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Sondheim: The Birthday Concert

Stephen Sondheim (Actor), Bernadette Peters (Actor), Lonny Price (Director) Rated:
Unrated
Format: DVD
4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 214 ratings
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November 16, 2010 		—
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Genre Music Videos & Concerts
Format NTSC, Widescreen, AC-3, Multiple Formats, Dolby, Color
Contributor Lonny Price, Audra McDonald, Joanna Gleason, David Hyde Pierce, Stephen Sondheim, Elaine Stritch, Patti LuPone, Bernadette Peters, Mandy Patinkin, George Hearn See more
Language English
Runtime 1 hour and 56 minutes
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Product Description

Product Description

Join us for a rousing celebration of the life and work of one of Broadway�s greatest legends � the one and only Stephen Sondheim. For the master composer and lyricist�s 80th birthday, many of musical theater�s brightest stars gathered to perform more than two dozen sensational numbers from Sondheim�s illustrious career. Many of these enduring songs are rarely heard and several are performed by the original Broadway cast members. David Hyde Pierce hosts this magical event with Stephen Sondheim�s longtime collaborator Paul Gemignani conducting the New York Philharmonic.

Filmed live, March 15�16, 2010 at Avery Fisher Hall, New York City

Performances Include:

  • "America" (Dancers, West Side Story)
  • "Something�s Coming" (Alexander Gemingnani, West Side Story)
  • "We�re Gonna Be Alright" (Marin Mazzie, Jason Danieley, Do I Hear a Waltz?)
  • "Don�t Laugh" (Victoria Clark, Hot Spot)
  • "Johanna"(Nathan Gunn, Sweeney Todd)
  • "You�re Gonna Love Tomorrow" and "Love Will See Us Through" (Matt Cavenaugh, Jenn Colella, Laura Osnes, Bobby Steggert, Follies)
  • "Too Many Mornings" (Nathan Gunn, Audra McDonald, Follies)
  • "The Road You Didn�t Take" (John McMartin, Follies)
  • "It Takes Two" (Joanna Gleason, Chip Zien, Into the Woods)
  • "Growing Up" (Jim Walton, Merrily We Roll Along)
  • "Finishing the Hat" (Mandy Patinkin, Sunday in the Park with George)
  • "Move On" (Mandy Patinkin, Bernadette Peters, Sunday in the Park with George)
  • "Pretty Women" (Michael Cerveris, George Hearn, Sweeney Todd)
  • "A Little Priest" (Michael Cerveris, George Hearn, Patti LuPone, Sweeney Todd)
  • �Theme from �Reds�� with Pas De Deux (NY Philharmonic, Two ABT Dancers Maria and Blaine)
  • "So Many People" (Laura Benanti, Saturday Night)
  • "Beautiful Girls" (David Hyde Pierce)
  • "Ladies Who Lunch" (Patti LuPone, Company)
  • "Losing My Mind" (Marin Mazzie� Follies)
  • "The Glamorous Life" (Audra McDonald, A Little Night Music)
  • "Could I Leave You?" (Donna Murphy, Follies)
  • "Not a Day Goes By" (Bernadette Peters, Merrily We Roll Along)
  • "I�m Still Here" (Elaine Stritch, Follies)
  • "Sunday" (Broadway Chorus, Sunday in the Park with George)
  • "Happy Birthday" (All Cast)

Amazon.com

Sondheim! The Birthday Concert is a historic tribute to the Broadway work of Stephen Sondheim that took place in New York's Avery Fisher Hall in March 2010. That's 25 years after a similar all-star concert, Follies in Concert, was held in the same venue, also with Paul Gemignani conducting the New York Philharmonic, and the song list and parade of stars seems intended to evoke those memories. But rather than re-creating one show, this concert hosted by David Hyde Pierce celebrates three decades of work in honor of the composer's 80th birthday. It starts a bit slowly, with some songs for which Sondheim wrote only the lyrics, but even that offers something "new": an unfamiliar song from Hot Spot (music by Mary Rodgers) called "Don't Laugh," performed by Victoria Clark. From there the concert shifts into high gear with Sondheim's shows from the '70s and '80s. Three songs from Follies are covered by a young generation of talent (Jenn Colella, Matt Cavenaugh, Bobby Steggert, Laura Osnes), by Audra McDonald and opera star Nathan Gunn, and by original cast member John McMartin. That's followed by some thrilling reunions: Joanna Gleason and Chip Zien's "It Takes Two" from Into the Woods, Jim Walton with a song he didn't sing in Merrily We Roll Along ("Growing Up"), Mandy Patinkin and Bernadette Peters with "Finishing the Hat" and "Move On" from Sunday in the Park with George, and Patti LuPone with two different Sweeney Todds--George Hearn and Michael Cerveris. Six "ladies in red" sing solos--LuPone's "The Ladies Who Lunch," Marin Mazzie's "Losing My Mind," McDonald's "The Glamorous Life," Donna Murphy's "Could I Leave You," Peters's "Not a Day Goes By," and Elaine Stritch's "I'm Still Here"--before hundreds of currently working actors flood the theater and sing "Sunday" to emotionally overwhelm the guest of honor. Since none of the shows represented were written later than the '80s (Passion is not represented, though its two female leads are, nor is Assassins), it's safe to say that this combination of songs sung by so many original stars will never be repeated. --David Horiuchi

