Sunday in the Park With George

The production of the video of the show is very good. Lapine gets some good shots, even though it's basically a taped version of a Broadway show. The editing in spots is very good.

Bernadette Peters, a favorite performer of mine, is not in very good voice for the taping. I think I've read that she was having vocal problems at the time. Some dubbing is apparent in spots. Mr. Patinkin is very subdued and subtle in his performance.

The DVD is a preferable way to watch this show due to its extra audio track of Sondheim, Lapine, Peters and Patinkin reminiscing about it. There are some great stories told by the group. Mr. Sondheim sheds some light on the earlier drafts of songs and scenes.

Remember, this show won the Pulitzer Prize! It is not an "Oklahoma" kind of musical -- it's very artsy and concerns a difficult man obsessed with his art. But it is so sweet and clever. Like Seurat's famous painting that the musical is based on, the stellar talent behind the show blend together to produce a truly luminescent experience.

Patinkin's irritating vibrato and appalling resonance make for a boring and watery (pardon the pun) performance, lacking in any proper exploration of the music's depth and attempting to steal attention away from his mega co-star Peters, who outshines Patinkin with her physicality and realization. This is not to say Patinkin does not attempt to convey some sense of emotional sensitivity in relation to his performance development, he does, but it is a contrived exploration which, stylistically, appears acted and unashamedly forced.

Patinkin's appalling commentary on this DVD draws attention to this obviously self conscious, afraid performer who seems so adamant to steal attention away from the highly intelligent professionals with whom he works. He strives to attract attention.

Patinkin aside, Peters puts in a masterful portrayal, conveying a beautiful sensitivity which makes up for the lost moments of Patinkin's self-indulgent performance. Peters commands attention, and receives it.

An ingenious score by our great master Stephen Sondheim allows the depth and texture of the emotional to be fused with the physical in an interesting and multifaceted exploration. The sweeping grandeur of "Sunday" evokes the lush, somewhat dreamlike world of Paris at the turn of the century beautifully, yet we can also see the sculptural formations built into the intricate score as if to suggest shapely formations and distinguished hues.

SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE has a magnificent score, and apart from Patinkin's poor performance as George, this show is leveled out by the hard slog put in by the remarkable supporting cast - it's all in a Sunday's work really...