Signature Theatre re-releases popular online ‘Simply Sondheim’

In honor of Stephen Sondheim's birthday, the show headlined by Norm Lewis, Solea Pfieffer, Conrad Ricamora, and Emily Skinner streams on Marquee TV.

Signature Theatre has re-released its popular 2021 digital production of Simply Sondheim in honor of the late composer’s March 22 birthday in continuation of its season-long tribute to Signature’s signature, Stephen Sondheim. Starring 12 singers and an orchestra of 16Simply Sondheim includes over 30 songs from the composer’s canon. Filmed during the COVID shutdown, Simply Sondheim was the first streaming production of Signature’s 2021 Signature Features all-streaming season and was viewed in every single U.S. state, and in 15 countries on five continents.

The production “feels like a live performance,” wrote DC Theater Arts’ reviewer Charles Green at the time. “The performers perfectly capture the emotion in each song.”

Norm Lewis in ‘Simply Sondheim.’ Photo by Christopher Mueller.

Simply Sondheim will be available to stream in HD exclusively on MarqueeTV, an on-demand streaming platform dedicated to global arts and culture. Simply Sondheim will only be available for Marquee TV subscribers through March 21, 2024. (You can sign up for a 7-day free trial of Marquee TV and stream Simply Sondheim at marquee.tv/videos/signature-simply-sondheim.)

“Signature is thrilled to re-release our filmed production of Simply Sondheim as part of our ongoing season-long commitment to celebrating Sondheim’s work,” says Signature Artistic Director Matthew Gardiner. “This production was filmed during the early days of the pandemic, in 2020, when there was so much uncertainty about when we’d be able to return to live performances. Sondheim gave us his blessing and thoughtful insight throughout the process of bringing this filmed production to our audiences. Simply Sondheim’s talented cast, crew, and orchestra embody the best of Signature and thanks to MarqueeTV I’m thrilled that audiences will be able to once again enjoy this theatrical experience from the comfort of their homes.”

Created specifically for Signature Theatre with special permission from Sondheim himself, this jam-packed revue features over 30 songs from the composer’s canon. The quintessential “Finishing the Hat,” “Another Hundred People,” “Losing My Mind,” and “The Worst Pies in London” meet lesser-known gems including “Country House,” “Saturday Night,” and “Goodbye for Now” and are fused with new orchestrations by longtime Sondheim collaborator Jonathan Tunick. With a lush 16-piece orchestra leading the way for 12 phenomenal singers, this exclusive event satisfies every Sondheim craving.

For a downloadable copy of the original Simply Sondheim program, click here.

Simply Sondheim is headlined by Norm Lewis (Broadway’s Once on This Island, Signature’s First You Dream: The Music of Kander & Ebb), Solea Pfeiffer (Broadway’s Almost Famous, Signature’s Gun & Powder), Conrad Ricamora (TV’s How to Get Away with Murder, Broadway’s Here Lies Love), and Emily Skinner (Broadway’s The Cher Show, Signature’s Dirty Blonde). They are joined by Nicholas McDonough (Signature’s Grand Hotel, Cape Playhouse’s South Pacific), Donna Migliaccio (Signature’s Silver Belles, Broadway’s War Paint), Christopher Mueller (Signature’s Pacific OverturesAssassins), Katie Mariko Murray (Signature’s Into the WoodsGrand Hotel), Tracy Lynn Olivera (Signature’s A Little Night Music, Broadway’s Ragtime), Paul Scanlan (Signature’s Into the Woods, La Cage aux Folles), Awa Sal Secka (Signature’s Gun & Powder, Ford’s Theatre’s Into the Woods) and Bobby Smith (Signature’s She Loves MeA Little Night Music).

Tracy Lynn Olivera, Awa Sal Secka, and Katie Mariko Murray in ‘Simply Sondheim.’ Photo by Christopher Mueller.

Directed and choreographed by Signature Artistic Director Matthew Gardiner (Signature’s Into the WoodsRENT), the creative team includes Music Direction by Jon Kalbfleisch (Signature’s Into the WoodsPassion), Lighting Design by Adam Honoré (Signature’s A Chorus Line, The Public’s Ain’t No Mo), Sound design by Ryan Hickey (Signature’s A Chorus LineGirlfriend), Hair & Makeup Design by Alison Samantha Johnson (Signature’s Escaped Alone, Synetic Theater’s Cyrano De Bergerac), Original Orchestrations by Jonathan Tunick (Broadway’s CompanyFollies), Vocal Arrangements by David Loud (Signature’s The Visit, Broadway’s Merrily We Roll Along), Associate Direction and Casting by Kelly Crandall d’Amboise (Signature’s Grand HotelLight Years), and Production Coordinator Kerry Epstein (Signature’s Pacific OverturesInto the Woods). The production was filmed by Chiet Productions. The Director of Photography was Justin Chiet and the Associate Producer/Editor was James Gardiner, with assistant editing by Natalie Ridgley.

Simply Sondheim streams through March 21, 2024, on Marquee TV
at https://bit.ly/SimplySondheim. (Only available to Marquee TV subscribers, but you can sign up for a 7-day free trial of Marquee TV and stream Simply Sondheim at marquee.tv/videos/signature-simply-sondheim.) An audio-described version can be found at  https://bit.ly/SigSimplySondheimAudio. For more information, visit SigTheatre.org.

SEE ALSO:
Signature Theatre’s lovely ‘Simply Sondheim’ feels like a live performance
(review by Charles Green, February 3, 2021)

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