Live From Lincoln Center

New York Philharmonic: Celebrating Sondheim
The New York Philharmonic celebrates the dazzling orchestral world of Stephen Sondheim in a program hosted by Bernadette Peters, with special guest vocalist Katrina Lenk (Tony Award™ winner for “The Band’s Visit”). Conducted by Alexander Gemignani, the concert will feature some of Sondheim’s most beloved works, including suites from "Sunday in the Park," "Into the Woods," "Sweeney Todd" and more.
TRANSCRIPT
BERNADETTE: I AM BERNADETTE
PETERS.
JOIN ME TONIGHT FOR A
CELEBRATION OF STEPHEN
SONDHEIM'S MUSIC, PERFORMED BY
THE NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC WITH
GUEST VOCALIST KATRINA LENK!
IT STARTS IN JUST A MOMENT ON
LIVE F
♪
>> WELCOME TO DAVID GEFFEN HALL
IN NEW YORK CITY.
I AM FRED CHILD, GLAD TO RING IN
THE NEW YEAR WITH YOU, LIVE FROM
LINCOLN CENTER.
THE NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC IS
WARMING UP AND TUNING UP.
GUESS KATRINA LENK WILL PERFORM
WITH HER NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC
DEBUT.
ALSO CONDUCTOR ALEXANDER
GEMIGNANI WILL MAKE HIS DEBUT.
LET'’S START WITH MUSIC FROM 196
2.
♪
[OVERTURE FROM "A FUNNY THING
HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM
"]
♪
♪
♪
♪
[APPLAUSE]
FRED: LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,
BERNADETTE PETERS.
[APPLAUSE]
BERNADETTE: HELLO, AND GOOD
EVENING.
WELCOME TO OUR NEW YEAR'’S EVE
CELEBRATION OF THE MUSIC OF MY
FRIEND STEPHEN SONDHEIM!
,[APPLAUSE]
BERNADETTE: THE OCCASION IS
PARTICULARLY SPECIAL FOR ME AS I
WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO BE CAST IN
FOUR OF HIS BROADWAY MUSICALS,
MANY OF WHICH ARE BEING
REPRESENTED ON THIS STAGE
TONIGHT.
AS YOU MAY KNOW THE NEW YORK
, PHILHARMONIC IS NO STRANGER TO
STEVE, HAVING GIVEN CONCERT
PRODUCTIONS OF FOLLIES, COMPANY,
AND SWEENEY TODD, BUT THIS
PROGRAM IS DIFFERENT.
THOUGH HE IS BOTH A COMPOSER AND
LYRICIST, TONIGHT WE WILL FOCUS
SPECIFICALLY ON HIS MUSIC.
THERE WILL BE NO MRS. LEVITZ
SINGING "SHEPHERDS PIE SPRINKLED
WITH SHEPHERD ON TOP," OR
WARNING BOBBY HIS GIRLFRIEND IS
TALL ENOUGH TO BE HIS MOTHER.
NOT EVEN A WITCH CACKLING TO A
BAKER AND HIS WIFE.
THERE IS NO MORE FOSS -- FUSS.
♪ I AM TELLING YOU KINGS AND
QUEENS
NEVER MESS AROUND WITH MY QUEENS
ESPECIALLY THE BEES ♪
NO, NONE OF THAT.
[LAUGHTER]
[APPLAUSE]
BERNADETTE: ASIDE FROM TWO SONGS
SUNG BY THE TALENTED KATRINA
LENK, IT IS THE NEW YORK
PHILHARMONIC'’S CHANCE TO SHINE.
THEY WILL BE PLAYING ORCHESTRAL
SUITES AND OVERTURES, AS WELL AS
SYMPHONIC TREATMENTS OF SOME OF
SONDHEIM'’S MOST BEAUTIFUL SONGS.
HERE IS A SUITE'’S FROM JAMES
LAPINE'’S "INTO THE WOODS."
ARRANGED BY DON SEBESKY.
[APPLAUSE]
♪
[SUITE FROM "INTO THE WOODS."]
♪
♪
[SUITE FROM "INTO THE WOODS,"
ARRANGED BY DON SEBESKY.]
♪
♪
♪
♪
[SUITE FROM "INTO THE WOODS,"
ARRANGED BY DON SEBESKY.]
