Marry Me, A Little – Raul Esparza

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SONG OF THE DAY

“Marry Me, A Little” as performed by Raul Esparza (Company, 2006 Broadway Revival Cast, Nonesuch Records, 2007).

INTERESTING FACTS

– From Amazon.com: “There may be no original Broadway cast recording more iconic than 1970’s Company, with its funky organ sound and Elaine Stritch’s not-quite-there high notes, but the December 2006 Broadway revival makes its own mark. For Stephen Sondheim and George Furth’s piece about a single man observing the benefits and follies of marriage, director John Doyle borrows the same controversial concept he used for his 2005 Sweeney Todd: the actors playing instruments on stage (now referred to in many circles as “Doyle-izing,” and not always with affection and delight)…The strong cast led by Raul Esparza makes this the best-sung Company we’ve ever gotten…There will never be a replacement for the original Broadway cast recording, but this revival recording can stand on its own and in some respects may be more flat-out enjoyable to listen to. –David Horiuchi”

and

“As with Sweeney Todd, which featured a bravura performance from lead actor Michael Cerveris, Doyle has found in rising star Raul Esparza (Cabaret, Taboo, The Normal Heart) an extraordinary singer and actor who, in the words of the New York Times’ Ben Brantley, gives Company “the most compelling center it has probably ever had.” …Sondheim fans will note that this new version of Company, to be released by Nonesuch and PS Classics, restores the original act one closer, “Marry Me A Little,” which was dropped from the show before its 1970 Broadway debut; the song has since taken on a life of its own as an orphaned Sondheim gem.”

Company is a musical with a book by George Furth and music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. Originally entitled Threes, its plot revolves around Bobby (a single man unable to commit fully to a steady relationship, let alone marriage), the five married couples who are his best friends, and his three girlfriends. Unlike most book musicals, which follow a clearly delineated plot, Company is a concept musical composed of short vignettes, presented in no particular chronological order, linked by a celebration for Bobby’s 35th birthday.

– Production History: After seven previews, the Broadway production, directed by Harold Prince, opened on April 26, 1970 at the Alvin Theatre, where it ran for 705 performances. The set design by Boris Aronson consisted of two working elevators and various vertical platforms, that strove to highlight the musical’s theme of isolation.

– Shortly after opening night, Dean Jones (playing the role of Bobby) withdrew from the show, allegedly due to illness, but actually due to stress he was suffering from ongoing divorce proceedings. He was replaced by his understudy Larry Kert, who had created the role of Tony in West Side Story. Kert earned rave reviews for his performance when the critics were invited to return. In an unusual move, the Tony Awards committee deemed Kert eligible for a nomination, an honor usually reserved for the actor who originates a role. As it had already been recorded prior to his assuming the role of Bobby, the Broadway cast album did not include Kert. However, when the cast travelled to London to reprise their roles, Columbia Records took him into the studio to record new tracks to lay down over Jones’ removed ones. This “new” recording was released as the Original London Cast recording. In 1998, when Sony Music who had acquired the Columbia catalogues, released a newly-digitalized CD version of the original Broadway cast recording, Kert’s rendition of “Being Alive,” the show’s final number, was included as a bonus track.

– A documentary of the recording of the original cast recording was created by D. A. Pennebaker shortly after the show opened on Broadway. In the film, Stritch struggles to record the song “The Ladies Who Lunch.”

– After 43 previews, the 1995 Roundabout Theatre revival, directed by Scott Ellis and choreographed by Rob Marshall, opened on October 5, 1995 at the Criterion Center Stage Right, where it ran for 60 performances. The cast included Boyd Gaines, Kate Burton, Robert Westenberg, Diana Canova, Debra Monk, LaChanze, Charlotte d’Amboise, Jane Krakowski, Danny Burstein and Veanne Cox.
– The 1995 London revival was directed by Sam Mendes. Previews began at the Donmar Warehouse on December 1; the show opened on December 13 and closed on March 2, 1996. Previews began at the Albery Theatre on March 7; it opened on March 13 and closed on June 29. The cast included Adrian Lester as the first black Bobby in a major production of the show. A videotaped recording was broadcast by BBC Two on March 1, 1997.
– A Kennedy Center production, presented as part of a summer-long salute to Sondheim, opened on May 17, 2002 for a 17-performance run. Directed by Sean Mathias, the cast included John Barrowman, Emily Skinner, Alice Ripley, and Lynn Redgrave.

– A new revival had try-outs at the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park’s Robert S. Marx Theatre in the spring of 2006. After 34 previews, the Broadway revival, directed and choreographed by John Doyle (who helmed the revival of Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street in 2005), opened on November 29, 2006 at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre with a cast that included Raúl Esparza as Bobby and Barbara Walsh as Joanne. The production won the Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical. The musical closed on July 1, 2007, but was taped. It premiered on PBS on February 20, 2008. That recording was released on DVD.

– In the 1990s, “Marry Me a Little” was restored permanently to close Act I and added to the 1995 and 2006 revivals, it is also included in the official composer’s edition of the vocal selections, published in 1996.

– The dance number “Tick-Tock” (arranged by David Shire) was abridged for the first Broadway revival, and afterwards deleted entirely from the score. It had become a liability in productions without dancers of the caliber of DonnaMcKechnie. However, it has since been restored in some productions (such as the 2004 Reprise! production in Los Angeles).

– The song “Multitude of Amys” was the original finale but was cut owing to major structural changes in the script. “Marry Me a Little” was started as a replacement but also cut. “Happily Ever After” was used as the finale for the first few performances, before being replaced by “Being Alive”.

– For the only time, the Tony Awards for Music and Lyrics were split into two categories. Sondheim won both awards.

Original Broadway production

  • Tony Award for Best Musical (winner)
  • Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical (winner)
  • Tony Award for Best Original Score (winner)
  • Tony Award for Best Lyrics (winner)
  • Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical (Kert, nominee)
  • Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical (Stritch and Browning, nominees)
  • Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical (Kimbrough, nominee)
  • Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical (Barrie and Myers, nominees)
  • Tony Award for Best Scenic Design by Boris Aronson (winner)
  • Tony Award for Best Lighting Design (nominee)
  • Tony Award for Best Choreography (nominee)
  • Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical (winner)
  • Theatre World Award (Browning, winner)
  • Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Book of a Musical (winner)
  • Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Lyrics (winner)
  • Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Music (winner)
  • Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Set Design (winner)
  • Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Director (winner)

2006 Broadway revival

  • Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical (winner)
  • Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical (Raul Esparza, nominee)
  • Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical (John Doyle, nominee)
  • Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Revival of a Musical (winner)
  • Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Musical (Raul Esparza, winner)
  • Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical (Barbara Walsh, nominee)
  • Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Director of a Musical (John Doyle, nominee)
  • Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Orchestrations (Mary-Mitchell Campbell, tie

VIDEO OF THE DAY

The playlist function on youtube.com is down right now, but here are the three videos that will eventually become today’s link:

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