Sondheim-Ives Bunuel no more?

[Moderator]

Posted: 5/27/19 at 8:44pm

Hello all, in removing a duplicate post in the "Sondheim-Ives Bunuel no more?" thread, we accidentally removed the entire thread. We are currently looking at options to report it, but we wanted to make sure everyone knew that it was deleted on accident.

Here are the important links from the thread:

https://www.everythingsondheim.org/category/feature/

https://twitter.com/eggsbened/status/1133143999919853569

Here is the corresponding thread:

Subject: Sondheim-Ives Bunuel no more?

Message:

Someone in a Tree2 said: "True, ROAD SHOW was started 20 years ago. But Sondheim wrote and rewrote extremely complex numbers for that show well into this century. And he composed another 5 or 6 songs for Nathan Lane’s revamped THE FROGS, one of which, “Ariadne”, is really lovely. 

Actually, I think most of the additional songs he wrote for 'The Frogs' were quite good and showed that he still had it.  I don't care for much of 'Road Show'/'Bounce'/'Wise Guys'.

 

Posted by Member: Someone in a Tree2 
Subject: Sondheim-Ives Bunuel no more?

Message: True, ROAD SHOW was started 20 years ago. But Sondheim wrote and rewrote extremely complex numbers for that show well into this century. And he composed another 5 or 6 songs for Nathan Lane’s revamped THE FROGS, one of which, “Ariadne”, is really lovely. 
 

Posted by Member: ljay889 
Subject: Sondheim-Ives Bunuel no more?

Message:

HogansHero said: "ljay889 said: "Ives said in December that he was done with the book, and Sondheim said he was about half way through the score."

I don't know what Ives said, but I would think you've been around here long enough to know that a book cannot be "done" at this stage. First draft done, perhaps. I doubt you want to see a production of a first draft, even if all the songs had been written which they have not.

FWIW, Benedict's tweet seems gone."

Obviously, Ives was referring to a draft. I didn't think that needed to be clearly specified.

Also, I fixed the original link of the tweet.

Posted by Member: AADA81 
Subject: Sondheim-Ives Bunuel no more?

Message:

The gestation period for "Road Show" was more than a decade and the end result was underwhelming, to say the least.  I've never expected this one to amount to much, although I'd love to be proven wrong.

Posted by Member: HogansHero 
Subject: Sondheim-Ives Bunuel no more?

Message:

ljay889 said: "Ives said in December that he was done with the book, and Sondheim said he was about half way through the score."

I don't know what Ives said, but I would think you've been around here long enough to know that a book cannot be "done" at this stage. First draft done, perhaps. I doubt you want to see a production of a first draft, even if all the songs had been written which they have not. 

FWIW, Benedict's tweet seems gone.

Posted by Member: ljay889 
Subject: Sondheim-Ives Bunuel no more?

Message:

Posted by Member: GeorgeandDot 
Subject: Sondheim-Ives Bunuel no more?

Message: I will be SO mad.

Posted by Member: ljay889 
Subject: Sondheim-Ives Bunuel no more?

Message:

Yikes, David Benedict, Sondheim’s current and official biographer said that he can’t comment on this.
 

https://twitter.com/eggsbened/status/1133143999919853569

Posted by Member: imeldasturn 
Subject: Sondheim-Ives Bunuel no more?

Message: The day before the closing night of West End Company, Somdheim said at the National Theatre that they had one draft of the book and 7 songs. But was vague when asked about the premiere

Posted by Member: cliffordbradshaw2 
Subject: Sondheim-Ives Bunuel no more?

Message:

A poster on Datalounge supplied this link.  Have no idea of the veracity, just passing it on.

https://www.everythingsondheim.org/category/feature/

Editor’s note: Since the printing of this article, Sondheim is no longer collaborating with David Ives on the project. 

Posted by Member: qolbinau 
Subject: Sondheim-Ives Bunuel no more?

Message:

Urgh

Posted by Member: ljay889 
Subject: Sondheim-Ives Bunuel no more?

Message: Ives said in December that he was done with the book, and Sondheim said he was about half way through the score.

Posted by Member: Charley Kringas Inc 
Subject: Sondheim-Ives Bunuel no more?

Message:



Posted by Member: HogansHero 
Subject: Sondheim-Ives Bunuel no more?

Message:

it is indeed odd to say something that significant without providing an explanation, although the source itself is not one that instantly engenders skepticism. But no one was "done" with anything, and as noted we are talking about the wherewithal of an almost nonagenarian to do something that taxes a lot of people half that age.

Posted by Member: cjmclaughlin10 
Subject: Sondheim-Ives Bunuel no more?

Message:

Every time I read an article about this piece, I get both excited and anxious that we may never get to see it

 

it also has me wondering if Sondheim  might use the platform of the Town Hall event to unveil some music or talk about the piece.... 

Posted by Member: Alex Kulak2 
Subject: Sondheim-Ives Bunuel no more?

Message:

I honestly wasn't holding my breath. He's really old and hasn't written a show in 20 years (Road Show was written in 1999)

Posted by Member: haterobics 
Subject: Sondheim-Ives Bunuel no more?

Message:

Sort of an odd editor's note to add after the fact with no additional information.

Posted by Member: ljay889 
Subject: Sondheim-Ives Bunuel no more?

Message:

I wonder how true this is? He was still working on it as of this past winter. Ives was done with the book, and Sondheim was working on the second half. 

 

[haterobics]

Posted: 5/27/19 at 9:34pm

And how did the "Who thinks 'The Prom' can pull an upset?" thread disappear?!

