A&E
Choir does musical theater legend justice with energetic performance of Sondheim on Sondheim
By Jake Altman-Desole ’19
February 11, 2016
Tags a+e
This weekend the Hamilton College Choir delivered a vibrant tribute to musical theatre legend Stephen Sondheim. The piece, Sondheim on Sondheim, is a melange of performances highlighting Sondheim’s greatest hits with interview snippets projected onto a screen above the performers. Performances of Sondheim’s musical numbers were distributed among the interview footage, forming an exciting give-and-take of Sondheim’s own words with his stellar compositions.
The musical begins with Sondheim’s own recollection of his often lonely childhood and his initial forays into music. The audience enjoyed seeing live performances of some of his earliest songs, many of which never reached Broadway or achieved great popularity. It deeply humbled yet encouraged the audience to actually see the early flops of a musical genius, followed by his persistence how until he succeeded. The Choir deserves credit for bringing humor and life into Sondheim’s juvenile show tunes such as “I’ll Meet You at the Donut” and others. The show proceeded into Sondheim’s early career, from composing the lyrics to “West Side Story” to writing the music and lyrics for the pioneering 1970s show Company. The students performed two to three songs from each show, and every performance was skillful and energetic. Perhaps it helped the students to perform only a few songs from each show, allowing them to focus solely on performing chosen songs as opposed to storyline and dialogue. Whatever the reason, the Choir brought a very pleasing energy to scenes.
The show continued with more interview clips and live performances from Sondheim’s later hits, which soloists, pairs, trios, octets and occasionally the whole ensemble performed. The entire piece, from the choreography to the orchestra to the singing itself, ran like a machine. The countless hours spent rehearsing and directing were evident. The enthusiasm of the choristers keeps the audience engaged and enthralled by the story of an American icon. The choreography and acting aptitude of the performers especially impressed me. One does not expect a choir performance to feel like a musical, yet Sondheim on Sondheim was such an experience. Various soloists were featured; no single singer dominated the entire performance. The ensemble clearly had enough talented singers to share the spotlight for the entire lengthy program. The virtuosity of the Choir was on full display for both halves of the program, and the Choir only strengthened its reputation, with Sondheim on Sondheim, as one of the best musical groups on campus. For fans of Sondheim, the piece was a thrilling ride down memory lane. For those new to Sondheim or musical theatre, Sondheim on Sondheim perfectly introduced Broadway standards while serving as an American musical history lesson. With this weekend’s performances, the Choir continues to uphold the sophistication and diversity of Hamilton’s relatively small yet illustrious music scene.