♪
♪
♪
[SUITE FROM "INTO THE WOODS,"
ARRANGED BY DON SEBESKY.]
♪
♪
[APPLAUSE]
BERNADETTE: SUITE FROM STEVE AND
JOHN WEIDMAN'S "ASSASSINS." THE
THE SCORE USES STYLES -- OUR
NEXT SELECTION THIS EVENING IS
THE WORLD PREMIERE OF A BRAND
NEW ORCHESTRAL SUITE FROM STEVE
AND JOHN WEIDMAN'S "ASSASSINS."
IT IS A MUSICAL FEATURING NINE
ASSASSINS WHO TRIED TO KILL THE
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
OVER 100 YEARS.
THIS SUITE IS ARRANGED AND
ORCHESTRATED BY THE SHOW'S
ORIGINAL ORCHESTRATOR OF
"ASSASSINS," MICHAEL STAROBIN.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,
"ASSASSINS."
♪
[SUITE FROM "ASSASSINS,"
ARRANGED BY EIKO STAROBIN --
MICHAEL STAROBIN.]
♪
♪
♪
♪
[SUITE FROM "ASSASSINS,"
ARRANGED BY MICHAEL STAROBIN.]
♪
♪
♪
[SUITE FROM "ASSASSINS,"
ARRANGED BY MICHAEL STAROBIN.]
♪
♪
♪
♪
[SUITE FROM "ASSASSINS,"
ARRANGED BY MICHAEL STAROBIN.]
♪
♪
♪
[APPLAUSE]
BERNADETTE: LADIES AND
GENTLEMEN, THE ORCHESTRA OF "--
THE ORCHESTRATOR OF "ASSASSINS"
IS WITH US TONIGHT, MICHAEL
STAROBIN.
THERE HE IS.
[APPLAUSE]
ONE OF MY FAVORITES OF STEVE'’S
SCORES IS THE ONE FROM "COMPANY
."
[APPLAUSE]
BERNADETTE: A SHOW HE WROTE WITH
GEORGE FURTH.
IT IS A REVUE OF SORTS, THOUGH
IT HAS A STORY.
IT TAKES PLACE IN THE EARLY
1970'’S.
INSTEAD OF BEING ABOUT POLITICS,
IT IS ABOUT THE DIFFICULTY OF
MAINTAINING RELATIONSHIPS IN A
SOCIETY BECOMING INCREASINGLY
DEPERSONALIZED.
IT HAS TWO CENTRAL CHARACTERS,
ROBERT, A MAN UNABLE TO MAKE AN
EMOTIONAL COMMITMENT.
AND, NEW YORK CITY.
THE ICONIC SONG "BEING ALIVE" AT
THE CLIMAX OF THE SHOW WAS NOT
THE ORIGINAL ONE WRITTEN FOR
THAT MOMENT, IT WAS THE THIRD.
BUT, AS I AM SURE YOU KNOW,
MUSICALS ARE NOT SO MUCH WRITTEN
AS REWRITTEN.
HERE IS AN ORCHESTRAL VERSION OF
ONE OF THE SONGS THAT PRECEDED
"BEING ALIVE," A RHAPSODIC SONG
CALLED "MULTITUDES OF AMYS."
HERE IT IS ARRANGED AND
ORCHESTRATED BY DON SEBESKY.
[APPLAUSE]
♪
["MULTITUDES OF AMYS" FROM
"COMPANY," ARRANGED BY DON
SEBESKY.]
♪
♪
♪
["MULTITUDES OF AMYS" FROM
"COMPANY," ARRANGED BY DON
SEBESKY.]
♪
[APPLAUSE]
BERNADETTE: THE 1970'’S WERE A
PROLIFIC TIME FOR STEVE.
"COMPANY," "FOLLIES," "A LITTLE
NIGHT MUSIC," "PACIFIC
OVERTURES," AND THEN TO FINISH
OUT THE DECADE "SWEENEY TODD."
,IN NEW YORK ALONE THIS MUSICAL
HAS BEEN PERFORMED ON BROADWAY
CITY OPERA, TWICE RIGHT HERE IN
, THIS STAGE WITH THE
PHILHARMONIC, ONCE WITH
ACTOR-MUSICIANS, AND MOST
RECENTLY DOWNTOWN AT A THEATER
CONVERTED INTO A PIE SHOP.
