[Little Dorrit]

There is an upcoming Prom Concert honouring Sondheim's 80th,
on Saturday, 31 July, with 'on demand' for 7 days:

http://www.bbc.co.uk...tson/3107.shtml

It is on BBC Radio 3 (available online) live at 7:30PM BST,
and apparently on BBC Two at 9PM (TV).

The guest list includes Bryn Terfel, Maria Friendman,
Simon Russell Beale, and Judi Dench.

BBC Proms

The BBC presents the 116th season of Henry Wood Promenade Concerts. Catch every note: all Proms this week are broadcast live on BBC Radio 3 and online

Prom 19: Dame Judi Dench makes her BBC Proms debut at our very special Sondheim at 80 concert at the Royal Albert Hall on Saturday 31 July, 7.30pm

[Brenda K.]

I will be watching that programme - possibly with a glass of something 'tasty'. It should be a great programme.

Brenda
Gloucester

[steve]

Maria certainly has the Sondheim market sewn up, I think it's actually against the law to have a Sondheim concert without her!!!

Steve

[Celia]

We're going to this and really looking forward to it. Never seen Bryn Terfel live and apparently Judi Dench is doing Send in the Clowns.

Little Dorrit, on 30 July 2010 - 03:41 AM, said:

and apparently on BBC Two at 9PM (TV).

It IS on BBC2 at 9pm - 11pm.

steve, on 30 July 2010 - 09:39 AM, said:

Maria certainly has the Sondheim market sewn up, I think it's actually against the law to have a Sondheim concert without her!!!

Someone's been reading What's on Stage forum again. We're actually going to this to see Maria - she's good at it and is great fun too.

[derbyshire lass]

Thanks for the reminder Doris,looking forward to watching it,another one I've marked to watch is August 22,A Celebration of Rogers & Hammerstein,that also looks good.
It's nice to see other than (to quote a certain Mr.Ball) high art being performed .
Of course the Last Night of the Proms is also a must.
Kind regards
Pat

[oldtime 54]

Quote

Never seen Bryn Terfel live

I've seen him twice here in Salt Lake Celia. He's wonderful!!!!!!!!!!

[steve]

oldtime 54, on 30 July 2010 - 11:16 AM, said:

Quote

Never seen Bryn Terfel live

I've seen him twice here in Salt Lake Celia. He's wonderful!!!!!!!!!!

I agree Deb, you'll love him Celia. Saw him at the Wales concert he did with Michael and the Sweeney Todd concert version where he played Sweeney to perfection, I don't think anyone (sorry Michael!!) will ever beat his Sweeney.

Steve

ps Funnilly enough Maria was in that concert too!!

pps Celia, have you ever been to any of Maria's Cadogan Hall Sondheim concerts? Personally I'm not keen on Sondheim but those concerts are brilliant. I even got pie splatted on me one year, don't sit front row!!

[Ruth]

I was so excited to see that this concert is going to be on TV.Will be watching avidly as luckily I am at work on Saturday morning this weekend !! Another great thing is that Total Recorder works on my laptop I have now so I have just purchased it and will record the radio broadcast too !! Enjoy it one and all !!!

After that one there is the Rodgers and Hammerstein one coming up too.Went with my husband to see John Wilson conducting a similar concert with Kim Criswell as one of the soloists at our Cheltenham Music Festival and it was excellent so looking forward to that Prom as well in a few weeks time.

love from Ruth in Cheltenham

[Celia]

derbyshire lass, on 30 July 2010 - 10:27 AM, said:

It's nice to see other than (to quote a certain Mr.Ball) high art being performed .

Pat, I quoted that on another forum when someone was taking a pop at Maria saying they hoped that she wouldn't be 'allowed' to do Worst Pies in London at this Sondheim Prom:

"I hope she is 'allowed' to do Worst Pies. It's just a bit of fun - and the people around us at the Cadogan and Trafalgar Studios certainly seemed to agree. Even the prommers might manage to smile for a minute and, if not, it won't hurt those "who believe that high art is the only art" to quote Michael Ball from his own Prom."

Steve, yes I saw Maria at the Cadogan and Trafalgar Studios - her concerts are great fun and she's lovely to talk to at the stage door too. We had a drink with her in the interval of the brilliant La Cage Aux Folles which her other half (and now husband - Adrian der Gregorian) was in and she was great company. We were in the front row at the Trafalgar and the pies bit was hilarious - not too messy but very funny, specially the bit when she advised the poor guy she dragged from the audience not to actually swallow the pie. Then she gave him a drink to wash it down with (I think it was beer in a tankard) and he looked at her to see if it was safe to drink! She assured him it was. It'll be interesting to see if they do it at the Prom and, if so, if they go for the fun option and perform it or play it safe and just sing it.

I don't know a lot of Sondheim but I like the bits I've heard so far, though was a bit under-whelmed by West Side Story last year. I knew so many of the songs and thought I'd love it - guess my expectations were too high and I've seen too many really WOW shows. Saw A Little Night Music at the Choccy Factory (I see David Babani is thinking of opening one in New York) and the West End transfer and absolutely loved it. I've yet to see Sweeney (not even seen the film yet). I'm sure I'll love it when I finally get round to seeing it - I've heard how clever and funny it is as well as the grim bits.

[oldtime 54]

Quote

Saw him at the Wales concert he did with Michael and the Sweeney Todd concert version where he played Sweeney to perfection, I don't think anyone (sorry Michael!!) will ever beat his Sweeney.

I can imagine this Steve! He's HUGE and if he portrays some anger I can see myself "shaking in my boots"!! He reminds me of someone who could play "Judd" in Oklahoma!

[steve]

oldtime 54, on 30 July 2010 - 05:07 PM, said:

Quote

Saw him at the Wales concert he did with Michael and the Sweeney Todd concert version where he played Sweeney to perfection, I don't think anyone (sorry Michael!!) will ever beat his Sweeney.

I can imagine this Steve! He's HUGE and if he portrays some anger I can see myself "shaking in my boots"!! He reminds me of someone who could play "Judd" in Oklahoma!

Your spot on Deb, at one point he came off the stage while singing with an actual cut throat razor. I was sat on the front row and he stood directly in front of me singing with such anger and brandishing this razor in my face!! I'll never forget that momement and yes I was terrified!!

Steve

[oldtime 54]

Oh my gosh Steve!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I think I would have had a heart attack! Michael's going to have fun with this one!!

[bonny]

I'm not a great Sondheim fan but I did watch this concert last night. Perhaps it was the TV reproduction or the orchestra but the music seemed even more tuneless than usual and Judi Dench still can't sing.

Maybe Maria Friedman should have worn black!

[yorkshire rose]

Thanks Bonny I thought it was just me, Watched the concert and it just convinced me I am no fan of Sondheims music. My feet are firmly in the LLloyd Webber camp !!! Doubt I could sit through 2.5 hours of Sweeney Todd even for Michael Passion was enough for me !!

[Brenda K.]

Michael and his Prom seem to have started something. Yet another Prom that is non-classical. Some of the music was rather odd, I would have preferred more bits that I recognised. I enjoyed Bryn Terfel and Maria Friedman doing the Sweeney Todd excerpt. I now know why Michael wants to do it. He will be able to act his socks off!

The song Judi Dench 'sang' was supposed to be for a fading star who couldn't sing any longer.

Brenda
Gloucester