By James V. Ruocco
The works of the late Stephen Sondheim, the celebrated composer and lyricist of several Broadway shows including "Company," "Sweeney Todd," "Follies" and "Into the Woods" seamlessly interweave drama and comedy within musical scores grounded in collaborative sophistication, definition, attitude and experimentation.
Tinged with shadow, tone, ambiguity and theoretic survey - these productions - mixed with harmonic voice and diagonal dissonance -reflected a unique, astringent style and rhythmic balance, framed by its own cleverness and stinging scattershot.
In "Putting It Together," a benefit concert produced by Fairfield Center Stage, the artistry of Sondheim is lovingly on display - front, line and center.
Offering a pleasurable feast of Sondheim songs that are shaken and stirred with vodka stingers, marriages on the rocks, murderous barbers, seductive vamps and howling wolves, the composer's narrative genius is parlayed, executed and staged with real vibe, real verve, real wit and real, full-scale passion.
Wistful.
Chilly.
Carnal.
Nuanced.
Intelligent.
It's an involving conceit that not only gives audiences an opportunity to enjoy the evening's unfolding musical events but embark on a creative journey that contains some of Sondheim's well-known compositions and some of his lesser known, but nonetheless, important collaborative efforts.
As presented by Fairfield Center Stage, "Putting It Together" masters and delivers twenty-four Sondheim polished gems. Among them: "The Ladies Who Lunch," "Being Alive," "Getting Married Today" and "Marry Me a Little" from "Company;" "Giants in the Sky" and "Hello, Little Girl" from "Into the Woods;" "Lovely" from "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum;" "More" and "Sooner or Later" from "Dick Tracy;" "Invocation/Instructions" from "The Frogs;" and "The Ballad of Sweeney Todd" from "Sweeney Todd."
So vast a talent with so many varying musical styles overspilling with great detail and vocal clarity, Sondheim's work necessitates a talent - i.e., musical director - who can acknowledge his legacy, his musicality, his art, his lyrical dexterity and his standalone immediately with designated closeup and cutaway to make it breathe and soar with invigorating freshness and curation.
In Eli Newsom - a perfect fit for all things Sondheim - the expressive depth and vigor of the composer's music is communicated in perfect orchestral harmony, offset by an in-the-moment directness, breath and interpretative specificity. As musical director, he brings great knowledge, understanding and demand to the project, meticulously rooted in clear, structural decision, embracement, exploration and celebration.
At the keyboard throughout "Putting It Together," Newsom gets able assist from a hard-working orchestral team of seven very talented musicians. They are: Clay Zambo (keyboard), Charles Casimiro (bass), Mark Dennis (trumpet), John McNeil Johnston (violin), Jim Marbury (trombone), Gabe Nappi (drums) and Kate Testani (reed). The sound they create is fabulous, matched by a fullness, emotion and intensity that complements the music and makes it sing. It's natural and realistic. It's convincing and encouraging. It's organic. It's also awash with exemplary control, velvety measurement and gleaming melody.
"Putting It Together" is directed by Christy McIntosh-Newsom in a seriously comfortable, impromptu style that wisely avoids a staged concert feel in favor of something more intimate, electric and gorgeously reflective. There's a lot going on - 24 musical numbers in all - but things are never rushed, clipped or fade-to-black awkward with lengthy pauses, halts or missed cues. Instead, she keeps the two-act concert flowing seamlessly from one number to the next, basking in the moment, the allure, the current and the celebration of the material itself.
There's beguiling ease to her directorial prowess. There's independence. There's pleasure. There's achievement. There's angst and compromise. There's charm and sweetness. There's balance. Directorially, she also savors every tuneful moment with free-spirited gourmand and visual surprise, which keeps it from becoming from just another musical number.
Marilyn Olsen, the charismatic actress who played Donna Sheridan in Fairfield Center Stage's lively production of "Mamma Mia!" back in 2021, not only gets the best musical number to sing in "Putting It Together" - that being "The Ladies Who Lunch" from "Company" - but sells it with enough cynical depiction and angst to rival that of Elaine Stritch and Patti LuPone who sang it in both the Broadway and London/West End productions.