Product details

  • Is Discontinued By Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ No
  • MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ Unrated (Not Rated)
  • Product Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.5 x 5.25 x 0.5 inches; 2.4 ounces
  • Item model number ‏ : ‎ 014381663822
  • Director ‏ : ‎ Lonny Price
  • Media Format ‏ : ‎ NTSC, Widescreen, AC-3, Multiple Formats, Dolby, Color
  • Run time ‏ : ‎ 1 hour and 56 minutes
  • Release date ‏ : ‎ November 16, 2010
  • Actors ‏ : ‎ Stephen Sondheim, Bernadette Peters, Elaine Stritch, Patti LuPone, Mandy Patinkin
  • Studio ‏ : ‎ Image Entertainment
  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00404ME0G
  • Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 1
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 214 ratings

Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7 out of 5
214 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

David Seaman
5.0 out of 5 stars Another one?
Reviewed in the United States on March 27, 2012
Verified Purchase
There are more concerts and Revues to celebrate the music of Stephen Sondheim's works than most composers wrote shows. They began with thye best, "Side By Side By Sondheim" in 1977 in London and made it stand out because they took the three greatest English performers alive and utilized a LOT of music that Sondheim fans had never heard. Then "Putting It Together", "Marry Me a Little", "Celebrate Sondheim", "Sonddheim at Carnegie Hall", "Bernadete Peters sings Sondheim", "Barbara Cook: Mostly Sondheim"- for God's sake, even Madonoa sang Sondheim at the Oscars, quivering with nerves over material tha was far too hard for her- but even Barbara Cook has cursed over the challenge of singing Sondheim. ("It's these damn INTERVALS!" she exclaimed as she rehearsed for the 1095 famous "Follies in Concert" filmed and recorded live at Avery Fisher Hall-yet another)

On March 22, 2010, Stephen Sondheim turned 80 years old and David Hyde Pierce, Chip Zien, Lonny Price and Paul Gemignani arranged a concert in his honor. This was a concert to please him, not the public. We didn't hear "Broadway Baby" again; We were not forced to listen to one more amazing singer sing "Send In the Clowns" (a song that is so eassy to sing that Strohm Thurman could've recorded it) and instead we had the New York Philharmonic, Hyde Pierce's comic reparte' and the finest most famous theatre performers in history to do a live birthday concert for him which, fortunately, was beautifully filmed and is now, without question, the greatest evening of Sondheim to date.

There are moments of revisiting the original: Mandy Patinklin and Bernadete Peters singing "Move on", Johanna Gleason and Chip Zien" with "it Takes Two", and the new cast performance of "America" which was as good, if not better than the original. Despite Sondheim's insistence that his weakest lyrics are "West Side Story", we know, as we watch "America", that these women are really communicating with each other in Spanish- as Fosca and Georgio are communicating in Italian- and the performance here is spectacular. Perhaps "West Side Story" IS Sondheim's weakest, but that still makes it far stronger than most other musicals. Despite my argument, he still disagrees with me. you decide. Alexander Gemignani gives the finest and freshest performance of "Something's Coming" that we've heard yet and there's a spectacular moment when we end up with two Sweeney's and one Mrs Lovett on stage, where after a small bit of eye contact and negotiation they turn "a Little Preist" into a trio that pleases those of us who know the piece very well and titilates those who are hearing it for the first time.