NO MATTER WHAT THE SCALE OR THE
VENUE, " SWEENEY TODD" IS
SPECTACULAR.
HERE IS THE SCORE AGAIN
REARRANGED AND ORCHESTRATED BY
DON SEBESKY.
[APPLAUSE]
♪
[SUITE FROM "SWEENEY TODD,"
ARRANGED BY DON SEBESKY.]
♪
♪
♪
♪
[SUITE FROM "SWEENEY TODD,"
ARRANGED BY DON SEBESKY.]
♪
♪
♪
[SUITE FROM "SWEENEY TODD,"
ARRANGED BY DON SEBESKY.]
♪
♪
♪
[SUITE FROM "SWEENEY TODD,"
ARRANGED BY DON SEBESKY.]
♪
♪
♪
♪
♪
[SUITE FROM "SWEENEY TODD,"
ARRANGED BY DON SEBESKY.]
♪
♪
[APPLAUSE]
BERNADETTE: IN 1973 STEVE AND
HAL PRINCE MADE A MUSICAL WITH
HUGH WHEELER AND CREATED, BASED
ON INGMAR BERGMAN'’S ROMANTIC
COMEDY "A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC."
, HE COMPOSED IT ENTIRELY IN
VARIATIONS OF 3/4 WALTZ TIME, "A
LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC" CONTAINS
SOME OF STEVE'’S MOST POPULAR
SONGS LIKE "SEND IN THE CLOWNS."
I WAS ABLE TO PLAY IT IN THE
MOST RECENT BROADWAY REVIVAL.
[APPLAUSE]
BERNADETTE: HERE IS ONE OF THE
ORCHESTRAL WALTZES FROM THE
SCORE "THE NIGHT WALTZ,"
ORCHESTRATED BY HIS LONGTIME
COLLABORATOR JONATHAN TUNICK.
,[APPLAUSE]
♪
[OVERTURE AND "NIGHT WALTZ" FROM
"A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC/"]
♪
♪
♪
[OVERTURE AND "NIGHT WALTZ" FROM
"A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC."]
♪
[APPLAUSE]
BERNADETTE: NEXT UP IS A PIECE
FROM STEVE AND JAMES GOLDMAN'S
BREATHTAKING "FOLLIES."
A SHOW ABOUT FORMER FOLLIES
SHOWGIRLS ATTENDING A REUNION AT
THE THEATRE THEY ONCE PERFORMED
IN, WHICH IS ABOUT TO BE TORN
DOWN.
THE SCORE IS IN PART PASTICHE,
FILLED WITH HOMAGES TO GREAT
COMPOSERS FROM BETWEEN THE TWO
WORLD WARS, INCLUDING IRVING
BERLIN, CALLED PORTER AND GEORGE
GERSHWIN.
WE WILL HEAR THE OVERTURE WHICH
SERVES TO INTRODUCE THE THEMES
OF EACH OF THE PERFORMERS AS
THEY ARRIVE AT THE REUNION.
ONCE AGAIN, ORCHESTRATED BY THE
GREAT JONATHAN TUNICK.
[APPLAUSE]
♪
[OVERTURE FROM "FOLLIES,"
ORCHESTRATED BY JONATHAN
TUNICK.]
♪
♪
[APPLAUSE]
BERNADETTE: STEVE OFTEN SAYS ONE
OF THE THINGS HE LOVES MOST
ABOUT THE THEATER IS THAT IT
ALLOWS HIS SHOWS TO BE
RECONCEIVED IN FRESH WAYS.
"SWEENEY TODD" IN A PIE SHOP, OR
PLAYED BY A SMALL CAST OF
ACTOR-MUSICIANS, OR AS IN LONDON
LAST YEAR, BY THE IMAGINATIVE
DIRECTOR MARYANNE ELLIOTT TO
SWAP THE GENDERS OF CHARACTERS.
HAPPILY, IT IS COMING TO
BROADWAY THIS SEASON AND THE
LEADING ROLE OF BOBBY, NOW
FEMALE, BOBBI, WILL BE PLAYED BY
DAZZLING, TONY AWARD WINNING
KATRINA LENK.
SHE IS WITH US TONIGHT, SINGING
TWO OF STEVE'’S GREAT SONGS FROM
"FOLLIES."
