Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Book by Hugh Wheeler
Directed and Choreographed by Judith Jarosz
Produced by Theater 2020
Nominees: Outstanding Actor in a Featured Role, Zack Krajnyak; Outstanding Ensemble: Adam Baritot, Jefferson Behan, Amber Dewey, Samuel Floyd, David Fuller, John Jeffords, Zack Krajnyak, Samantha Kronenfeld, Lorinne Lampert, Tom McDonough, James Neufeld, Chrysten Peddie, Catherine Purcell, Mary Thorne, Tyler Whitaker
About the Company: Theater 2020, Inc., Visions for a New Millennium is dedicated to producing classic and contemporary plays and musicals for a 21st Century audience and to providing a nurturing atmosphere for both emerging artists and seasoned professionals. We are dedicated to reaching out to the community and to producing quality theater at affordable prices, utilizing established professionals and fostering young artists as they emerge into the theatrical mainstream, with a particular emphasis on providing more opportunities for women in theater.
About the Production: Originally done in 1979 Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet
Street is a musical thriller with music by Stephen Sondheim and book by Hugh Wheeler. The musical was based on the 1973 play by Christopher Bond. There have been numerous revivals and a film adaptation.
------------------------------------------------------
What first attracted you to this project?
Baritot: I worked with this company the previous year and had a wonderful time!
I am a great lover of Sondheim's works, and I always jump at a chance to do
them.
Purcell: I am a huge Stephen Sondheim fan and I have never had the chance to
work on one of his shows, so when this presented itself I jumped.
Fuller: The show itself. Stephen Sondheim.
Jarosz: Sondeim is brilliant.
Peddie: Sweeney Todd has been one of those bucket list shows for me since I
first got into theater as a young person. I was also drawn to the idea of gender-
blind casting the role of Pirelli, as if it were a pants-role in an opera. It can often
feel like there are not nearly enough opportunities for women in musical theater,
so creating one by making this role available to women, I thought, was so cool. It
was so much fun to be able to swagger around like a true lothario, while singing
high C's in the process!
Lampert: That's easy! Mrs. Lovett has been a dream role of mine since I was in
high school, and Sweeney Todd is my favorite show.
Thorne: I love singing Sondheim!
Behan: This score is a masterpiece, it is a dream to sing.
Krajnyak: Sweeney Todd has always been one of my all-time favorite pieces and I jumped at the chance to work on it.
What was your favorite part of working on this production?
Baritot: The opportunity to work with such a talented group of actors and producers. I feel blessed to have been a part of such a production!
Purcell: I fell in love with the show itself; every night something new revealed
itself to me in the script or the score, it's a real treasure trove.
Fuller: Working with the great people involved.
Jarosz: The staff, the cast, the crew, and ... did we mention SONDHEIM?
Peddie: Singing Sondheim's glorious score. That music is unparalleled and it was a joy to come to rehearsals and performances and get to sing it for hours!
Lampert: As a self-proclaimed Sondheim freak, it's always amazing noticing new internal rhymes and really analyzing the lyrics. It's difficult material musically, and - and this is going to seem overly obvious , but - it's always fun hunkering down and really learning all the notes! Mrs. Lovett has a lot of patter that the ear glosses over, and it was great nailing those notes down.
Behan: Working with this incredible cast. Some of the best voices I have ever
worked with.
Krajnyak: The score is masterful in every way and I loved being in the room with
such talented artist who really breathed life into the piece. It was also thrilling to work and tell this story in such and intimate space.
What was the biggest challenge of working on this production?
Purcell: Stepping into the role of Johanna with only 3 days of rehearsal provided
a unique challenge; it was certainly thrilling but lots of memorizing and blocking
crammed into that period.
Fuller: Learning the tricky parts of Sondheim's music.
Jarosz: The staging (it's a small venue, so we "wrapped" the audience) and the music, it's very challenging, but it pays off, big time.
Peddie: Singing Sondheim's glorious score! Haha! The man is revered in this
business for a reason. The way he writes isn't for the feint of heart. It challenges
you as a musician and you really have to work hard at it, because you want to do
it perfectly.
Did anything unique or memorable happen during this production?
Purcell: We only had one piano to play that entire score; our music director
handled it wonderfully.
Jarosz: Well..it was funny when audience members jumped up and down or shrieked with delight when caught off guard by some the the staging...hee, hee, hee.....
Peddie: The gender-bending was a fun addition, although it is certainly not the
first time Pirelli has been played by a woman. I thought our costumes, with their
steam punk/goth influence, were particularly cool. Performing such a dark piece
in a church also added a funereal element to it.
