There's a tenderness and care in Alabado's Dot, all buoyed by a latent cheekiness that comes forward even more strongly in her second-act portrayal of the elderly Marie, daughter of Dot and George. Same concept, same costumes, but different venue and different cast. It won the 1985 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Pasadena Playhouse's Sondheim Celebration is made possible through the generous support of Pasadena-based East West Bank and the Helen and Will . Under her helm, this full-scale Playhouse production is a gorgeous celebration of a work of art, about a work of art, that reminds us: art isnt easy and quality, much less legacy, doesnt come without a cost. Multiple rhyming sounds snowball and build through the rest of the song, which deals with George Jr.s insecurities as well as Sondheims, coming off the flop that was Merrily We Roll Along. The shows attempts at humor still felt flat (e.g. Patrons requiring extra seat space June 27, 2023, By All Rights Reserved. Ushers cannot physically assist patrons into or out of theater seats, wheelchairs, or vehicles. Lastly and most confusingly it leaps forward 100 years to deal with legacy, as Seurats great-grandson, also named George, pays tribute via a cutting-edge art installation in the second act. Still curious, I read on, tackling James Lapines memoir, Putting It Together, in which Sondheim asks his co-writer, Remember the way I started? Michael Manuel is strong as Jules, the lesser artist whose approval the insecure Seurat is continuously seeking. One song The Day Off hurt my ears while shattering any sense that this was a strictly highbrow affair, as George starts to bark, pretending to be two of the dogs hes drawing. The production is truly ravishing, a feast for the eyes and ears, and if it's a bit too precious in that regard, it's only because the people making it love it so deeply. She brings a track record of success with "Sunday in the Park With George," having directed the lauded 2017 Broadway revival with Jake Gyllenhaal in the title role. [ALEX] an artist. As an alternative to singing a song of your choice, you may sing the SUNDAY cut that best represents your range, as well as your take on the EVERYBODY LOVES LOUIS cut (female range vocalists) or your take on the FINISHING THE HAT cut (male range vocalists). Anticipated to be a can't-miss theatrical marvel for the whole family to enjoy, Long Beach's premier theatre company, Musical Theatre West (MTW), will debut its production of The Wizard of Oz this July. Act One takes place between 1884 and 1886 over a period of Sundays on an island in the river Seine outside Paris. And it's immediately undercut, after intermission, as the characters who are now permanently in place on the canvas air their petty gripes in the comic number "It's Hot Up Here.". [JULES/BOB] character portrayed is 25-45, male. June 27, 2023, By Pasadena Playhouses Sondheim Celebration begins with "Sunday in the Park with George" - February 14, 2023 to March 19, 2023. Ditto Alabado, whose sensuousness and humor as Dot give these proceedings a sweet dose of humanity. Director Sarna Lapine says, Sunday in the Park With George has been my favorite musical since childhood. Video: First Look at Graham Phillips & Krystina Alabado in SUNDAY IN Innovation & Technology May this production celebrate Mr. Sondheim and his dear collaborator, James Lapine. Pasadena Playhouse's 'Sunday in the Park with George - LAexcites [BILLY] Harriets friend. What may be lacking in orchestral firepower, however, is more than made up for by a cast worthy of the masterpiece its members inhabit, with each role standing out as distinct and superbly crafted: Liz Larsen as the Old Lady (George's mother) and Jennie Greenberry as her frustrated Nurse; Michael Manuel . Equity actors for principal roles in SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE (see breakdown). Its an intimate, deeply personal work full of signature Sondheim teachings. Ill be curious to see Sunday again at some point down the road, as a new director and cast try to make it their own, and Ill surely be back to explore other aspects of the Pasadena Playhouses Sondheim celebration, which include A Little Night Music in April and several concert events. Vocal range: Soprano Eb5-G3. Vocal range: Baritone F4-A2. [DENNIS] a technician. Sunday in the Park With George, A Little Night Music, and Into the Woods will all take the stage next season. Vocal range: Mezzo- Soprano Eb5-E3. Music Join us for our 2023 - 2024 Season & become a Member today! Directed by Sarna Lapine (James Lapine's niece), the production is a west coast remount of her 2017 Broadway revival with an entirely new cast, but with the same technical team. Classical Music Get Tickets "With humor and warmth, Stew challenges us to consider the life recipes that offer stability and comfort, and the ones that only taste like heartbreak." . The piece holds such significance to Sondheim that he titled his two volumes of lyricsFinishing the Hat and Look, I Made a Hatafter the central metaphor in one of its songs.. If there is repeated disruption, we reserve the right to revoke admission and refund your ticket price, excluding service charges. The Pasadena Playhouse honors the musical theater genius with a six-month Sondheim Celebration, but their version of 'Sunday' based on the 2017 Broadway revival isn't the best show for. 1999-2023 TheaterMania.