Sunday in the Park with George

Roundabout Theater Company
Studio 54

Eventually, I had to see this because I've heard so many people say wonderful things about it and because through Hiptix it's only $20--an irresistible combination.

So, one evening I made it through Sondheim's nearly endless play which was actually a very nice production, although it was very, very long.

Sunday suffered from a Sondheim problem which is also in full evidence in Into the Woods. He just doesn't know when to stop. Everything is going along swimmingly and then both musicals start to look around and just start throwing things into the play, in both cases in the second act. In the first act, everything is going just fine--it's tight, neat, logical and spare. And, then the second act just keeps going with every idea anyone has ever had about the subject at hand. For hopes of longevity and endless relevance, both works could have (and should have) gone through the hands of a merciless editor.

If for some reason you haven't heard anything about this production, I'll recap it for you a bit. The real star of the show is the special effects. More specifically, it is the use of computer graphic projection onto a three-walled canvas. It begins dramatically enough as the play opens and the lights first go down with a brush stroke of paint across a now entirely blank canvas. It is hard not to audibly "ooh" with the surprise of it all. It slowly becomes the backdrop to Seurat's famous painting in the park. While the last "ooh" is pretty much the first one, it is detailed, well-done and certainly impressive.

The first act is set at the time the painting is being painted. In the second act, two of Seurat's descendants are in the gallery where the painting now hangs. The story is certainly miserable enough as the painting is being painted, and the music--for better, for worse, matches well the style of the painting. You can readily hear both minimalism and pointilism in the accompanying music, especially evident in just how many times you hear the word "George" punctuated in song upon song.

So, in the first act the people in the painting are flesh-and-blood people who are becoming part of the painting and are related to the painter in one way or another, either intimately or very casually. I thought Daniel Evans who played George emphasized the tortured artist and petulance of the role a bit too much. It was hard to see why anyone loved him in this portrayal, but the singing was good enough. The acting star of the show was Jenna Russell. She held the whole thing together, both the first act and the second act. She brought a great deal of humanity to her roles, in addition to an amazing voice.

My theater companion and I agree that while this is a great revival, it would be okay if George was shelved for a long while before it comes out again. This was a great vehicle for special effects and Jenna Russell, but doesn't deserve a regular place on the stage. This might not be Sondheim at his very best. And, I think academically it is better than it actually is on the stage.

I recommend it, but it wasn't easy to love.