I know how excited you all get when I blog about "Company," but hey...it's consuming my life right now, so dem's da berries. :)
Last night a bunch of us went out after rehearsal for one of our Group Therapy (read: going out and complaining/worrying/stressing) sessions and we were talking about the different scenes and how the characters relate to one another. We were discussing how the two scenes that sort of bookend Act I are some of our favorites, and probably because they are so extreme in content. The Harry/Sarah scene is hilarious, while the Amy/Paul scene is much more serious and emotional.
Someone mentioned that at one point, Sondheim had written a song called "Multitudes of Amys" to end Act I while still fleshing out the show and how he wanted Bobby to develop. The current song, "Marry Me a Little," is BEAUTIFUL, and our Bobby sings it so freaking well, but of course my curiosity got the best of me this morning, so off to YouTube I went to see what I could find.
I found a clip of John Lloyd Young (of "Jersey Boys" fame) singing "Multitudes of Amys" in a cabaret-style setting.
It is absolutely beautiful, which isn't a big shocker. It's this blogger's opinion that anything Sondheim writes is pure genius.
I still prefer "Marry Me a Little" in context of the show, because I simply prefer the direction that it takes the characters of Paul and Amy. But, I like knowing what might have been. :)
See for yourself!
John Lloyd Young singing "Multitudes of Amys:"
Raúl Esparza singing "Marry Me a Little:"
I can't watch the videos right now, but I actually know the song "Multitudes of Amys". It's on a Mandy Patinkin album I've had for years and years. But I never knew the context of the song, or what it was about. Now I'll have to go home and listen to it again, with the backstory in mind.
ReplyDeleteI actually found, upon further research (cover all your bases before you blog, OperaWife!), that there was a 3rd song that Sondheim cut from the end of Act I called "Happily Ever After." Despite the title, it was fairly cynical. I think "Marry Me a Little" actually shows just how genius Sondheim really is, because it's a perfect blend of the emotions expressed in the other 2 songs. "Multitudes of Amys" is a bit of a stretch for Bobby to have made that conclusion at the halfway point in the show, and "Happily Ever After" is just a bit too cynical.
ReplyDelete*happy sigh*
I love this show.