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 2023 - Copyright Wisdom Digital Media, all rights reserved. The Pasadena Playhouse will be the scene of the opening night red carpet debut of "Sunday in the Park with George" tonight as part of the Playhouse's Sondheim celebration. Stroke by stroke, dot by Dot, will George create something lasting, something new? They will be joined byMichael Manuel (Our Town at South Coast Repertory) as Jules/Bob, Emily Tyra (Nice Work If You Can Get It) as Yvonne/Naomi, and Liz Larsen (Beautiful) as Old Lady/Blair. Later on, in the second half, great-grandson Georges Chromolume suddenly made sense, as the young mans high-tech installation produces a laser light show in the form of Seurats painting. In Sunday, George (Graham Phillips) struggles to connect with those around him, even as he, through his art, is one of humanitys keenest observers. Service animals are welcome at Pasadena Playhouse. The castwill beled by Graham Phillips (13, Riverdale, The Good Wife) as George Seurat/George and Krystina Alabado (Mean Girls,American Psycho) as Dot/Marie. [MR./CHARLES] character portrayed is 25-35, male, any ethnicity. Medley was a 2022 Black Theatre Coalition Fellow. [NAOMI] a composer. Sunday in the Park with George is part of Greater LA Theatre Week, which is bringing 30 performing arts organizations and venues in Los Angeles, Orange County and the Inland Valley - including Center Theatre Group, Broadway in Hollywood, Segerstrom Center for the Arts, Pasadena Playhouse, Geffen Playhouse, La Mirada Theatre, East West Players, A Noise Within, and BroadStage - together to . This is no small thing since SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE is a musical about a specific artist's world and artistic vision - George Seurat's - a vision which any major staging of SUNDAY is at some pains to recreate. Privacy Policy & Terms of Use, who passed away at the age of 91 in November 2021, The Jimmy Awards Reaches Adolescence and Is Still the Happiest Night on Broadway, Adrienne Warren, Ruthie Ann Miles, and Rene Fleming to Perform in. The Pasadena Playhouse honors the musical theater genius with a six-month Sondheim Celebration, but their version of 'Sunday' based on the 2017 Broadway revival isnt the best show for the space. Metro Micro is now available in Pasadena! The star sits down with EW for a deep dive on his blockbuster Netflix franchise, those "overdramatized" retirement reports, the upcomingFuriosa, his hopes to "reinvent" Thor, and more. The cast of Sunday in the Park with George is led by Graham Phillips (Broadways 13, CWs Riverdale, CBS The Good Wife) as George Seurat/George and Krystina Alabado (Broadways Mean Girls and American Psycho) as Dot/Marie. Sat Sun: 10 AM 11 PM. It is one of the most prolific theaters in American history with a legacy of profound theatrical impact and courageous new work. Convention Center On a Sunday afternoon on La Grande Jatte, French artist George Seurat is hoping to find the inspiration to create a masterpiece. With the original Broadway production immortalized on American Playhouse, George's first portrayer. Casting has been announced for the Pasadena Playhouse production of Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine'sSunday in the Park with George, the first mainstage production of the theatres six-month-long celebration of the works and impact of the late Sondheim. If your wheelchair status changes after you have purchased your ticket, please contact Patron Services before the show. Yearns for the Nurse. I had long been interested in the French painter Georges Seurat, ever since discovering his mural-sized masterpiece A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte in person as a teenager. 