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, KATRINA
LENK!
[APPLAUSE]
♪
["LOSING MY MIND" FROM "FOLLIES
"]
KATRINA: THE SUN COMES UP,
I THINK ABOUT YOU,
THE COFFEE CUP,
I THINK ABOUT YOU,
I WANT YOU SO,
IT'’S LIKE I'’M LOSING MY MIND
THE MORNING ENDS,
I THINK ABOUT YOU
I TALK TO FRIENDS,
I THINK ABOUT YOU
AND DO THEY KNOW
IT'’S LIKE I'’M LOSING MY MIND?
ALL AFTERNOON
DOING EVERY LITTLE CHORE
THE THOUGHT OF YOU STAYS BRIGHT
SOMETIMES I STAND IN THE MIDDLE
OF THE FLOOR
NOT GOING LEFT, NOT GOING RIGHT
I DIM THE LIGHTS AND THINK ABOUT
YOU,
SPEND SLEEPLESS NIGHTS
TO THINK ABOUT YOU,
YOU SAID YOU LOVED ME, OR WERE
YOU JUST BEING KIND?
OR AM I LOSING MY MIND?
I WANT YOU SO,
IT'’S LIKE I'’M LOSING MY MIND
DOES NO ONE KNOW
IT'’S LIKE I'’M LOSING MY MIND
ALL AFTERNOON DOING EVERY LITTLE
CHORE
THE THOUGHT OF YOU STAYS BRIGHT
SOMETIMES I STAND IN THE MIDDLE
OF THE FLOOR,
NOT GOING LEFT, NOT GOING RIGHT,
I DIM THE LIGHTS AND THINK ABOUT
YOU,
SPEND SLEEPLESS NIGHTS
TO THINK ABOUT YOU,
YOU SAID YOU LOVED ME,
OR WERE YOU JUST BEING KIND?
OR AM I LOSING MY MIND? ♪ ♪
♪
[APPLAUSE]
♪
>>
♪ LEAVE YOU?
LEAVE YOU?
HOW COULD I LEAVE YOU?
HOW COULD I GO IT ALONE?
COULD I WAVE THE YEARS AWAY?
WITH A QUICK GOODBYE?
HOW DO YOU WIPE TEARS AWAY WHEN
YOUR EYES ARE DRY?
SWEETHEART, LOVER, COULD I
RECOVER?
GIVE UP THE JOYS I HAVE
KNOWN?
NOT TO FESTIVAL YOUR PILLS AGAIN
EVERY DAY AT FIVE
NOT TO GIVE THOSE DINNERS FOR
TEN ELDERLY
MEN FROM THE U.N.
HOW COULD I SURVIVE?
COULD I LEAVE YOU AND YOUR
SHELVES OF THE WORLD'S BEST
BOOKS
AND THE EVENINGS OF MARTYRED
LOOKS,
CRYPTIC SIGHS
SULLEN GLARES FROM THOSE INJURED
EYES?
LEAVE THE QUIPS WITH A STING,
JOKES WITH A SNEER PASSIONLESS
-- PASSIONATE LOVE MAKING ONCE A
YEAR?
LEAVE THE LIES ILL-CONCEALED AND
THE WOUNDS NEVER HEELED AND THE
GAME'S NOT WORTH WINNING AND
WAIT, I'M JUST BEGINNING
WHAT, LEAVE YOU, LEAVE YOU?
HOW COULD I LEAVE YOU?
WHAT WOULD I DO ON MY OWN?
PUTTING THOUGHTS OF YOU ASIDE IN
THE SOUTH OF FRANCE, WOULD I
THINK OF SUICIDE?
DARLING, SHALL WE DANCE?
COULD I LOVE THROUGH THE PAIN ON
A TERRACE IN SPAIN?
WOULD IT PASS?
IT WOULD PASS
COULD I BURY MY RAGE WITH A BOY
HALF YOUR AGE IN THE GRASS?
BET YOUR ASS
BUT I'VE DONE THAT ALREADY OR
DIDN'T YOU KNOW,
LOVE?
COULD I LEAVE YOU?
NO, THE POINT IS COULD YOU LEAVE
ME?
