the title says. Based on an Italian novel, it is melodrama set in 19th century Risorgimento-era Italy where the characters contend with all-consuming passions. This Sondheim is about Iove, sex, obsession and power and other similar emotions with grand music to match. Playing the lead roles are Jasmin Fitzgerald as Clara, Vien King as Giorgio and Sheila Valderama-Martinez as Fosca.

Fittingly bringing this year’s Sondheim feast to a close is Sweeney Todd, which also ends the twentieth-year celebration of Atlantis Productions. This is the Sondheim musical most of us are familiar with because of the movie version that starred Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham-Carter. This one has leads that are just as sparkly and talented, rock star Jett Pangan as Sweeney Todd and Lea Salonga as Mrs. Lovett. im is a fantasy frdestown where she plays Eurydice.

Sweeney Todd, set in 19th century London, is typically Sondheim. Like Company it explores the psychological make-ups of the characters and like Passion it is about obsession. The obsession here is about revenge and how it leads to destruction. Prepare for blood and gore as Todd goes on a throat slitting frenzy and Mrs. Lovett serves up her tasty but in fact abominable meat pies. But musically it is one of Sondheim’s best and his wonderful way with lyrics scales new heights. Directed by Bobby Garcia, this will surely be one of the theater highlights of the year.

Sondheim is now 89 years old. He has been writing for the theater for over 60 years. He wrote the stunning lyrics for Leonard Bernstein’s masterpiece West Side Story when he was only 27 years old. That soundtrack includes songs like Somewhere, Tonight and America. He also wrote lyrics for Gypsy, which includes songs like Let Me Entertain You and You’ll Never Get Away From Me.

Sondheim has since then also written both words and music for many musicals. Aside from the three opening in Manila soon, Sondheim also did Sunday in the Park with George, Pacific Overtures, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Into the Woods and A Little Night Music with the beautiful Send In The Clowns.