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Sondheim Unplugged is a cabaret show performed at 54 Below in New York City, which features performers singing Stephen Sondheim compositions with piano accompaniment only. Created by Phil Geoffrey Bond, it began as a limited four-show series in 2010, as part of the celebrations for Sondheim's 80th birthday.[1] However, its success led it to becoming a monthly concert series that continued through the following years.[1] Bond said he wanted audiences to focus on "on the brilliance of the melodies and the lyrics" by having singers paired with minimalist arrangements.[1]
The NYC Sessions
[edit]During the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City, Sondheim Unplugged ceased regular performances for the first time since its inception.[1] Bond then decided to commission and release recordings of performances in the style of the show.[2] Recorded remotely or in socially distanced studio sessions during 2020 and 2021, The NYC Sessions were released as a three-album set across 2021 and 2022, featuring dozens of performers singing Sondheim's music.[2]
Volume One
[edit]| Sondheim Unplugged (The NYC Sessions), Vol. 1 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio album by Various | ||||
| Released | December 1, 2021[3] | |||
| Recorded | 2020–21 | |||
| Genre | Musical theatre | |||
| Label | Center Stage Records | |||
| Various chronology | ||||
| ||||
The first volume was released on a two-CD set on December 1, 2021. Prior to its release, Bond send a copy to Sondheim, who mailed back a letter expressing his approval; Bond says that he ended up receiving Sondheim's reply in the mail on November 26, 2021, the day Sondheim died, and read it only minutes before receiving word of the composer's death.[4]
Track listing
[edit]Unless otherwise noted, the songs originated from musicals and Sondheim is credited as the sole songwriter.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Artist | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Something's Coming" (from West Side Story) |
| Marquee Five | 2:41 |
| 2. | "Broadway Baby" (from Follies) | Michelle Dowdy | 3:24 | |
| 3. | "What Can You Lose?" (from the film Dick Tracy) | Nicholas Rodriguez | 2:15 | |
| 4. | "The Right Girl" (from Follies) | Aaron Ramey | 4:17 | |
| 5. | "The Boy From..." (from the revue The Mad Show) |
| Lucia Spina | 2:49 |
| 6. | "Sooner or Later" (from the film Dick Tracy) | Brian Charles Rooney | 3:16 | |
| 7. | "Someone Is Waiting/Pretty Women" (from Company and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, respectively) | Alton Fitzgerald White | 5:14 | |
| 8. | "Everybody Ought to Have a Maid" (from A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum) | Jim Brochu | 2:10 | |
| 9. | "I Remember" (from Evening Primrose) | Lina Koutrakos | 3:59 | |
| 10. | "The Glamorous Life" (from A Little Night Music) | Blaine Krauss | 4:40 | |
| 11. | "Ariadne" (from The Frogs) | Eric Michael Gillett | 3:51 | |
| 12. | "Gee, Officer Krupke" (from West Side Story) |
| Jacob Hoffman | 3:48 |
| 13. | "Multitudes of Amys" (from Company[a]) | John Treacy Egan | 3:23 |
Notes
[edit]- ^ Cut from the musical but performed in revues or other settings.
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d "Sondheim Unplugged: Review, pics and video". New York Theater. December 22, 2020. Retrieved October 11, 2024.
- ^ a b Mosher, Stephen (December 8, 2021). "BWW CD Review: SONDHEIM UNPLUGGED Honors A Legend and Preserves a Movement". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved October 11, 2024.
- ^ "Sondheim Unplugged: The NYC Sessions, Vol. 1". AllMusic. Retrieved October 11, 2024.
- ^ Blair, Brian (January 3, 2022). "Spotlight on a theater legend: Former resident earns national attention for his production of "Sondheim Unplugged: The NYC Sessions"". The Republic. Columbus, Indiana. Retrieved October 11, 2024.