Opening night for the off-Broadway production of Sunday in the Park with George was on July 6, 1983 at Playwrights Horizon. The first Broadway preview of the Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine musical was on April 2, 1984 at the Booth Theatre. The show would run 604 performances there. It was nominated for 10 Tony Awards (winning only two) and would go on to win the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1985.
As they sing in the second act of this stunning musical, “Art isn’t easy. Every minor details is a major decision.” All the details and decisions that led to the creation of Sunday in the Park with George are revealed in Lapine’s new book, Putting It Together: How Stephen Sondheim and I Created “Sunday in the Park with George.“
To celebrate the release of the book, Christine Baranski will moderate an online conversation with Lapine, Sondheim and the musical’s two stars Mandy Patinkin and Bernadette Peters. The event is being presented by The Town Hall and takes place on Tuesday, August 3rd at 7:00 PM ET/4:00 PM PT.
If you’re wondering why Baranski is involved, she appeared in the off-Broadway production of the musical in the roles of Clarisse and Blair Daniels.
Trivia note: Kelsey Grammer and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio also appeared in that production but did not participate during its Broadway run.
I saw the original production, but just after Patinkin and Peters had left the show. (Though the show was filmed and their performances have been captured in all their splendor for generations to view.) The leads when I saw it were Harry Groener and Maryann Plunkett. I also saw the 2008 revival at Studio 54 and found it even more moving and emotional than I did during the original production.
For any Sondheim fan, this is essential viewing. I strongly recommend it.
There are two ticket prices to watch this conversation. A $45 ticket allows US residents to see the show and get a copy of the book. A $25 tickets allows anyone to stream the event without receiving the book. Foreign residents can get both the streaming event and the book for $60. Ticket can be purchased here.