This is the third of a weekly series analyzing Sondheim musicals.  The first and second, on happiness and wealth in SATURDAY NIGHT and the optimistic message of MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG can be read here and here.

Musical theatre songs are complicated things.  They must be character specific while expressing general enough emotions for everyone in the audience to connect to.  They must further the story, but not be mechanical.  They must have smart, vivid lyrics and thrilling music, but one can't overpower the other.  They must seem completely natural and effortless...but they involve an immense amount of work.  And when they aren't right for the show - no matter how beautiful, no matter how many hours they took to write - they have to go.

The cut and lesser known songs of Sondheim's could fill an entire show.  In fact, they fill five: SIDE BY SIDE BY SONDHEIM, MARRY ME A LITTLE, YOU'RE GONNA LOVE TOMORROW, PUTTING IT TOGETHER, and the upcoming SONDHEIM ON SONDHEIM.  By taking songs from the vast Sondheim canon and putting them in entirely different contexts, these revues demonstrate the strength of his music and lyrics and the talents of his collaborators - while enabling audiences to interpret them in new ways.

SIDE BY SIDE BY SONDHEIM
This first Sondheim revue was first seen in London's West End in 1976, moving to Broadway in 1977.  Unlike PUTTING IT TOGETHER and MARRY ME A LITTLE, which tell a story unrelated to the ones their songs come from, SIDE BY SIDE BY SONDHEIM uses Sondheim's work to reveal information about the composer/lyricist's life, as well as background about the individual songs.  SONDHEIM ON SONDHEIM, which starts Broadway performances in late March, takes a similar approach.  Well-known shows like COMPANY and A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC are represented alongside more obscure ones, such as the film THE SEVEN PERCENT SOLUTION and the television musical EVENING PRIMROSE.  SIDE BY SIDE BY SONDHEIM features a non-singing narrator role, and can be done with a small cast.

To license SIDE BY SIDE BY SONDHEIM, visit its MTI show page. Discuss SIDE BY SIDE BY SONDHEIM on its MTI ShowSpace page.

MARRY ME A LITTLE
Originally staged off-off Broadway in 1980, MARRY ME A LITTLE draws from more well-known shows and creates a story of unrequited love and missed connections.  This revue, entirely sung-through, consists of only a man and a woman who live in the same apartment building, one floor apart.  While they have similar dreams and desires, they tragically never meet - but somehow still manage to connect.  The show, taking its name from a song that was first cut and then put back into COMPANY, uses cut songs from FOLLIES, A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC, ANYONE CAN WHISTLE, and A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM.

To license MARRY ME A LITTLE, visit its MTI show page. Discuss MARRY ME A LITTLE on its MTI ShowSpace page.

YOU'RE GONNA LOVE TOMORROW
While other revues give discarded songs new life, 1983's YOU'RE GONNA LOVE TOMORROW celebrates the craft of Sondheim with songs that made the cut.  With the exception of three cut songs from A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM, these well-loved songs take the audience through the first few decades of Sondheim's career, from SATURDAY NIGHT to MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG.  At minimum, YOU'RE GONNA LOVE TOMORROW requires a cast of two men and two women.

To license YOU'RE GONNA LOVE TOMORROW, visit its MTI show page. Discuss YOU'RE GONNA LOVE TOMORROW on its MTI ShowSpace page.

PUTTING IT TOGETHER
From England in 1992 to its Broadway revival in 1999, PUTTING IT TOGETHER underwent a few story changes, resulting in a fancy dinner party filled with infidelity, regret, excitement, optimism, and forgiveness - and everything else in between.  An older couple, a younger couple, and a narrator use songs from SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE, FOLLIES, A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC, SWEENEY TODD, COMPANY, ASSASSINS, ANYONE CAN WHISTLE, and DICK TRACY to how just how much can happen over the course of one evening.

To license PUTTING IT TOGETHER, visit its MTI show page. Discuss PUTTING IT TOGETHER on its MTI ShowSpace page.