Review: SONDHEIM TRIBUTE REVUE at Creative Cauldron

Few American composers have been as influential as Stephen Sondheim, who passed away in 2021 at the age of 91. His large catalogue, with subjects and settings that vary from a modern single man navigating social relationships among his married friends to a murderous pie-shop keeper in Victorian London, to an amalgam of fairy tales, is widely performed and much beloved around the world. The Falls Church-based company Creative Cauldron is presenting a revue tribute to Sondheim, featuring numerous songs from his works.   

Margie Jervis' creative set includes a tree that appears to be carved out of a guitar fretboard, a starlit sky, and a white backdrop with black musical notation. It provides a colorful canvas for the ensemble-Kiana King, Molly Rumberger, Sumie Yotsukura, Ricky Drummond, Katie McManus, Trenton McKenzie Beavers, Ben Ribler, and Erin Grandfield-to perform. Jervis also designed the imaginative costumes worn by the performers.

The revue lacks a central, unifying narrative, but the performances, both solos and duets, do appear to flow organically from the preceding songs' themes and situations. Some highlights: Rumberger brings hilariously nervous energy to her performance of "Getting Married Today" from Company, rushing into the audience as she sings. Katie McManus' emotional powerhouse performance of "Could I Leave You" from Follies brought sustained applause.  Granfield and Yotsukura collaborate charmingly on "Everyday a Little Death" from A Little Night Music. I was a bit dissapointed that the revue did not include arguably Sondheim's most famous song, "Send in the Clowns," from A Little Night Music. I expect any memebr of the ensemble could have performed it brilliantly.

Director Matt Conner creates a cohesive energy among his performers, who are ably accompanied by music director Elisa Rosman on piano and Dakota Kaylor on drums. Any fan of Sondheim's or quality muscial theatre will find Creative Cauldron's production a pleasant way to spend two hours (with an intermission.)