39 S. El Molino Avenue Manage Settings Sanctuary City. But that's a minor quibble, when it is so rare to see the work staged with such lushness and care (largely because it takes quite the budget to do so). this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines. Sondheim, who died in 2021, is receiving a major festival honoring his legacy at California's Pasadena Playhouse, beginning with a production of Sunday in the Park With George, which. If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page.. Sunday in the Park with George | The Pasadena Playhouse Sports With the original Broadway production immortalized on American Playhouse, George's first portrayer, Mandy Patinkin, is a brutally tough act for any actor to follow. Artis what you do foryourself.". The design team features scenic design by Beowulf Boritt (Broadways Sunday in the Park with George, 2014 Tony Award Winner for Act One), costume design by Clint Ramos (Broadways Sunday in the Park with George, 2016 Tony Award Winner for Eclipsed), lighting design by Ken Billington (Broadways Sunday in the Park with George, 1997 Tony Award winner for Chicago), sound design by Danny Erdberg and Ursula Kwong-Brown (Stonewall at NYC Opera, Head Over Heels at Pasadena Playhouse), projection design by Tal Yarden (Broadways Sunday in the Park with George, Broadways Network) and wig design by Christopher Enlow (Broadways The Inheritance, Broadways The Prom). On the other hand, Seurats mistress and model, the aptly named Dot (a lovely Krystina Alabado), radiates with warmth. Vocal range: Baritone D#4 - Eb2. The event, part of 'Jazz in the Park,' is scheduled to take place on Sunday, July 2, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Graham Phillips from the aforementioned Virginia Woolf Geffen revival fills Gyllenhaals shoes, while Krystina Alabado plays his mistress/model/muse. Vanity Fair said, By musicalizing the agonies of both George Seurat and the painters fictional great grandson, Sondheim created what is perhaps the ultimate treatise on the stresses of pursuing a career in the arts. Its also a fictionalized account of the artist himself. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. Opening night is February 19. PDF Sunday in The Park With George Our website is made possible bydisplaying online advertisements to our visitors. 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Julie Sings Jule will also feature a band led by Benko's musical director husband, Jason Yeager. Now, the show is the show and has existed as such for nearly 40 years, so it hardly makes sense for any review of a regional revival to question the material, and yet, because I was counting on this experience to illuminate Sondheims genius, I felt frustrated. [YVONNE/NAOMI] character portrayed is 25-35, female, any ethnicity. A majestic 'Sunday in the Park With George' revival arrives at Pasadena News, Events, Schools, & Happenings in the South Pasadena, Pasadena, Los Angeles Metro Areas. [LOUISE] character portrayed is 18-25, female, any ethnicity. He will make her immortal, but their love has a brief lifespan. Marking the start of the later part of his career, Sunday in the Park With George (1984), in which Sondheims music brings the world of George Seurat to vivid life, is the first of three musicals Sondheim created with James Lapine that include Into the Woods (1987) and Passion (1994). Dot pushes him to grapple with his loneliness, the agonies of artistic pursuit, and what he is willing to sacrifice. It is a show that speaks to the creative burn in all of us. Film Wednesday, Jul 12, 2023 / 8:00 PM. For more information, please contact Patron Services. Public restrooms are also available in the lobby of the Playhouse Plaza directly across the street from the Pasadena Playhouse. Sunday is a show that, for me, has aged like fine wine. Go behind the scenes for an exclusive look into the history and architecture of Pasadena Playhouse. Review: SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE at Pasadena Playhouse Sunday in the Park with George - Pasadena Playhouse A work of art shimmering in color and light. Pasadena, CA 91101 The first dress worn by Dot (. Please consider supporting us bywhitelisting playbill.com with your ad blocker.Thank you! In the bouncy Everybody Loves Louis, Alabado exquisitely mines the tug-of-war of Dots heart with depth and transparency. Reviewing theater is a different discipline, and writing about musicals is an even greater challenge one Id been looking forward to since seeing the Pasadena Playhouses announcement that theyd be dedicating their Spring 2023 season to the late Stephen Sondheim, with a month-long run of Sunday in the Park with George as its centerpiece. As the piece comes together, the people come alive; his mother, his friends, his critics, the woman he loves. Tons of great events. Vocal range: Mezzo Soprano Eb5-G3. Copyright 1991-2023 Playbill Inc. All Rights Reserved. Pasadena, CA 91101 Audience members requesting open captioning are seated in view of a video screen with text descriptions synchronized to the onstage action designed for people who are deaf or hard of hearing.