[.ca] Saturday Night, Sondheim

From Amazon.co.uk:
A few years before he burst onto Broadway with a stunning debut (as the lyricist for West Side Story), a certain young maverick was at work on his very first musical--though it would remain buried for almost half a century. Stephen Sondheim was only in his mid-20s when he wrote the music and lyrics in 1954 for Saturday Night, a romantic comedy set in the Brooklyn of 1929. It's fascinating to detect in embryo traces of the Sondheim still to evolve: in the twists of imagery drawn from the stock market or in the rapid-fire, saucy tone that might easily fit into "Gee, Officer Krupke", as well as in the quietly yearning harmonies of the show's loveliest ballad, "So Many People". There's also a sweet innocence here, emanating from an era when being dateless on a Saturday night could be presented as one of life's major challenges. The show received its very belated premiere in London, but the original 1998 cast recording that resulted left out four songs, such as "Gracious Living Fantasy," in which the Wall Street gofer hero Gene (played with guileless charm by David Campbell) imagines making it in high society. Moreover, Sondheim himself supervised the session for this recording, made with the cast of the show's New York premiere. Saturday Night turns on its ensemble, which in this production is endearingly fresh and doe-eyed. Sure, it's a portrait of the artist as a very young man, but is not to be overlooked as a mere piece of juvenilia. --Thomas May

What more does any Sondheim fan need?:
This album is, arguably, one of Sondheim's most endearing. While his sparkling wit and intricate music shine through, his talent was not yet refined enough at the time of composing to really merit greatness. This CD does not fall flat, however; despite the sometimes awkward or too-clever lyrics, it is charming. There's a touch of Rodgers & Hammerstein, a reminiscence of Bye Bye Birdie even, but overall, the album is pure Sondheim. The most famous songs from this show have proved to be the hauntingly moving "So Many People" and the exuberant "What More Do I Need?" But the lost gems that come from this show include the clever and funny "I Remember That," the pleasant "A Moment With You," and the hilarious title song, "Saturday Night." This recording is fabulous; David Campbell and Lauren Ward exhibit both the vocal prowess and tenderness necessary to convey Sondheim's score. In a smaller role, Andrea Burns is precise and lovely with her Brooklyn accent. The young cast mixed newcomers and....not-quite-so-newcomers together with the result of a well-blended and energetic cast. A fabulous recording! If you're a Sondheim fan, this earlier work of his is not only a great contrast to his later work, but also a fun example of Sondheim trying to do 'traditional' Broadway music. :)

Sondheim's "baby picture":
Good cast, enjoyable score and rare chance to consider what might have happend if SATURDAY NIGHT had managed to open on Broadway in 1954. My guess is that it would not have been a huge hit but would have spun off one of those excellent Columbia Records original cast albums that musical comedy buffs cherish. "So Many People" would have become a hit record for Rosemary Clooney; and the cast would have performed "One Wonderful Day" on The Ed Sullivan Show. And it would have taken a lot longer for Stephen Sondheim to develop his own musical voice. This is the version of SATURDAY NIGHT to get. The London cast recording is to be avoided.

Sondheim being conventional . . . ?:
This show is clearly not Sondheim at his brilliant best, and yet it is a measure of the composer that even so, this musical is highly enjoyable. First pitched in the 1950's, it was finally premired in Britain at the Bridewell theatre (for which there is also a cast recording available). Two years later, this production was mounted off-Broadway to critical and public acclaim. This is perhaps one of Sondheim's most 'accessible' scores in that it requires no particular concentration on the the part of the listener, and the compositional and lyrical tricks for which he is renowned do not play such a large part here. Instead, this is jazzily conventional 1950's Broadway musical with a story that Cole Porter wouldn't have turned down. There is not a single weak song in the entire show; from ballads such as 'So Many People' to the jumpy title number, all of the songs are beautifully written and performed excellently by a more than competant cast. The orchestrations perfectly evoke the 1920's setting and make the whole recording a delight to listen to.

Early Sondheim:
Sondheim's first professional musical is not as good as some of his latest efforts, but all around a fairly decent score. The lovely "So Many People" is worth the price of the CD alone. While this is very early Sondheim, we hear snippets of the greatness to come (especially in the rhyming of "Cushman" with "Francis X. Bushman!"). While the score and the book are a little clunky at times, this is a must have for any serious theatre person.

A Simple Pleasure:
This early Sondheim effort is a real surprise, in more ways than one. First of all, it's not the bland, nondescript show that he and other musical officianados have maintained it was all these years. It really is a simple pleasure. The second surprise is HOW much of a pleasure this musical is. I simply didn't expect to be listening to this score again and again. I certainly haven't listened to the last few Sondheim scores again and again. Once and then into the dustbin is more like it ("Passion" -- ugh!). This little musical is actually QUITE musical, with one memorable song after another spinning out of the speakers at you. Of course, it must be stated that the actors play a huge part in how entertaining this CD is. The enthusiasm and panache these young performers display really makes you feel for the characters, even distinguishing one from the other in several of the patter-type songs Sondheim is noted for. "Saturday Night" brings to mind simpler, easier times, when being young and exuberant was everything, and the world was waiting like one big adventure. Sondheim's own youthful exuberance comes across in this musical as in no other he's ever written. The sardonic cynicism perveying most of his later work is nowhere to be found here, which makes this show unique in his canon. One wonders what happened along the way to make him lose the ability for the kind of joy found in the songs here. Sad. But don't let that deter you. This is not just a cast recording for Sondheim completists. Anyone who enjoys traditional, muscular "show" tunes, should give "Saturday Night" a try. You'll enjoy it the rest of the week.

• Overture
• Saturday Night
• Class
• Delighted I'm Sure
• Love's a Bond
• Isn't It?
• In the Movies
• Exhibit A
• A Moment with You
• Saturday Night (reprise)
• Gracious Living Fantasy
• Montana Chem
• So Many People
• One Wonderful Day
• Saturday Night (reprsie)
• I Remember That
• "Love's a Bond" Blues
• All for You
• That Kind of a Neighborhood
• What More Do I Need?
• One Wonderful Day (Finale)