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  Putting It Together  
 

Words and Music by Stephen Sondheim
Devised by Stephen Sondheim and Julia McKenzie

1992 Oxford Production

Opened January 27, 1992 at the Old Fire Station, Oxford, England
Closed February 15, 1992; Ran for 24 performances
Produced by Cameron Mackintosh
Directed by Julia McKenzie

Cast

Diana Rigg
Clive Carter
Claire Moore
Clarke Peters
Kit Hesketh-Harvey

1993 Manhattan Theatre Club Production

Putting It Together, Manhattan Theatre Club [playbill]

Previews began March 2, 1993 at City Center Theater
Opened April 1, 1993
Closed May 23, 1993; Ran for 59 performances and 37 previews
Produced by Cameron Mackintosh and the Manhattan Theatre Club
[Artistic Director: Lynne Meadow;
Managing Director: Barry Grove]
Directed by Julia McKenzie
Musical Staging by Bob Avian
Scenery by Robin Wagner
Costumes by Theoni V. Aldredge
Lighting by Tharon Musser
Musical Arrangements by Chris Walker
Musical Direction by Scott Frankel
Sound by Scott Lehrer
Production Stage Manager: Franklin Keysar

Cast

Julie Andrews
Stephen Collins
Christopher Durang
Michael Rupert [replaced by Patrick Quinn]
Rachel York

Musical Numbers

Act One

Act Two

  • "Back in Business" [from Dick Tracy]
  • "Rich and Happy #2" [+]
  • Night Waltzes: "Love Takes Time" / "Remember?" / "In Praise of Women" / "Perpetual Anticipation" / "The Sun Won't Set" [all from A Little Night Music]
  • Game Sequence #1: "What Would We Do Without You" [+] / "Gun Song" [from Assassins]
  • Game Sequence #2: "A Little Priest" [+]
  • "The Miller's Son" [from A Little Night Music]
  • "Live Alone and Like It" [from Dick Tracy]
  • "Sorry-Grateful" [from Company]
  • "Sweet Polly Plunkett" [from Sweeney Todd]
  • "I Could Drive a Person Crazy" [from Company]
  • "Marry Me a Little" [cut from Company]
  • "Getting Married Today" [from Company]
  • "Merrily We Roll Along #4" [+] / "Being Alive" [from Company]
  • "Live It Was" [from Merrily We Roll Along]
  • "Old Friends" / "Merrily We Roll Along #5" [from Merrily We Roll Along]

[+] These numbers are used as introductions (sometimes spoken) to the subsequent songs. Often the words are rewritten from the original songs.

Note: The New York Production replaced "The Ladies Who Lunch" with "Could I Leave You?" and replaced "The Day Off" with "I Could Drive a Person Crazy"

Recording

Putting It Together - Original Cast Recording
Produced by Jay David Sacks
Engineer: James Nichols
Digitally recorded April 19, 28, May 4 and 12, 1993,
at The Hit Factory Studio 1, New York City
Liner notes by Cameron Mackintosh
Lyrics included

  • Double Compact Disc, 1993 [RCA 09026-61729-2] [91:14 mins]
  • Double Cassette, 1993 [RCA 09026-61729-4]

Putting It Together

1998 Los Angleles Production

Previews began October 4, 1998
Opened October 22, 1998 at the Mark Taper Forum, Los Angeles CA
Closed December 6, 1998
Produced by the Center Theatre Group /
Music Center of Los Angeles County
Mark Taper Forum
[Gordon Davidson, Artistic Director]
in association with Cameron Mackintosh
Directed by Eric D. Schaeffer
Musical Staging by Bob Avian
Orchestrations: Jonathan Tunick
Musical Director: Jon Kalbfleisch
Set Design by Bob Crowley
Costume Design by Bob Mackie
Sound Design by Jon Gottlieb
Projection Design by Wendall K. Harrington
Associate Choreographer: Jodi Moccia

Cast

Carol Burnett - Amy, the wife
John McCook - Charles, the husband
John Barrowman - Barry, a young associate
Susan Egan - Julie, his date
Bronson Pinchot - The Observer

Musical Numbers

Act One

Act Two

1999 Broadway Production

Putting It Together [1999 Broadway poster]

Based on the 1998 Los Angeles Production

Previews began October 30, 1999 at the Barrymore Theatre
Opened November 21, 1999; Closed February 20, 2000
Ran for 22 previews and 101 regular performances
Produced by Cameron Mackintosh in association with The Mark Taper Forum [Gordon Davidson, Artistic Director]
Directed by Eric D. Schaeffer
Musical Staging by Bob Avian
Musical Director: Paul Raiman
Orchestrations: Jonathan Tunick
Sound Design by Andrew Bruce / Mark Meanrd
Projections Design by Wendall K. Harrington
Lighting Designed by Howard Harrison
Set Designed by Bob Crowley

Cast

Carol Burnett - Amy, the wife
[replaced by Kathie Lee Gifford at some performances]
George Hearn - Charles, the husband
John Barrowman - Barry, a young associate
Ruthie Henshall - Julie, his date
Bronson Pinchot - The Observer

Standbys - David Engel (The Observer, The Younger Man); Ronnie Farer (The Wife); John Jellison (The Husband); Christina Marie Norrup (The Younger Woman)

Musical Numbers

Act One

Act Two

Video Recording

Stephen Sondheim's Putting It Together - A Musical Review
Executive Producer: Bruce Bandwen
Producer: Nicholas Van Hoogstraten
Directed by Don Roy King
Lighting Director: Alan Adelman
Sound Producer: Matt Kaplowitz
Associate Producer: Susan E. Lee
Production Coordinator: Alan Hall
Production Manager: Gregory P. Siers

  • DVD, 2002 [GoodTimes 05-81268] (96 mins.)
  • VHS, 2002 [GoodTimes]

Putting It Together [Broadway video recording]

Publications
  • Score [selections]
    • New York: Warner Bros. Publications, 2001 [announced, not seen]

    Performance rights controlled by Music Theatre International


    Top of Putting It Together

    Last modified on Tuesday, October 14, 2003
    Compiled by Michael H. Hutchins