Ariana DeBose is another veteran Sondheimas performing, returning after last year's knock-out performance of "The Ladies Who Lunch." Fortunately, this year our shows were on a Monday, when Hamilton is dark, so Ari didn't have to race to 54 Below after her show like she did last year. Ari's song this year was a medley of "Something's Coming" from West Side Story and "Everybody Says Don't" from Anyone Can Whistle, arranged by Kurt Crowley.
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Your task: Take a pseudo-minimalist Sondheim song and change it into one with a funk groove. Make sure to keep it interesting. Find a way that showcases James's voice and personality. Finished product: our "Putting It Together," which brought down the house at both Sondheimas performances.
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Evening Primrose is one of the stranger parts of Sondheim's output. An hour-long tv show written in 1966 with James Goldman. This evening, our Charles was Olli Haaskivi; our Ella, Ali Ewoldt. Both tackled the material with aplomb - as did the wonderful band. I enjoyed every song we played at Sondheimas, but this suite was one of my favorites to perform.
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My rehearsal with Nikka and George for this year's Sondheimas was one of the zaniest rehearsals I've been a part of. The two of them have a ridiculous amount of chemistry together, and I regret that we can only see a smidge of that in their banter at the beginning of this video. But throughout the rest of the song - well, they're both delightfully charming and goofy and full of that joie de vivre that makes this a special performance.
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If you're expecting a stodgy version of this song from A Funny Thing Happened On the Way To the Forum, you're in the wrong place. With his typical wit and dry delivery, George has a new take on Pseudolus's song "Free."
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