Archive

Identifier: SUNDAY2008

Inclusive Dates: 2007 - 2008

Extent:

Roundabout Theatre Company, in association with Bob Boyett, Debra Black, Jam Theatricals, Stephanie P. McClelland and Ostar Productions, staged The Menier Chocolate Factory's production of Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine's musical Sunday in the Park with George, with first preview on January 25, 2008, opening night on February 21, 2008 and closing night June 29, 2008. The production was nominated for several Tony and Drama Desk awards, with Jason Carr winning a Drama Desk for Oustanding Orchestrations.

Critics were favorable in their reviews, paying attention to the fantastic technology used to bring the painter Georges Seurat's work to life through digitally animated projections. Writing for The New York Times, Ben Brantley wrote that the production was "glorious" and "[t]hat the second act ends as the first does, in a ravishing ephiphany of artistic harmony, now feels more than ever like a loving benediction, bestowed by the show's creators on its audiences. Every member of those audiences, whether consciously or not, is struggling for such harmony in dealing with the mess of daily reality. How generous of this production - and it is the generosity of great art - that it allows you, for a breathless few moments, to achieve that exquisite, elusive balance." [The New York Times, February 22, 2008]

Directed by Sam Buntrock, with set and costume design by David Farley, lighting design by Ken Billington, sound design by Sebastian Frost, projection design by Timothy Bird and The Knifedge Creative Network, musical staging by Christopher Gattelli, musical supervision by Caroline Humphris, orchestrations by Jason Carr, music coordination by John Miller, and hair and wig design by Tom Watson.

Daniel Evans played the part of George, Jenna Russell played the part of Dot/Marie, Mary Beth Peil played the part of Old Lady/Blair Daniels, Anne L. Nathan played the part of Her Nurse/Mrs./Harriet Pawling, David Turner played the part of Franz/Lee Randolph, Santino Fontana played the part of Bather/Soldier, Drew McVety played the part of Bather/Billy Webster, Kelsey Fowler played the part of Bather/Louise, Alison Horowitz played the part of Bather/Louise, Michael Cumpsty played the part of Jules/Bob Greenberg, Jessica Molaskey played the part of Yvonne/Naomi Eisen, Alexander Gemignani played the part of Boatman/Dennis, Brynn O'Malley played the part of Celeste #1/Elaine, Jessica Grove played the part of Celeste #2/Photographer, Stacie Morgain Lewis played the part of Frieda/Betty, Ed Dixon played the part of Mr./Charles Redmond/Alex. Understudies: Santino Fontana, Brynn O'Malley, Colleen Fitzpatrick, Jeff Kready, Hayley Podschun, Andrew Varela.  

Musicians:Caroline Humphris, conductor/piano; Thomas Murray, associate conductor/keyboard; John Miller, music coordinator; Matthew Lehmann, violin; Mairi Dorman-Phaneuf, cello; Todd Groves, woodwinds. 

Georges Seurat's art was influenced by the law of contrast, which stated that any color is heightened when placed next to its complementary color from the opposite side of the color wheel. The theory aided in the development of the method known as Divisionism, also called Pointillism. Seurat began A Sunday On La Grande Jatte as a series of 28 drawings. He spent months sketching the scene at the park every morning. The painting took 2 years to complete. In Sunday in the Park with George, Sondheim brings Seurat's technique of pointillism to life through a staccato musical structure and open tones that create rich harmonies. Like Seurat who used sequences of dots of color, Sondheim uses sequences of isolated notes. The musical also echoes Seurat's pointillist approach in that it presents many small moments between characters which may not have an obvious starting or ending point. They may not even be logically or emotionally connected to the moments before or after them. Just like the painting, the audience must connect these smaller moments together in order to see the larger picture. [Roundabout's Upstage Guide, Winter 2008]  

Sunday in the Park with George originally opened Off-Broadway at Playwrights Horizons in 1983, with Mandy Patinkin and Bernadette Peters in the lead roles. The musical was not yet complete and the production had a very limited run. The show transferred to Broadway at the Booth Theatre in 1984, where the Acts were completed and finalized. The work won the 1985 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. 

Production records consist of 5 Hollinger boxes spanning 36 folders. Extensive stage documentation is present, including lighting bible, set and costume details with storyboard, production script and libretto, and performance reports.

Administrative records provide details about the transfer of the production from London to New York, author agreement, co-production agreement, press, Tony awards and other production-related content.

Collection includes playbill, direct mail flyers, Upstage guide, souvenir program and CD of lighting design files.

Digital files include:
British production photographs (selection of color jpgs) (117 MB)
Education file (PDF of study guide) (27.6 MB)
General management files (contracts, memos, budgets) (64.8 MB)
Lighting design digital files (542 MB)
Media files (b-roll, interviews, cast album, raw footage, radio spots) (44.9 GB)
Opening night photographs (color jpgs) (552 MB)
Playbill (color jpgs) (24.6 MB)
Press (PDF of select b&w photocopies) (3.6 MB)
Production photographs (color jpgs) (479 MB)
Set design (color jpgs of storyboards) (274 MB)
Show art (color jpg of window card) (731 KB)
Theatre Access G&L (color jpgs) (1 MB)
Theatre Access HipTix (color jpgs) (15 MB)
Theatre Access Social (color jpgs) (3.28 MB)

Marketing files include: 
Departmental file with season flyers, promotions, etc.
Show file with art mock ups, ad placement, promotion plans, etc.

Access Restrictions: Open and available for research by appointment only, except when noted.

Preferred Citation: Sunday in the Park with George (2008), Roundabout Theatre Company Archives