Sondheim musical lands in Marin
The Lark Theater is one of Marin County's gems. The restored Larkspur venue has long presented films and other offbeat fare, and occasionally put on live music performances. But with the recent expansion of its stage and improvements to its lighting and sound systems, the Lark Theater management has decided to add live theatrical productions to its offerings.
Beginning May 2 and running through May 25, the Lark Theater will present “Side by Side by Sondheim,” a collection of songs from Stephen Sondheim, one of America's most beloved composers.
“It's incredible — the longest run of a show by the Lark Theater ever on its stage,” said Lark Theater spokesperson Stephanie Clarke. “Here's a local movie theater producing seven shows live on stage, with piano, a music director, a choreographer and five really accomplished singers/actors performing some of Sondheim's most famous songs.”
The award-winning show will feature music from “Company,” “Follies,” “A Little Night Music,” “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum,” “Anyone Can Whistle” and “Pacific Overtures,” as well as classics written with musical theater giants Leonard Bernstein, Jule Styne and Richard Rodgers.
The composer and lyricist explored a wide range of periods and locales, Clarke says, from “ancient Rome through 19thcentury Japan and turn-of-thecentury Sweden to the high-rise apartments of 1970 Manhattan.”
“His songs each represent a definitive time and place, and yet move beyond particular settings to speak to us all,” she says.
Clarke's enthusiasm is shared by Ellie Mednick, the Lark Theater's executive director, now in her 12th year at the helm. She brought to the job her love of music and live theater, in addition to years of experience working with symphonies and theater companies — including concerts of classical and jazz artists, standup comedy and small-scale music revues often accompanied by themed films. Her productions often played to sold-out houses.
Last year, Mednick felt it was time for live theater and presented a play for the first time on the Lark Theater stage — a production of A.R. Gurney's twoactor play “Love Letters.”
The show sold out two performances, and was the impetus for her to get more ambitious.