UTAH LYRIC OPERA ENSEMBLE, "An Evening of Stephen Sondheim," Libby Gardner Concert Hall, Nov. 12
In the 1970s and '80s, there was hardly a bigger name on Broadway than Stephen Sondheim. As a composer and lyricist, he wrote a huge number of works that changed the direction American musical theater took in the post-Rodgers and Hammerstein and Leonard Bernstein eras. Sondheim's works are difficult to categorize since they range from farce to dark melodrama, but he brought a gritty realism to Broadway shows that a later generation took and ran with. Sondheim, who is now 80 and will be coming to Kingsbury Hall on Feb. 1, breathed new life into musicals, and it's a safe bet to say that he revitalized the genre.
In a change of direction for them, the University of Utah's Lyric Opera Ensemble, directed by Robert Breault, presented "An Evening of Stephen Sondheim" over the weekend in Libby Gardner Concert Hall. The two hour and 15 minute concert was a wonderful overview of Sondheim's career, ranging from his first show "Saturday Night" (which was written in 1954 but not produced until 1997) and the early "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum" to "Passion," from 1994 and one of his last works. And in between there was a wealth of songs and ensemble numbers from many of his best known shows — shows that made him a household name. These included "Company," "Follies," "A Little Night Music," "Sweeney Todd," "Into the Woods" and "Sunday in the Park with George."
What quickly becomes apparent when one hears his words and music (Sondheim wrote both for most of his musicals) is their ingenuity and inventiveness. Sondheim's lyrics are witty, sophisticated and frequently incredibly subtle. And his music is rhythmically challenging and compelling yet with a naturalness that mimics everyday speech perfectly. But there are also some ever so slight nuances that throw the listener for a loop and give Sondheim's tunes and harmonies an edginess that is fascinating.
The Lyric Opera Ensemble singers, accompanied by Jeffrey Price, who had a stellar (and marathon) night at the piano, were absolutely phenomenal. Stepping out of their comfort zone of opera, the large cast threw themselves into the music and entertained the audience with their radiant singing and remarkable acting. They obviously enjoyed what they were doing. The singers in the ensemble always give wonderful performances, and this certainly has to rank among the best in the group's history. Whether it was the ensemble piece "Comedy Tonight" from "Forum" or the evocative numbers from "Sweeney Todd," the singers certainly outdid themselves. During the show one frequently forgot that this was a student production — the quality of the singing and acting was definitely on a professional level.
In short, this was an evening of memorable music making.
e-mail: ereichel@desnews.com