Stephen Sondheim and Cast Discuss "Passion" with WQXR's Elliott Forrest
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- Опубліковано 7 бер 2013
- Stephen Sondheim came to The Greene Space on Valentine's Day for an hour of conversation and music with WQXR's Elliott Forrest, along with award-winning director John Doyle and the cast of the current "Passion" revival at the Classic Stage Company.
Sondheim wrote the 1994 Tony Award-winning musical with James Lapine. Broadway stars Melissa Errico, Judy Kuhn and Ryan Silverman and musical director Rob Berman performed selections from "Passion".
I think we need a revival of 'Passion ' i think it's time
nothing will beat the 94 run with DM and JS......awesome performances from them
I agree that the singing was superb. I do think the original production in London in 1996 was visually better though in terms of the use of light and shade.
Marin Mazzy - please don't forget Marin- she was perfection and gone too soon.
Thanks for sharing this. It's wonderful to hear Sondheim discuss this work, so long after it was written and after it was so vilified in its original production.
I love this cast album!
what donna murphy did with fosca was just legendary. definitely one for the books
Wish the video hadn't stopped before John Doyle was finished talking. 🙅
this video contains almost nothing that can be described as "Sondheim discussing Passion" as the title of the video suggests... just for those here only for that. Worthwhile for the actors and Doyle, but that's what you're getting, not Sondheim.
I love the song loving you. This woman is behaving like she's 15. A beautiful play that she's injuring by her behavior and silly attitude! She's no real Italian...we don't act stupid like she is!
Totally agree
Why was Passion so vilified?
Audiences didn't "get" it. To me, it is a brilliantly anti-romantic love story. For some reason, audiences didn't seem to understand that you can tell a story from a villain's point of view.
It's a tough show. It also happens to be one of my favorites, but the original libretto is somewhat flawed in that Giorgio goes from being pursued and resentful to completely falling in love with Fosca on a dime. There wasn't a moment where we see his mind change toward her, and there was no gradual progression of his feelings, either. I *think* the creators meant two moments to show this transformation in Giorgio: the scene on the rainy cliff, where Giorgio leaves Fosca collapsed in a heap and then returns to carry her home, and also on the train when she sings "Loving You." As played, however - at least in the Broadway production - Shea plays Giorgio as resentful and dismissive throughout, up till that final moment. So that moment when he pivots and they finally make love doesn't really work. And, frankly, Fosca isn't very likable through much of the show. The role was beautifully played, of course, and one does feel for Fosca, but her actions tend to be insensitive and self-serving throughout. I saw the show thrice, the first time in the first or second row (which was great because you could hear their actual voices, rather than the amplification) and I quite loved it, despite it's flaws. I still do.
I am of the opinion that it probably has the best music of all of Sondheim's work. Of course that is most assuredly a debatable claim, but to your question, I have no clue. I saw the original production and it was beyond wonderful. One of my favorite ever Broadway experiences.
Laura Cox I saw the original and loved the music, thought the acting was excellent, but the story didn’t work for me.
Interesting. To me the music was beyond beautiful and, yes, I had that same feeling initially about the play. But, the notion of substituting reading for love is pretty breathtaking, especially today when 'reading' is pretty much never even considered for .....well....anything. To me that is light years beyond the usual Broadway musical of "I'm going to pick myself up and marry that pretty girl"...or whatever.