Town Players of Pittsfield : Fall Production 1999 : 79th Season : Side by Side by Soundheim

A Musical Entertainment

*Music and Lyrics by*	Steven Sondheim
*Additional Music by*	Jule Styne, Mary Rodgers Richard Rodgers, and Leonard Bernstein
*Continuity by*	Ned Sherrin

Staged by Sam Slack
Musical Direction Ellen Cooper-Shanahan

Side by Side by Sondheim: Side by Side by Sondheim is a revue, and as such, has no plot. Original Cast Member David Kernan was playing Carl-Magnus in the Original London Production of Sondheim's A Little Night Music. He was contacted by Cleo Lane and her husband John Dankworth, who wanted Kernan to put together a revue as a benefit for a theatre they owned in Wavendon. Kernan contacted director Ned Sherrin and suggested that they do a revue of Sondheim material. When they wrote to Sondheim for permission, Kernan received a telegram back saying "By all means try, but I can't think of anything more boring except possibly the Book of Kells".

Fortunately, audiences did not agree, and their little benefit (with Millicent Martin, Julie McKenzie, Kernan, and Ned Sherrin as the narrator) went over very well. Cameron Mackintosh, just starting out as a producer, saw the show and agreed to move it to the Mermaid Theatre. Sondheim agreed to come over and work with the cast, and ended up essentially directing. The show ran for eight weeks and then moved to the larger Wyndham Theatre, where it ran for another three years.

Hal Prince produce the Broadway version, and persuaded Actors' Equity Association to allow the original British Cast to transfer with the show. After several months and Tony nominations for the show and all four actors, the British cast was phased out and replaced by Nancy Dussault, Larry Kert, Georgia Brown, and Hermione Gingold as the Narrator. (Gingold also sang "I Never Do Anything Twice" in that production). After a move up the street to the Morosco Theatre in 1978, the show was hosted by Burr Tilstrom and Kukla, Fran, and Ollie until it closed on March 19, 1978.

This show became very popular and is perhaps the single biggest reason for the spread of Sondheim's popularity beyond sophisticated NY and London Theatre circles. Since it was put together in 1975, the show only contains material up through Pacific Overtures, and is the only official Sondheim revue that uses music written by other composers with Sondheim lyrics.

Song =========	Production ===========
"Comedy Tonight"	A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1962)
"Love is in the Air"	cut from A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1962)
"If Mamma Was Married"	Gypsy (1959)
"You Must Meet My Wife"	A Little Night Music (1973)
"The Little Things"	Company (1970)
"Getting Married Today"	Company (1970)
"I Remember"	Evening Primrose
"Can That Boy Foxtrot!"	cut from Follies (1971)
"Company"	Company (1970)
"Another Hundred People"	Company (1970)
"Barcelona"	Company (1970)
"Marry me a Little"	- (1971)
"I Never Do Anything Twice"	The Seven Per Cent Solution (1975)
"Beautiful Girls"	Follies (1971)
"Ah, Paree!"	Follies (1971)
"Buddy's Blues"	Follies (1971)
"Broadway Baby"	Follies (1971)
"You Could Drive a Person Crazy"	Company (1970)
"Everybody Says Don't"	Anyone Can Whistle (1964)
"Anyone Can Whistle"	Anyone Can Whistle (1964)
"Send in the Clowns"	A Little Night Music (1973)
"We're Gonna Be All Right"	Do I Hear A Waltz? (1965)
"A Boy Like That"	West Side Story (1957)
"The Boy From..."	The Mad Show
"Pretty Lady"	Pacific Overtures (1976)
"You gotta get a Gimmick"	Gypsy (1959)
"Losing My Mind"	Follies (1971)
"Could I Leave You?"	Follies (1971)
"I'm Still Here"	Follies (1971)
"Conversation Piece"	medley
"Side By Side By Side"	Company (1970)