About three quarters of the way through the concert, six straight back chairs are placed down center and into each chair is placerd a legendary diva. Bernadette Peters, Mrie Mazin, Patti Lupone, Audra McDonald, Elaine Stritch and Ann Rankin. Each woman is wearing an original gown designed foe the actor but made of the same fabric and one by one each woman steps down stage and sings a classic, remarkable Sondheim masterpiece, but not at all the piece you would expect. (In fact, the graciousness with which Elaine Stritch appaluds Patti LuPone's "Ladies Who Lunch" is as moving as stritches performance of "I'm Still here." And LuPone finally won my respect with her performances here.)

The conert ends with the two songs you would expect, but in both cases there is a twist and in deference of a spoiler alert let us just say that there are two surprise elements that make "Sunday" the finest performance ever done here, and then Sondhei8m's modest, thank you following Mildred and Patty Hill's "Happh Biorthday" (at a royalty cost of about $700 to Chappell Warner) The thirteen people who spoke their opinions to this critic regarding the final twenty-five minutes of this show had one common reaction: tears. Tears of memory. Tears of possability. Tears in regard to the white page or canvas (so many possabilitie...) tears of nostalgia as they recalled their own lives at the time they heard these songs for the first time.

As for this critic I shall say what I've been saying since 1978: Stepen Sondheim's work will last as long as Shakespeare, Mozart, Bach or Williams; so that owning a hared copy of the score may be enough. But as I've also said, as I indicate a stack of printed manuscruipt paper, this is not music: this is a recipe for music. And any chef who follows a recipe exactly as written is mediocre at best. The art of music ad lyric is meant to be heard in a specific moment in time by an audience in a specific mood based on how his or her day was- this is why life theatre persists today; there is never a repeat performance. The fact that this DVD exists is miraculous because to have assembled this talent, this material on the day of this composers 80th birthday (and to see him cover his eyes with emotion from his aisle seat in the audience- Steve is a humble man)and then recorded it, even though a DVD doesn;t capture the magic of the live event, this DVD is strong enough to move you.

And when you see what it is that they did for the Finale, you will begin to feel a tightening in your throat even before they reach measure 9. The miracle of the material, the man, the music and this evening come to life like a religious rxperience.
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John F. Rooney
5.0 out of 5 stars There Will Never Be Another Sondheim
Reviewed in the United States on January 18, 2011
Verified Purchase
"Sondheim! The Birthday Concert" (2010) features 25 of Stephen Sondheim's songs. It is a beautifully staged performance from Lincoln Center with the New York Philharmonic conducted by Paul Gemignani. (Gemignani had conducted a tribute to Sondheim way back in 1973, and he is a longtime associate of the composer.) The iconic "Send in the Clowns" was not one of the songs sung probably because a revival of "A Little Night Music" was playing on Broadway. Interestingly Elaine Stritch sings one of the numbers, but she does not sing her signature "The Ladies Who Lunch," but does a great job with "I'm Still Here" from Follies. Two songs from "West Side Story" are presented for which Sondheim wrote the lyrics but not the music. The host was a very humorous David Hyde Pierce.
The original George in "Sunday in the Park with George," Mandy Patinkin sings "Finishing the Hat." This song is causing quite a stir because it's the title of Sondheim's fascinating new book about his song writing. Roberta Peters joined Mandy to sing "Move On" from "Sunday in the Park with George". John McMartin from the original cast of "Follies" did a moving version of that dramatic song with fine lyrics "The Road You Didn't Take."
Two men who have played Sweeney Todd, George Hearn and Michael Cerveris, join forces to sing "Pretty Women." Then Patti LuPone links up with them to sing "A Little Priest." This was one of the best numbers in the tribute. Patti LuPone with Elaine Stritch seated behind her does a terrific job with "The Ladies Who Lunch." Audra McDonald, Donna Murphy and Nathan Gunn are atandouts.
If I had to name my favorite modern composer who sometimes irritates me with some of his music, but who overall fascinates me, it would be Stephen Sondheim. (I didn't like the second act of "Sunday in the Park with George" nor any of "Into the Woods") I never miss an opportunity to see a Sondheim show or concert anywhere whether in New York, Provincetown, South Florida, or London. This was a thrilling eightieth birthday celebration for a great artist.
Hal Prince and Sondheim had a close collaboration for some years. As with the Jerry Herman Hollywood Bowl tribute there are the obligatory reaction shots of Steve in the audience.
For the penultimate number 287 singers from Broadway and off-Broadway shows marched up to the stage and sang "Sunday" before the whole cast sang "Happy Birthday."
"He's too difficult, his music is too dissonant, he's too arrogant, he's too intellectual." He's Sondheim, and he's the only one we have! This is a DVD to treasure.
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Cornelius G. Kelly
5.0 out of 5 stars Broadway Throws A Birthday Party!
Reviewed in the United States on September 25, 2011
Verified Purchase
When Broadway celebrates one of its amazing living American composers and lyricist for stage and film Stephen Sondheim's Birthday; this show is the way they do it right. I was hooked from the very beginning and felt as if I were sitting in the theater. Stephen Sondheim's music has won many awards and not only has he kept Broadway in music for 6 decades, his shows have been made into movies such as  Sweeney Todd - The Demon Barber of Fleet Street  Sweeny Todd starring Johnny Depp as Benjamin Barker.

