Sondheim’s name lights up the West End
Curtain up, light the lights, Cameron Mackintosh is to name one of his theatres in honour of musical genius Stephen Sondheim.
‘Sondheim’s one of theatre’s great legends,’ said Mackintosh, who has known the composer for more than four decades.
the impresario told me that Sondheim was deeply moved when he informed him that the Queen’s, Shaftesbury avenue would be renamed the Sondheim theatre.
‘Steve said: “i’m going to cry.” i couldn’t tell if there were tears, but i could tell he was thrilled.
‘He said: “You don’t know what it means”,’ and he told me he’d been seeing shows on Shaftesbury avenue for 60 years.
‘in fact, Steve’s the first living theatre artist to have his name on a theatre on the avenue.’
Sondheim, who turns 90 next March, wrote the words for West Side Story and Gypsy; and the music and lyrics for a celebrated list of shows that include a Funny thing Happened On the Way to the Forum, Follies, a Little night Music, Sunday in the Park With George, into the Woods and Sweeney todd.
another Sondheim musical, Company, recently finished an acclaimed season next door, at the Gielgud. that production will transfer to Broadway in the spring. in fact, the last time i had a conversation with Sondheim was at the last-night party for Company — held, not at the Gielgud, but at the Queen’s.
and, yes, Sondheim does have history with the place. His musical Passion, starring Michael Ball and Maria Friedman, ran there in 1996. and in 2010, the Donmar Warehouse
used it for some special performances of Merrily We roll along and Company, in honour of the great man’s 80th.
the name switch will be effective almost immediately, said Mackintosh, whose relationship with the composer dates back to the mid 1970s, when he transferred revue Side By Side By Sondheim, which starred Julia McKenzie, into the West End.
On
JuLY 13, the theatre will close for a fourmonth, £ 6 million refurbishment that includes a new ceiling, dressing rooms, theatre boxes, a stage extension — and two dozen additional loos. Current incumbent Les Miserables will close while work takes place; though a concert version will take over the Gielgud from august 10 through november 30. its cast of 65 will be led by Michael Ball, alfie Boe and John Owen Jones. tickets are going faster than stolen hot cakes.
and on December 18, a new production of Les Mis will reopen at the Queen’s . . . sorry, the Sondheim.
Once the builders move into the Queen’s, the old signage will come down pretty fast. Which means, Mackintosh predicted, ‘Steve could have his name in lights by the end of the month.’
‘i think his standing has never been higher than it is now,’ he added. Steven Spielberg is shooting a film version of West Side Story, and a new stage interpretation of that musical is being readied for Broadway by avant-garde director ivo van Hove and choreographer anne teresa De Keersmaeker.
Sondheim’s also working with British director Jeremy Sams on a musical for new York’s Public theater, adapted from the Exterminating angel and the Discreet Charm Of the Bourgeoisie, movies by Spanish filmmaker Louis Bunuel.
there is already a Stephen Sondheim theatre in new York. But i sense Sondheim’s more chuffed about being immortalised on Shaftesbury avenue.