What was it like working with Theater 2020?
Purcell: The cast was so perfectly assembled; they were a really lovely group.
Peddie: The incredibly talented, supportive and wonderful cast. They made it a
pleasure to come to the show every day.
Did you learn anything from your time working on Sweeney Todd?
Purcell: Of course! Always be prepared for what seems very unlikely was
probably my biggest takeaway.
Peddie: It was a pleasure to re-discover my soprano voice in this show! I
typically get cast in roles where I am required to belt or mix. This was the first
real, high soprano role I have gotten to sing and it was such a joy to get to
reconnect with that part of my voice.
Make sure to follow Theater 2020 on Twitter @theater2020
Contributed by Victoria Muzzio
Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and Book by Hugh Wheeler
Directed by Judith Jorosz
Produced by Theater 2020
Nominated for: Outstanding Costume Design, Viviane Galloway; Outstanding Production of a Musical
About the Production
A Little Night Music is a charming musical with. Inspired by the Ingmar Bergman film Smiles of a Summer Night, it involves the romantic lives of several couples and has proved to be one of Sondheim’s most popular pieces for performers and audiences alike. The musical includes the immensely popular song "Send in the Clowns". Come and see this piece directed in a (haunted or haunting?) gothic chapel, and be literally surrounded by the sounds of Sondheim.
Dedicated to providing affordable theatre to 21st Century audiences, Theater 2020’s production of A Little Night Music brought a story about the endurance of love to Brooklyn Heights. According to David Browning of the Huffington Post, this professional and grounded production explored “young love, love revived, and love found again.”
Director Judith Jarosz and Costume Designer Viviane Galloway discuss the process of reimagining this classic and the gratification of surprising audiences.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
What attracted you to this production?
Viviane: I was very excited to work on this production because I knew that I would have the opportunity to work with several people that I love to work with. Especially because it has been many years since I've worked with Giles Hoyga--he is a wonderful lighting designer and I was excited to work with him again.
Judith: I have three words: Sondheim, Sondheim, Sondheim. We were also performing at the First Unitarian Church, an intimate gothic space where the fabulous singers do NOT have mics and the audience is surrounded, so they can hear every brilliant lyric.
What was your favorite part of working on this production?
Viviane: I had actually never seen a production of A Little Night Music before ( I don’t know, how is that possible?) and in addition we were working with a non-traditional concept so I really wasn't influenced by any previous productions. I didn't have any worries about how our production would compare to others. I just got to have fun exploring this world that we were creating.
Judith: I have worked with Sondheim at the NYC Opera and it is always a dream to work on his pieces. This one is probably an all-time favorite. Also, the staff, crew and cast all worked incredibly hard (some traveling from another state!) with top notch professionalism and little more than their artistic fulfillment and pride in the production as a reward. The sound blend for this cast was superb.
What was the most challenging part of working on this production?
Viviane: It always takes longer for me to feel that I really "get" a musical. When I read a play, I hear all the voices and I see the characters in my head and I understand the subtext and because it is easy for me, my mind can explore ideas as I read. When I read a musical, I don't have that as much because I don't speak the language of music. So my mind is working harder just to understand the structure and the lyrics and the pacing, and it isn't free to drift--my ideas come from the drifting. I had a really hard time seeing Charlotte, the Countess. I didn't understand who she was from the music, and the actress hadn't had time to discover her yet either...but I think in the end we both nailed it!
Judith: Tiny budget, high cost & limited rehearsal time always make creating magic at a showcase level a major challenge. And musicals are usually 3 times the work of many straight plays.
What did you want the audience to come away with after watching is production of A Little Night Music?
Judith: I wanted the audience to see that there are many ways to present a piece of theater. And then blowing them away by how even more amazing Sondheim is when you can hear every lyric.
What was the most noteworthy part of this production for you?
Viviane: It took some audience members a while to understand that this production wasn't going to look like other productions that they had seen before. It wasn't going to be a period production. It wasn't going to be light and airy. We wanted it to be rather dark and gothic. Often when Judith or I told someone it was going to be gothic, they thought we meant Goth! Which also would have been a fun choice...
Judith: There were many fun moments with this cast & crew. We laughed a LOT!
What was it like to work with Theater 2020?
Viviane: During this production, I got really sick during a production. I mean, 'worried that I wouldn't get out of bed to finish things" kind of sick. But I did, I think I missed a dress rehearsal, but I got everything done. And the cast was amazing, they helped where they could, they helped each other with hair and makeup, they were patient when I kept promising things like suspenders and hooks and it took longer than I hoped for all that to get done. But everyone was awesome, and I felt that they were supportive of me no matter what happened.
