This winter, Syracuse Stage will celebrate one of the giants of the American theater,
composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim. Sondheim's "Putting It Together" will run Jan.
27-Feb. 15, 2009. The show replaces Stephen Temperley's "Souvenir" in the 2008-09 lineup.
Rajendra Ramoon Maharaj, associate artistic director, will direct "Putting It Together."
Maharaj is also directing "Godspell" this season.
"After discussions with the playwright, it was decided not to present 'Souvenir,'" says
Timothy Bond, producing artistic director. "Fortunately, we have come up with an excellent
addition in 'Putting It Together.' It will be an absolute treat to have all of Sondheim's
greatest songs together in one evening, directed by someone with a huge appetite for
Sondheim's brilliant music and storytelling."
Conceived by Sondheim and Julia McKenzie as a musical review, "Putting It Together"
showcases 30 of Sondheim's most beloved songs from musicals such as "Sunday in the Park
with George," "Assassins," "Company," "Merrily We Roll Along," "A Funny Thing
Happened on the Way to the Forum," "A Little Night Music" and "Sweeney Todd," among
others. A swanky Manhattan cocktail party provides the setting for a cast of five who use
Sondheim's exquisite songs to examine the ups and downs of two relationships.
Originally produced in 1992 in Oxford, England, the show had its American premiere in
1993 at Off-Broadway's Manhattan Theatre Club, with Julie Andrews leading the cast. A
Broadway production in 1999 featured Carol Burnett, George Hearn and Bronson Pinchot.
For his part, Hearn received a Tony Award nomination for Best Actor.
Sondheim, one of the most influential and accomplished composer-lyricists in Broadway
history, is the recipient of an Academy Award, multiple Tony Awards (seven, more than any
other composer), a special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre, multiple
Grammy Awards and a Pulitzer Prize. Frank Rich of The New York Times described
Sondheim as "the greatest and perhaps best-known artist in the American musical theater."
Famously mentored by Oscar Hammerstein II, Sondheim redefined the concept of
American musicals and is known for writing complex characters.
For "Putting It Together" ticket information, contact the Syracuse Stage Box Office in
person at 820 E. Genesee St., via telephone at (315) 443-3275 or online at
http://www.SyracuseStage.org.
