Take Me to the World: A Sondheim 90th Birthday Celebration was a virtual concert celebrating the 90th birthday of Broadway composer Stephen Sondheim. The event also served as a fundraiser for Artists Striving to End Poverty (ASTEP).
Hosted by Raúl Esparza, whose appearances were curtailed due to technical difficulties, the concert featured many celebrities with ties to Sondheim singing his songs, alongside others offering birthday greetings between performances.
Context and timing The April 26, 2020 livestream date coincided with the 50th anniversary of the opening night of the original Broadway production of Company. The 2020 Broadway revival of that show, originally slated to open March 22 on Sondheim's birthday proper, had been scuttled by the closure of all Broadway productions due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Performances In order of appearance Performer(s) Song Show SignificanceStephen Schwartz"Prologue"FolliesFellow Broadway composerBroadway musicians"Overture"Merrily We Roll AlongSutton Foster"There Won't Be Trumpets"Anyone Can WhistleNurse Fay Apple in the Encores! concert of Anyone Can WhistleThe Baker's Wife in Into the Woods at the Hollywood BowlNeil Patrick Harris"Prologue" Into the WoodsLee Harvey Oswald / The Balladeer in the original Broadway production of AssassinsBobby in the 2011 New York Philharmonic concert of CompanyTobias Ragg in the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra concert of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet StreetCharles in the 2001 recording of Evening PrimroseKelli O'Hara"What More Do I Need?"Saturday NightYoung Hattie/Ensemble in the Broadway revival production of FolliesJudy Kuhn"What Can You Lose?"Dick Tracy Fosca in the Off-Broadway production of PassionKatrina Lenk"Johanna"Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet StreetBobbie in the third Broadway revival production of CompanyAaron Tveit"Marry Me a Little"CompanyJohn Wilkes Booth in the West End revival production of AssassinsBobby in the Barrington Stage Company production of CompanyBeanie Feldstein and Ben Platt"It Takes Two"Into the WoodsMary Flynn and Charley Kringas respectively in the upcoming film adaptation of Merrily We Roll AlongBrandon Uranowitz"With So Little to Be Sure Of"Anyone Can WhistleAddison Mizner in the Encores! concert of Road ShowMelissa Errico"Children and Art"Sunday in the Park with GeorgeDot/Marie in the Washington, D.C. production of Sunday in the Park with GeorgeClara in the Off-Broadway production of PassionLeona Samish in Encores! concert of Do I Hear a Waltz?Her 2018 recording Sondheim SublimeRandy Rainbow"By the Sea"Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet StreetAdapted musical parodies of Into the Woods "Prologue" and Follies "God-Why-Don't-You-Love-Me Blues" for political satireElizabeth Stanley"The Miller's Son"A Little Night MusicApril in the second Broadway revival of CompanyGussie Carnegie in the Encores! concert of Merrily We Roll AlongMandy Patinkin"Lesson #8"Sunday in the Park with GeorgeGeorges Seurat/George in the original Broadway production of Sunday in the Park with GeorgeBuddy Plummer in Lincoln Center's Follies in ConcertMaria Friedman"Broadway Baby"FolliesDot/Marie in the original West End production of Sunday in the Park with GeorgeFosca in the original West End production of PassionMary Flynn in a London production of Merrily We Roll AlongDirected the West End revival of Merrily We Roll AlongLin-Manuel Miranda"Giants in the Sky"Into the WoodsFellow Broadway composerCharley Kringas in the Encores! concert of Merrily We Roll AlongLea Salonga"Loving You"PassionThe Witch in the Singaporean production of Into the WoodsMrs. Lovett in the Philippines production of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet StreetLaura Benanti"I Remember"Evening PrimroseCinderella in the Broadway revival production of Into the WoodsLouise in the fourth Broadway revival of GypsyAnne in the Los Angeles Opera production of A Little Night MusicChip Zien"No More"Into the WoodsThe Baker in the original Broadway production of Into the WoodsThe Mysterious Man in the Central Park production of Into the WoodsJosh Groban"Children Will Listen" / "Not While I'm Around"Into the Woods / Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet StreetCovered the aforementioned songs on his album StagesBrian Stokes Mitchell"The Flag Song"Assassins Sweeney Todd in the Encores! concert of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet StreetCast member in Library of Congress concert version of The FrogsMichael Cerveris"Finishing the Hat"Sunday in the Park with GeorgeJohn Wilkes Booth in the original Broadway production of AssassinsSweeney Todd in the second Broadway revival of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet StreetWilson Mizner in the