Passion

Presented here in a 1996 taping made for broadcast on PBS with members of the original Broadway company, Stephen Sondheim's 1994 musical--the tale of a sickly, unattractive woman's obsession with a handsome army officer--is hardly one of the composer's more popular works; while it won the Tony award for best musical (beating out Beauty and the Beast), it ran for less than a year and is often dismissed as sour and oddly cerebral for a story of wild emotion. But as a parable of the transforming power of love, for good and ill, it's an amazingly effective piece, and the lush, almost painfully beautiful score is one of the finest Sondheim has ever produced. Donna Murphy and Jere Shea are in magnificent voice as the mismatched lovers, and Marin Mazzie is equally superb as the married woman with whom the officer has been earlier involved. The supporting cast is strong without exception, and Michael Brandman has captured the fleetness and economy of James Lapine's staging very skillfully on film. Presented in Dolby Digital 5.1, the DVD also includes a group audio commentary by the creators and members of the cast. Highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)