Putting it Together: A Musical Review is a videotaped performance of the 1999 Broadway revival of lyricist and composer Stephen Sondheim's compilation of over thirty of his songs, taken from previous stage works. It stars Carol Burnett, George Hearn, Ruthie Henshall, John Barrowman, and Bronson Pinchot. This particular revival was taken from the 1998 Los Angeles production, which had also starred Burnett, Barrowman, and Pinchot. Originally, the review had been staged in 1992 in England, starring Diana Rigg, and was brought to New York City in 1993, starring Julie Andrews.

For someone versed almost exclusively in movies, I'll be the first to admit that the thought of watching a videotaped version of a Broadway musical revue left me a little cold. I claim no special understanding of the musical theatre genre, and while I've seen several Broadway productions, I would label myself the very most casual of observers of the genre -- at best. Equaling daunting for me was the subject of the piece, Stephen Sondheim, who has a reputation for complex, demanding melodies and lyrics; frequently, after reading his strident followers, one comes away with the impression that his works are for the sophisticated, trained palettes alone - newcomers and non-believers need not apply.

However, I was pleasantly surprised by Putting it Together: A Musical Review (I'm sure Mr. Sondheim is thrilled). I won't say I "got" the material the way a devoted theatregoer might have, particularly when Sondheim's songs function better as integrated works in his shows, but after getting into the rhythm of his work, I found the experience surprisingly satisfying. Sondheim's songs, much like intricate puzzles, juxtapose lyrics and melody in ways that constantly keep you guessing as to their intended purpose. This isn't "easy listening" music; you have to work at it; you have to really sit down and concentrate on what's being said in the lyrics, while taking in the enigmatic, elegant melodies.

Putting it Together: A Musical Review takes 34 of Sondheim's songs, culled from his stage shows (some of the songs were cut from the original productions), and tries to integrate them loosely around the concept of a sophisticated dinner party. On a bare, minimalist set, with angular, irregular cubes representing rooms in a high-rise apartment building, the five actors enter and exist as if moving through a crowded party, singing songs about love and loss, and life's disappointments. The linking construct of The Observer, played by Pinchot, takes some getting used to, as he comes out and announces various broad topics (such as "Happiness," "Revenge," and "Deflection") which are then illustrated and amplified by Sondheim's songs. It's an artificial device, but then again, when one considers that most musical reviews consist of performers just sitting down at chairs, singing to the audience, it does offer an added layer to the proceedings. Burnett plays The Wife, with Broadway veteran George Hearn (La Cage Aux Folles, Sunset Boulevard) her Husband. John Barrowman and Ruthie Henshall, both extremely talented and popular stage performers, play the young couple at the party.

All the performers have stand-out moments in the production; there's not a sour note to be found among these engaging, magnetic pros. Among the many highlights for each performer, Henshall does a seductive version of Sooner or Later from Dick Tracy that makes you cringe at the memory of Madonna botching it on the Academy Awards; Pinchot does a funny turn with Buddy's Blues, Borrowman and Hearn have a knockout moment singing Pretty Woman together; and Burnett, who can manage (as all real stars do) to bring her singular personality to any of the songs she's singing, has a tremendous, show-stopping number in Not Getting Married Today. There's an incredible amount of electric energy generated by Burnett in her singing and in her stagecraft that may surprise you, if you only think of her as a TV performer doing slapstick bits for the camera.

Which brings me to a discussion of filmed theatre productions. As I said, I'm not a regular theatregoer by any means (as Michael in The Boys in the Band might say, "Odd as it may seem, there was no Schubert Theatre in Hot Coffee, Mississippi."), but I have attended several Broadway plays over the years, and the experience of seeing live actors on stage - as opposed to filmed stage performances on the screen - is like night and day. They're two entirely different mediums, and when you further diminish the dimensions of the production by watching such a show on a relatively small TV screen, the results can be less than satisfying. Filmed shows such as Putting it Together: A Musical Review are valuable as historical records of productions that many viewers otherwise wouldn't have a chance to see, but again, it's next to impossible to replicate on camera, the thrill and electricity of seeing people perform live on stage. That being said, the video production of Putting it Together: A Musical Review is unobtrusive, even helpful at times (split screens of actors performing duets), and does give the average viewer a "best seat in the house" perspective that they may not have had watching the performance in the theatre.

Invocation and Instructions to the Audience (from The Frogs)
Putting it Together (from Sunday in the Park with George)
Rich and Happy (from Merrily We Roll Along)
Do I Hear a Waltz? (from Do I Hear a Waltz)
Merrily We Roll Along #1 (from Merrily We Roll Along)
Lovely (from A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum)
Hello Little Girl (from Into the Woods)
My Husband the Pig (from A Little Night Music)
Every Day a Little Death (from A Little Night Music)
Everybody Ought to Have a Maid (from A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum)
Have I Got a Girl for You (from Company)
Pretty Woman (from Sweeney Todd)
Sooner or Later (from Dick Tracy)
Bang! (from A Little Night Music)
Country House (from Follies)
Unworthy of Your Love (from Assassins)
Merrily We Roll Along #2 (from Merrily We Roll Along)
Could I Leave You? (from Follies)
Rich and Happy (Reprise) (from Merrily We Roll Along)
Back in Business (from Dick Tracy)
It's Hot Up Here (from Sunday in the Park with George)
The Ladies Who Lunch (from Company)
The Road You Didn't Take (from Follies)
Live Alone and Like It (from Dick Tracy)
More (from Dick Tracy)
There's Always a Woman (from Anyone Can Whistle)
Buddy's Blues (from Follies)
Good Thing Going (from Merrily We Roll Along)
Marry Me a Little (from Company)
Not Getting Married Today (from Company)
Merrily We Roll Along #3 (from Merrily We Roll Along)
Being Alive (from Company)
Like it Was (from Merrily We Roll Along)
Old Friends (from Merrily We Roll Along)

The Video:
The 1.78:1, enhanced for 16x9 TVs, widescreen transfer for Putting it Together: A Musical Review is flawless. Even though it was shot on video, the lighting is impeccable for such a production; there's no harsh glare or solarizing in the image.

The Audio:
There are three audio options for Putting it Together: A Musical Review: Dolby Digital 5.1, dts 5.1, and Dolby Digital 2.0.. All are more than adequate for this well-recorded performance.

The Extras:
There are two extra features on Putting it Together: A Musical Review. First is a ten minute interview with Carol Burnett, where she talks about her Broadway and stage background. It's very informative, with the only drawback being that it's so short. Second, there's a funny blooper where Burnett loses her skirt during one of the songs.

Final Thoughts:
Honestly, I wasn't looking forward to watching Putting it Together: A Musical Review. Movies are my thing, and Broadway music, well.... But I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the emotional complexity and intricate, sly compositions of Sondheim's works in Putting it Together: A Musical Review. So if you're at all a fan of Stephen Sondheim, or of musical theatre, I recommend Putting it Together: A Musical Review.