VIDEO: Bernadette Peters, Mandy Patinkin, and James Lapine Discuss SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE on CBS SUNDAY MORNING

The Broadway legends discussed the evolution of the show from start to finish.

By: Mar. 20, 2022
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This morning, Broadway legends Bernadette Peters, Mandy Patinkin, and James Lapine stopped by CBS Sunday Morning to discuss their work on the Sondheim musical, Sunday in the Park with George. The musical was inspired by George Seurat's 1886 pointilist painting, "A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte." The group visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art to inspect a smaller study by Seurat of the same piece. Lapine discusses visiting Sondheim with a postcard image of the painting and how they went about dissecting the artwork for their Broadway classic.

Lapine, who wrote the book for the show to accompany Sondheim's music and lyrics, talked about his admiration for Patinkin and Peters, having seen them in Evita on Broadway and the film "Pennies from Heaven," respectively. The group discusses the off-Broadway cast and the shows development. The part of George Seurat was being revised up, which Patinkin recalls, stating, "I was terrified. People were coming, and I just said 'I don't know how to do this'."

The show's off-Broadway run and previews were wildly unsuccessful, causing critics, audience members, and more to walk out of the performances on a nightly basis. However, the show ultimately became a massive success, winning the Pulitzer Prize. Watch the full story about Sunday in the Park with George's development below!



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