There’s no question that Stephen Sondheim is one of the most brilliant and prolific composers ever to write for the American stage. He hasn’t just entertained us — he has created a voice for the late 20th and early 21st centuries, a voice filled with wry humor, loneliness, intelligence and cautious belief in love. Signature Theatre is presenting a worthy tribute to Sondheim in their excellent production of “Side By Side By Sondheim,” a revue comprised of Sondheim’s words and music along with numbers he wrote with Leonard Bernstein, Mary Rodgers, Richard Rodgers and Jule Styne.
The Signature show is performed on a three-level set designed by Misha Kachman, which is dominated by two grand pianos. At the rear is a brick wall. In front of that is a proscenium arch surrounded by lights. In front of that is another black proscenium arch covered with pages of white sheet music.
| Onstage |
| ‘Side By Side By Sondheim’ |
| Where: Signature Theatre, 4200 Campbell Ave., Arlington |
| When: 7:30 Tuesday and Wednesday, 8 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday, 2 p.m. Saturdayand Sunday, 7 p.m. Sunday |
| Info: $55 to $81; 703-573-7328; signature-theatre.org |
There is little dialogue in “Side By Side.” Apart from a few spoken lines in the songs, the main narration is done by Jon Kalbfleisch, who offers tidbits about Sondheim, his history, his growth as a musician, composer, his collaborations, successes and failures. Through that narration, we learn that Oscar Hammerstein helped Sondheim at the beginning of his career, counseling the young man to be momentarily content with just writing words for “West Side Story” and just functioning as lyricist for Ethel Merman.
But “Side By Side” doesn’t pretend to be a biography. It’s a showcase for Sondheim’s intricate harmonies, offbeat rhymes and sophisticated wit. As such it needs performers who are talented singers, dancers and actors.
Signature has them in Nancy Anderson, Sherri L. Edelen and Matthew Scott, all of whom have the necessary ability to cover Sondheim’s extensive musical and emotional range. Many of his songs are laugh-out-loud funny (“The Boy From …”) and some of them are heartbreaking (“Send in the Clowns” and “Losing My Mind”).
The trio collaborates nicely on some songs while individuals sing dynamic solos on others, particularly Anderson in “Broadway Baby,” Edelen in “I’m Still Here” and Scott in “Something’s Coming.”
Director and choreographer Matthew Gardiner does a fine job of keeping the revue moving smartly from number to number while creating interesting visual patterns onstage. Kathleen Geldard’s attractive costumes are as contemporary and free of time constraints as are Sondheim’s songs.
“Side By Side” concentrates only on Sondheim’s early works and whets the appetite for “Side By Side: Part II.” Whether you know all his lyrics by heart or are just beginning to appreciate him, this “Side By Side” provides delightful proof of Sondheim’s ingenuity, cleverness, emotional depth and endless poetic gifts.
