Stephen Sondheim's Putting It Together: A Musical Review
by Don Roy King, Eric D. Schaeffer
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Bronson Pinchot, Carol Burnett, George Hearn, John Barrowman, Ruthie HenshallDirector: Don Roy King, Eric D. Schaeffer
Brand: Image Entertainment
Producer: Bruce Brandwen
Producer: Cameron Mackintosh
Producer: David Caddick
Producer: Martin McCallum
Producer: Nicholas van Hoogstraten
Producer: Susan E. Lee
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo; English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo
Format: Color, Dolby, DVD, NTSC, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.78:1
Running Time: 105 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2006-12-12
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Model: ID3629WRDVD
Studio: Image Entertainment
Movie Reviews of Stephen Sondheim's Putting It Together: A Musical Review
Movie Review: Sondheim's Music and a Talented Cast of Five
Summary: 5 Stars
"Putting it Together" (2002) is a very entertaining, fast-moving musical review with five talented performers, innovative staging and, of course, the great music of Stephen Sondheim. Carol Burnett proves again her talents as a gifted singer who can belt them out like Ethel Merman and is a hilarious clown. George Hearn's voice is outstanding, and the chemistry and the character by-play that he and Burnett develop is an extraordinary achievement.
Bronson Pinchot adds his comic talents to the proceedings and throughout introduces one-word themes to the show like "Revenge", "Competition", "Seduction", etcetera, which gives the show a plot line. Rounding out the five are Ruthie Henshall and John Barrowman who play the good-looking romantic team.
The music at the beginning seems unfamiliar, and the way the Sondheim songs are seamlessly integrated is another fine achievement. Sondheim wrote a few movie scores such as one for "Dick Tracy". In this review there are 35 musical selections.
It was taped before a live audience in the Biltmore Theater in New York. You're going to recognize the music from various Sondheim shows, but here they're given a new twist. The title "Putting It Together" is taken from "Sunday in the Park with George". As far as I can tell there is no CD of this particular review, although there is a CD for the 1993 version of the show starring Julie Andrews.
The show demonstrates the amazing versatility of Sondheim and the way he dabbled in various modes. The lyrics to the songs show the brilliance, the wit, and the creativity of the composer/lyricist.
Burnett does a fine version of "Here's to the Ladies Who Lunch". At the end the ensemble does a great job with "Being Alive" and "Old Friends".
There's some extra material on this DVD which is very good. There's a blooper, a show-stopper, when Carol's skirt starts falling off. The interview with her is very good. She started in "Once Upon a Mattress." She says that most Sondheim songs are like three-act plays and often have a twist ending.
Summary of Stephen Sondheim's Putting It Together: A Musical Review
PUTTING IT TOGETHER/MUSICAL REVIEW - DVD Movie