Nathan Gunn's rendition of Joanna is a show stopping part of this birthday party. His vocal prowess is amazing bringing his operatic baritone voice as he effortlessly belts out Joanna with such slight effort yet his voice fills the theater. On Just Before Sunrise  Just Before Sunrise  Nathan sings along with Kristen Chenoweth creating a couple experiencing and learning about sharing love.

Audra McDonald's rendition of The Glamorous Life is another show stopper. Audra also pairs up with Nathan Gunn in Rogers and Hammerstein's amazing Allegro  Rodgers and Hammerstein's "Allegro" (First Complete Recording) .

One great highlight of the show is when all Stephen's great Broadway Divas, Patti LuPone, Audra McDonald, Karen Mazzie, Donna Murphy, Elaine Strictch, and Bernadette Peters dress up in red while each person belts out songs that get the audience to their feet.

This show was so enjoyable and a must for any Stephen Sondheim's fans. I hope you enjoy this Birthday Party as much as I did.
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B.N.
5.0 out of 5 stars Zurücklehnen und genießen !
Reviewed in Germany on November 15, 2013
Verified Purchase
Was für ein wundervolles Konzert ! Der Dirigent und der Moderator haben einen ganz bemerkenswerten Rahmen für ausgewählte Stücke, vorgetragen von sehr aussergewöhnlichen Künstlern, geschaffen. Es handelt sich hierbei um ein seltenes Kleinod, dass ich nicht mehr missen möchte.
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One singular sensation...
5.0 out of 5 stars Breathtaking!
Reviewed in Canada on January 1, 2011
Verified Purchase
Few DVD's can make one's heart burst with happiness while one is crying. And it isn't just "Sunday", though that is a glorious moment I never expect to have repeated on any DVD anywhere. Every song, but one, is presented with such power and beauty, with a cast that simply can't be topped. It is a far different John McMartin than my wife and I saw in "Follies", but he is not performing 'Ben' now; he is 'Ben'. And two Sweeney Todds! Brilliant! But it is the ladies who dominate, gorgeously. How fortunate we are to be alive when Bernadette Peters is at her prime. And those last five solos - oh, but there is nothing like it anywhere. They don't top each other. They can't, for each is a fantastic singer matched perfectly with a great song. Now, if they could have made the evening last twice as long, or even more, we would all be in a musical heaven. If I were allowed only one DVD for my entire life, this is it! Make your life a lot more joyous and expand the emotions we seldom can use - buy this DVD and open yourself up to Broadway's best.
3 people found this helpful
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George Haggarty
5.0 out of 5 stars Sondheim-tastic!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 23, 2011
Verified Purchase
I'm a big Sondheim fan and watched the Birthday Prom that the BBC broadcast during their 2010 season. When I saw this title, I knew I had to purchase it. I didn't know if this disc would play in my PS3 as the description doesn't mention if the disk is region-free (which many discs on here do). I needn't have worried.

The concert is filled with the cream of Broadway; folks who've performed in Sondheim musicals for years. The quality of the recording and transfer is excellent. The song selection covers Sondheim's career and the introductions by David Hyde Pierce didn't distract.

If you're a Sondheim fan, then why are you still reading this? Go order the disc!
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Maxisback
5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic!
Reviewed in Canada on January 30, 2012
Verified Purchase
What a joy it was to watch wonderful Broadway actors sing Sondheim's wonderful songs, made even more delightful by seeing Sondheim's reactions to them. This is a super celebration, indeed. If you love Sondheim's work, you will be overjoyed by this celebration of his 80th birthday, his wonderful music and his lyrics.
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travelcrazy
5.0 out of 5 stars extraordinary
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 12, 2011
Verified Purchase
This DVD has a range of extraordinary performances on it that are full of surprises. Veterans of original Sondheim productions like Elaine Stritch and Mandy Patinkin show that they still have star quality. It is also good to hear a whole range of lesser known songs. Buy this and you won't be disappointed!
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