Off-Broadway production of Road ShowLinda Lavin"The Boy From..."The Mad ShowCast member of The Mad ShowRose (replacement) in the second Broadway revival of GypsyHattie Walker in Kennedy Center production of FolliesAlexander Gemignani"Buddy's Blues"FolliesJohn Hinckley in the original Broadway production of AssassinsBeadle Bamford in the second Broadway revival of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet StreetAddison Mizner in the Off-Broadway production of Road ShowAnn Harada, Austin Ku, Kelvin Moon Loh, and Thom Sesma"Someone In a Tree"Pacific OverturesCast members of the Off-Broadway revival cast of Pacific OverturesRaúl Esparza"Take Me to the World"Evening PrimroseGeorges Seurat/George in the Sondheim Celebration production of Sunday in the Park with GeorgeCharley Kringas in the Sondheim Celebration production of Merrily We Roll AlongBobby in the second Broadway revival production of CompanyHapgood in the Encores! concert of Anyone Can WhistleWilson Mizner in the Encores! concert of Road ShowDonna Murphy"Send In the Clowns"A Little Night MusicFosca in the original Broadway production of PassionPhyllis Rogers Stone in the Encores! concert of FolliesMayoress in the Encores! concert of Anyone Can WhistleThe Witch in the Central Park production of Into the WoodsChristine Baranski, Meryl Streep, and Audra McDonald"The Ladies Who Lunch"CompanyBaranski: Clarisse in the original Off-Broadway production of Sunday in the Park with George; Mrs. Lovett in the Sondheim Celebration production of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street; Cinderella's Stepmother in the film adaptation of Into the Woods; Phyllis in the London production of Follies; Carlotta Campion in the Encores! concert of Follies Streep: The Witch in the film adaptation of Into the Woods, Ensemble member in original production of The FrogsMcDonald: Clara in the Live from Lincoln Center production of Passion; Beggar Woman in the Live from Lincoln Center production and New York Philharmonic concert of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street; Clara and Nurse Fay Apple at the Ravinia Festival Concerts of Passion and Anyone Can Whistle respectivelyJake Gyllenhaal and Annaleigh Ashford"Move On"Sunday in the Park with GeorgeGeorges Seurat/George and Dot/Marie, respectively, in the second Broadway revival of Sunday in the Park with GeorgePatti LuPone"Anyone Can Whistle"Anyone Can WhistleMrs. Lovett in the New York Philharmonic concert and third Broadway revival of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet StreetFosca in the Live from Lincoln Center production of PassionRose in the fourth Broadway revival of GypsyJoanne in the New York Philharmonic concert, second West End, and third Broadway revivals of CompanyMrs. Lovett, Desiree Armfeldt, Fosca, Yvonne, Cora Hoover Hooper, and Rose in the Ravinia Festival concerts of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, A Little Night Music, Passion, Sunday in the Park with George, Anyone Can Whistle, and Gypsy respectivelyBernadette Peters"No One Is Alone"Into the WoodsDot/Marie in the original Broadway production of Sunday in the Park with GeorgeThe Witch in the original Broadway production of Into the WoodsFay in the 1995 Carnegie Hall concert of Anyone Can WhistleRose in the third Broadway revival of GypsyDesiree (second replacement) in the second Broadway revival of A Little Night MusicSally in the third Broadway revival of FolliesRecorded the albums Sondheim, Etc. – Bernadette Peters Live At Carnegie Hall and Sondheim Etc., Etc. Live At Carnegie Hall: The Rest of It Company"I'm Still Here"Follies
Other appearances In order of first appearance Individual Significance NotesEmily Dale GriffinSutton Foster's daughterGideon Scott Burtka-HarrisNeil Patrick Harris's sonFeatured in The Witch's rapHarper Grace Burtka-HarrisNeil Patrick Harris's daughterFeatured in The Witch's rapVictor GarberAnthony Hope in original Broadway production of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet StreetJohn Wilkes Booth in the original Off-Broadway production of AssassinsBen Stone in the Encores! concert of FolliesIain ArmitageSteven SpielbergDirector of film adaptation of West Side StoryLonny PriceCharley Kringas in the original Broadway production of Merrily We Roll AlongDirector of productions of Sweeney Todd, Company, Passion, Sunday in the Park with George, and Anyone Can WhistleJoanna GleasonBaker's Wife in original Broadway production of Into the WoodsJohn WeidmanLibrettist of Pacific Overtures, Assassins, and Road ShowJason AlexanderJoe Josephson in original Broadway production of Merrily We Roll AlongNathan LaneCo-librettist of and Dionysus in The Frogs, Pseudolus in the Broadway revival of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
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