You can follow these artists on Twitter
Theater 2020 - @Theater2020
Viviane Galloway - @CostumeGal
Candide – The Musical
By Leonard Bernstein
Directed by David Fuller
Produced by Theater 2020
Nomination: Candide – The Musical is nominated for Outstanding Production of a Musical
Photo by David Fuller
About this Production
A fanciful story about a young man, Candide, whose journey of improbable misadventures leads him ultimately to love, manhood and the meaning of Life. War, natural disasters, unnatural assignations, torture, pirates and disease are among the many obstacles Candide overcomes, in a paradoxically comedic satire. This was a site-specific production at St. Charles Borromeo Church.
Director, David Fuller; Choreographer Judith Jarosz and Music Director Ming Aldrich-Gan talk about staging this larger than life musical as a site-specific production and on a shoe-string budget.
-----------------------------------
What attracted you to this project?
David: Hal Prince, who is on our Advisory Board, had directed this version 40 years ago out at BAM. I knew that version well and have always loved what he, Hugh Wheeler and Stephen Sondheim had done with what to my mind was an unwieldy 1950's Lillian Hellman book. The property was available and the timing seemed right for a 40 year anniversary remounting back in Brooklyn where we are based, with Hal's enthusiastic blessing. Moreover, I have always adored the score. And that final song: how glorious!
Judith: The score is sublime. I played/sang Cunegunde in a production in school while getting my undergrad degree and fell in love with the entire piece. The humor is just the way I like it, a little shocking and unexpected, as well as very infectious. Lenny Bruce meets the good humor man.
Ming: As a classically-trained pianist working in musical theater, I have a special place in my heart for works like Bernstein's Candide that straddle the operatic and musical theater genres.
What was your favorite part of working on this production?
David: We had great collaborators, from our wonderful, extremely talented cast, to our crew and designers. Auditions were highly competitive and the caliber of our cast was astounding. Working with Judith as choreographer and Viviane Galloway as costume designer is always a joy and Ming as a new team member was just terrific. Dana, Marilee and Gaby were invaluable backstage and on spotlights. It was just a blast from the first rehearsal to the final curtain.
Judith: Working with the artists. It was magical getting to hear Ming’s amazing playing and the singer’s stellar voices in the acoustically fabulous Saint Charles Borromeo Church. Every single performance they had me in tears during that finale. Good tears!
Ming: Playing a grand piano in a musical is a rare treat! The cast and creative team helmed by David and Judith of Theater 2020 were not only talented and hardworking (which is half the battle when working with such challenging material), but also great to work with.
What was the most challenging part of working on this production?
David: The most challenging part was staging a full-scale musical site-specifically in a Catholic Church sanctuary. Every scenic element I designed or set piece I decided to use had to be easily stowed away after every performance. But the leadership at St. Charles Borromeo Church was very supportive and we were able to use the entire space at will: from the choir loft, to the pulpit, to the altar and every space in between.
Judith: The music for this piece is NOT easy, to play or sing. Choreographing interesting movements that help tell the story while being sensitive to this reality is a major task. Also doing a large musical on an indie theater shoestring budget always tests the boundaries of patience. You want to do more. Like everyone, we beg, borrow, and scrounge. Viviane Galloway works miracles with costumes.
Ming: Bernstein (to my knowledge) never intended Candide to be performed with solo piano. The piano reductions supplied by MTI (the licensing company) range from "not easy" to "impossible", and required some reworking on my part for me to render the orchestral score as faithfully as possible with just ten fingers. The Overture, in particular, ended up being practically my own arrangement. You can watch me perform it.
Why do a production of Candide now? (What makes it relevant now?)
David: There's always a need for laughter and wonderful music. And the themes are very pertinent.
Judith: The lessons of Voltaire in Candide are as timeless as Shakespeare’s. We earth spirits just love to keep repeating history, so this material is always relevant.
What did you want the audience to come away with after watching your production?
David: I hope our audiences came away from Candide with an appreciation for Voltaire's themes through the lens of Prince/Wheeler, as well as an uplift in their spirits. Quite simply, I hope the musical made them happy.
Judith: An appreciation for Leonard Bernstein’s astonishing abilities and Voltaire’s lessons. Shit happens to everyone. This too shall pass. Be grateful for your life. Be kind to others. And laugh at yourself…always remember to laugh.