WELL, I GUESS YOU COULD LEAVE ME
THE HOUSE, LEAVE ME THE FLAT
LEAVE ME THE BRAQUES AND
CHAGALLS
AND ALL THAT
YOU COULD LEAVE ME THE STOCKS
FOR SENTIMENT'S SAKE
AND NINETY PERCENT OF THE MONEY
YOU MAKE
AND THE RUGS AND THE COOKS,
DARLING,
YOU KEEP THE DRUGS ANGEL,
YOU KEEP THE BOOKS, HONEY,
I'LL TAKE THE GRAND
SUGAR, YOU KEEP THE SPINET AND
ALL OF
OUR FRIENDS AND JUST WAIT
A -- MINUTE OH, LEAVE YOU?
LEAVE YOU?
HOW COULD I LEAVE YOU?
SWEETHEART, I HAVE TO CONFESS,
COULD I LEAVE YOU?
YES
WILL I LEAVE YOU?
WILL I LEAVE YOU?
GUESS ♪
[APPLAUSE]
>> BEFORE WE SAY GOOD NIGHT, I
THINK WE SHOULD THANK OUR
CONDUCTOR, ALEXANDER GEMIGNANI,
MAKING HIS NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC
DEBUT.
[APPLAUSE]
AND ABOVE ALL, WHAT OTHER WORD
CAN I USE?
THE MONUMENTAL NEW YORK
PHILHARMONIC!
[APPLAUSE]
FOR OUR FINALE, A SUITE FROM ONE
OF THE MOST EXHILARATING PIECES
OF THEATRE EVER.
AND I DON'T SAY THAT JUST
BECAUSE I WAS PART OF IT.
IT'S STEVEN JAMES LAPINE'S
"SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH
GEORGE."
[APPLAUSE]
INSPIRED BY THE FRENCH
POINTILLIST PAINTER GEORGES
SEURAT'S PAINTING, "A SUNDAY
AFTERNOON ON THE ISLAND OF LA
GRADE JATTE."
THE SHOW IS ABOUT THE WONDERS OF
CREATIVITY AND THERE'S A LYRIC
IN THE SHOW WHICH REFLECTS HOW I
FEEL ABOUT STEVE AND HIS WORK.
"ANYTHING YOU DO, LET IT COME
FROM YOU, THEN IT WILL BE NEW,
GIVE US MORE TO SEE."
SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE,
ARRANGED AND ORCHESTRATED BY
MICHAEL STAROBIN.
[APPLAUSE]
♪ ♪
[SUITE FROM "SUNDAY IN THE PARK
WITH GEORGE."
]
[SUITE FROM "SUNDAY IN THE PARK
WITH GEORGE"]
♪ ♪ ♪
[SUITE FROM "SUNDAY IN THE PARK
WITH GEORGE"]
♪ ♪ ♪ ♪
♪
[APPLAUSE]
♪
[OVERTURE FROM "MERRILY WE ROLL
ALONG"]
♪
♪
♪
♪
[APPLAUSE]
FRED: AN ENCORE FROM THE NEW
YORK PHILHARMONIC AS THEY'RE
CELEBRATING STEPHEN SONDHEIM
TONIGHT ON THIS NEW YEAR'S EVE.
THAT'S THE OVERTURE FROM
"MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG," 1981
MUSICAL BY STEPHEN SONDHEIM.
OUR CONDUCTOR, ALEXANDER
GEMIGNANI MAKING HIS NEW YORK
PHILHARMONIC DEBUT TONIGHT WITH,
BY THE WAY, TIPS FROM HIS DAD,
PAUL GEMIGNANI, WHO WAS THE
MUSICAL DIRECTOR FOR STEPHEN
SONDHEIM FOR 45 YEARS.
♪
>> ♪ SHOULD AULD ACQUAINTANCE
BE FORGOT
AND NEVER BROUGHT TO MIND
SHOULD AULD ACQUAINTANCE BE
FORGOT AT ALL OF A SUDDEN
LANGUAGE DESIGN -- AT "AULD LANG
SYNE"
AT "AULD LANG SYNE" MY DEAR
AT ALL OF A SUDDEN LANGUAGE SIGN
FOR ALL OF A SUDDEN LANGUAGE
SIGN MY DEAR
FOR "AULD LANG SYNE"
WE'LL DRINK A CUP OF FINDE
KINDNESS YET FOR "AULD LANG
SYNE"
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