[binau]

Posted: 5/28/19 at 2:13am

If I were to speculate, I'd claim that if it's off the issue is Sondheim has quit or given up. No one would be embarrassed to collaborate with Sondheim on project, even if the outcomes are underwhelming. But Sondheim does have something to lose if he isn't happy with his work (specifically his pride and self-esteem). Maybe he has done little bits and bobs in the last 20 years but it is true that he really has not be churning out work like he did during his peak. Has Sondheim run out of things to say ?

[AnythingYouDo]

Posted: 5/28/19 at 7:29am

I really hope the show hasn't been abandoned. My hopeful speculation is that Sondheim is working with a new book writer. The wording in the Everything Sondheim update is: "Since the printing of this article, Sondheim is no longer collaborating with David Ives on the project." That could mean he's collaborating with another writer. That might also explain why David Benedict couldn't comment. If the show's been abandoned, I don't see why Benedict couldn't confirm that. As of a talk two months ago at the National, Sondheim said he'd written seven songs for the show. It seems weird that after at least five years of work on the project, he'd abandon it so suddenly. But it also seems strange that after five years of work he's only finished seven songs, especially since Michael Riedel reported in 2016 that the first act was complete. Perhaps he decided the project needed another book writer and restarted work on it. Or perhaps this is all wishful thinking.

[Robbie2]

Posted: 5/28/19 at 7:06pm

qolbinau said: "If I were to speculate, I'd claim that if it's off the issue is Sondheim has quit or given up. No one would be embarrassed to collaborate with Sondheim on project, even if the outcomes are underwhelming. But Sondheim does have something to lose if he isn't happy with his work (specifically his pride and self-esteem). Maybe he has done little bits and bobs in the last 20 years but it is true that he really has not be churning out work like he did during his peak. Has Sondheim run out of things to say ?"

He's 89 and he better hurry up and finish up if that's the case or it ain't happening. Nobody lives forever...Come on Steve!

We waiting for something from ya

[RippedMan]

Posted: 5/28/19 at 11:43pm

I still liked Road Show

[devonian.t]

Posted: 6/2/19 at 2:40pm

It's kind of agony not knowing how this is progressing... or not.

Maybe David Ives just didn't want to work so slowly?  

Just one more please Mr Sondheim!  Or even half of one.

[darquegk]

Posted: 6/2/19 at 3:16pm

Worst case scenario: Sondheim partners up with George R. R. Martin as book writer. The musical is announced to premiere next season on Broadway... over and over again every season.

[AnythingYouDo]

Posted: 6/23/19 at 2:54pm

I'm not sure how recently this interview was conducted but it was just released. Sondheim talks about the David Ives project. It sounds like act one is complete and three songs from act two are finished (it's difficult to make out his answers over the French translation). Seems to confirm that he's still working on the project with Ives.

https://www.francemusique.fr/emissions/42e-rue/une-saison-avec-broadway-avec-stephen-sondheim-73019

Updated On: 6/23/19 at 02:54 PM

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 6/23/19 at 7:24pm

I don't have any inside info on the Buñuel adaptation, but it might do us well to recall that Sondheim--famously and self-admittedly--has tended to procrastinate before a project is on its feet and then has written very quickly during rehearsals.

Case in point: A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC went into rehearsal without either "A Weekend in the Country" or "Send in the Clowns" (arguably its two most effective songs) having been written. Sondheim wrote both rather quickly once he saw Prince's staging.

So a book "plus seven songs" might well mean "ready for a workshop" in Sondheim's eyes.

[ljay889]

Posted: 7/23/19 at 8:48pm

So maybe it's not dead?

On July 4, Baz Bamigboye wrote

"Sondheim's also working with British director Jeremy Sams on a musical for New York's Public Theater, adapted from The Exterminating Angel and The Discreet Charm Of The Bourgeoisie, movies by Spanish filmmaker Louis Bunuel."

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-7215297/BAZ-BAMIGBOYE-Stephen-Sondheims-lights-West-End.html?fbclid=IwAR2F-wa3cFTrHECfS1dd0BJFpkhvfN3D-nfPE8RDwn4P1B4z57mpQwc9bAM

Fingers crossed!

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 7/23/19 at 10:22pm

I hope we get to see this show someday!

The bit about The Prince of Egypt is a little disheartening.

[bk]

Posted: 7/23/19 at 10:22pm

Jeremy Sams is a jack-of-all trades and I'm not sure why Sondheim would pair up with another composer/lyricist, which Sams, aside from being an occasional director is.  He's quite a good composer, although he clearly worships at the Sondheim altar in his film scores.  His best film work was for Hyde Park on Hudson.  I corresponded with him for a while, as I was hoping to get one of his film scores to release.  

[chrisampm2]

Posted: 7/23/19 at 10:34pm

Sams directed the original West End PASSION, so maybe Sondheim liked that production. I hope the news of continuing development of the show is true, no matter who else is involved.

[darquegk]

Posted: 7/24/19 at 7:27am

I love Sams’s caustic lyrics and book adaptation for Threepenny Opera.

[ljay889]

Posted: 7/24/19 at 9:13am

I wonder if it’s possible that Sams has replaced Ives as the book writer? He could also double as the director, like Lapine.

[benfox2]

Posted: 8/20/19 at 10:33pm

Any updates on this that we've heard of?

https://www.newyorkcitytheatre.com/theaters/to-be-announced/bunuel.php

This page seems official?, but it has the opening night set for August 24, AKA this Saturday which I'm assuming isn't happening lol. This page also has David Ives listed as the book writer, and Joe Mantello listed as the director? Which conflicts with the earlier reports of Jeremy Sams entering as director and David Ives exiting the project. Really hope we see this soon, I just want one more from Sondheim.

[jdln1973]

Posted: 1/3/20 at 4:50pm

Has anyone heard or read of any updates?