Putting It Together: A Musical Review

Taped before a live audience at Broadway's Barrymore Theatre in 2001, Putting It Together is a revue of songs from shows by Stephen Sondheim (Company, Follies, Sweeney Todd, Into the Woods, etc.), originally presented by Cameron Mackintosh in London in 1992 and later produced in New York and Los Angeles. Although there's a halfhearted attempt to string the numbers together with a semblance of plot, the story hardly registers, and the stage is virtually bare except for a few chairs and boxes. But it's the music that matters, and the 35 pieces (some well-known, others not) are generally performed very well (with the unfortunate exception of “Everybody Ought to Have a Maid” from A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum), and viewers have ample opportunity to savor the extraordinary quality of the lyrics. Among the quintet of performers, younger members Ruthie Henshall and John Barrowman stand out, while Bronson Pinchot demonstrates both comic and vocal skills. More problematic are George Hearn, whose stiffly stentorian presence is overbearing in close-up, and especially Carol Burnett, who brings so much of her personal shtick to the evening that it often threatens to overwhelm the material (still, the audience loves her). While Sondheim's songs work best in the context of the original shows, this presentation offers a good selection, enthusiastically performed. Presented in DTS, Dolby Digital 5.1 and stereo, DVD extras include an interview with Burnett, and a blooper involving a “wardrobe malfunction” which may have been genuine but looks staged. Recommended, overall. Aud: P. (F. Swietek)