an Actor/Musician version of A Little Night Music?

[UrNotAMachine]

Posted: 10/20/16 at 5:25pm

I know the staging concept isn't always popular, but seeing as Sondheim originally wrote A Little Night Music with various instruments linked to the different characters (Fredrika is piano, Henrik is a cello, Anne is a flute, etc.), would anyone be interested in an Actor/Musician Revival? (a la John Doyle's Company and Sweeney Todd)

Updated On: 10/20/16 at 05:25 PM

[gypsy101]

Posted: 10/20/16 at 5:36pm

i'm surprised John Doyle hasn't already done this tbh, it seems more natural than Sweeney Todd with actor-musicians

[Esther Blodgett]

Posted: 10/21/16 at 9:50am

To steal a line from the great Walter Kerr, this is "a bad idea gone wrong".

[sng]

Posted: 10/21/16 at 9:59am

Yes please with Patti Lupone as Desiree playing the tuba. Imagine Send In The Clowns with a tuba break. showstopper!

[UrNotAMachine]

Posted: 10/23/16 at 3:26pm

People love to harp on Patti playing the tuba in Sweeney Todd but it was only played during one song and it was meant to be a quick funny part. When the instruments are used for serious moments, they can be quite effective.

I think everyone playing together in "A Weekend in the Country" could be a brilliant moment. 

[TheBatBoy]

Posted: 10/23/16 at 3:33pm

It feels to me that out of all of the Sondheim pieces out there, this show would lend itself to being more accessible to an actor/instrument interpretation than something like Passion or Pacific Overtures. I never thought the same concept would work for Company and for Sweeney, but I was pleasantly surprised in those instances. 

I think there could be another opportunity to do something quite fascinating with the piece in this format and would love to see it done. Unless of course Send in the Clowns is performed only on Sousaphone.

[Alex Kulak2]

Posted: 10/23/16 at 5:10pm

I've thought about this before. I'd like to see it

[Ado Annie D'Ysquith]

Posted: 10/24/16 at 8:18pm

Somewhat off-color, but I sometimes think about "Phantasia," which is an orchestral suite for Phantom with a different instrument representing each character...

I would love to see that for a Sondheim show, and Night Music would suit it because there are a lot of characters with a variety of voice types...

Desiree would be an oboe, Henrik a cello (obviously!), Anne could be a flute, Petra would be a viola, Mme Armfeldt a bassoon, Frederick a clarinet...somebody help me compose this. Hah!

[godlessondheimite]

Posted: 10/25/16 at 9:30am

I'm sure someone here will set me straight, but I heard that ALNM was originally intended to be staged that way. I can't remember where I heard that, so if no one here can verify, I'll assume it was just a fever dream.

[Mr. Nowack]

Posted: 10/25/16 at 8:55pm

Sondheim said it in one of those master class TV appearances, during a segment on "Later."