Here, she vocally addresses Sondheim's, powerful judgmental paean to middle-aged women - those wasting away their lives with mostly ridiculous daily activities - with the galloping rage and acidity envisioned by the late composer. It's a driven, brutally honest musical turn of swelling expression - lush, tailored and intuitive - that packs the same show-stopping velocity it did when it was first performed on Broadway 52 years ago.
Equally commanding is Christy McIntosh-Newsom's feverish, inventive, ovation-worthy delivery of "Getting Married Today," also from "Company." Tapping into the manic, overwhelmed psyche of a soon-to-be-bride who gets a case of cold feet from the pending nuptials, Newsom tackles Sondheim's fast-paced, comic musical turn - one verse contains 68 words to be sung in exactly 15 seconds - with rapid fire pitch, tone, diction and melodic accuracy reflective of its performance in the 1985 Broadway revival and the 2017 incarnation at Barrington Stage. The actress/singer also brings her comic skills full circle with moves, expressions and improvised giddyap that adds to the song's swift fluidity and humorous trumpeting. "Getting Married Today" also includes additional, amusing vocal support from Leslie Uhl and Marcelo Calderon
Kevin Pelkey and Nick Kuell bring infinite charm, operatic fullness and dramatic intensity to "Being Alive," which was a last-minute replacement and addition to the "Company" songbook prior to the musical's original 1970 Broadway opening. "Giants in the Sky," performed by Nathan Horne and CJ Newsom is given clear, beautiful tone and urgent enunciation that harkens fond memories of Sondheim's "Into the Woods." The rarely performed, but flavorful "Invocation/Instructions" from the musical "Frogs," which debuted at Yale Repertory Theatre back in 1974, unfolds with plenty of snap, zing and verbal sting in the more than capable hands of Lisa Dahlstrom and Marc Improta, both of whom are vocally right for this hilarious, witty invocation that instructs audiences on how to behave accordingly during an actual theatrical performance. Nick Kuell sells "Live Alone and Like It" from "Dick Tracy" with carefree, high-energy abandon while Alexis Willoughby gives "Sooner or Later," also from "Dick Tracy," its smokey, seductive, encouraged, jazz and swing allure. T. Sean Maher captures the pop-influenced vibe, language and clarity of "Good Thing Going" from "Merrily We Roll Along" with impressive charm, aching vulnerability and soul-stirring abandon.
"More" from "Dick Tracy" is sung with plenty of inviting pizzaz by Lindsay Johnson who sells the song in thrilling, sassy fashion, backed by a group of dancers who hit all the right marks envisioned by choreographer Emily Frangipane. As dance interpreter, Frangipane thrusts this production number into orbit with rhythmic beats, moves, tilts and patterns that are completely in sync with the power, the glide and the jazz-infused solidity of the song itself.
Ainsely Novin, an actress, singer and dancer who is featured in various production numbers throughout "Putting It Together" including "More" and the "Our Time/Old Friends" Act II finale, owns whatever it is she's doing, coupled with a natural charm, personality and professionalism that is sure to carry her far in musical theatre. "Lovely" from "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum" is given a hilarious gay spin, merrily reenacted by Bobby Henry while "Have I Got a Girl for You" from "Company" is handsomely delivered with vocal finesse from Mark Silence who also appeared in the 2021 FCS production of "Mamma Mia!"
Eli Newson, who doubles as both musical director and keyboardist, takes center stage to perform "Pretty Women" from "Sweeney Todd." His rich, tenor voice brings chill and smoothness to his haunting ballad which also highlights his distinct voice and musical versatility. Equally impressive is Ben McCormack who is the perfect choice to perform "Marry Me a Little" from "Company." Like Newson, he too knows how to sell a song and find the emotional meaning behind every single lyric. There's also a confident charm and snappy vigor to his song style that works especially well for this particular musical number.
Maggie Meath - vocally brilliant in every respect - gives her fired up, bad marriage revenge anthem "Could I Leave You?" from "Follies" the hard-boiled intensity and sarcasm it deserves. It's a diva-induced climax that accelerates into shellshock survivor mode, most magnificently. "The Ballad of Sweeney Todd," sung by a variety of performers also gives "Putting It Together" its appealing voice, its crafty sensation and its finely sharpened musical exploration.
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