Rocky Mountain Outlook - Jan.13, 2010
Cornerstone Staging Sondhiem work

By Dave Whitfield - Rocky Mountain Outlook
With local stage performers, musicians and direction, Cornerstone Theatre and Restaurant is really Putting It Together with its newest production.
Opening tomorrow (Jan. 15), Cornerstone will stage the Stephen Sondheim review Putting It Together, Fridays and Saturdays to Feb. 6.
With Together, Cornerstone artistic director J.P. Thibodeau is multi-tasking, directing as well as acting in the production, along with Joe Morris, Louisa O’Keane, Karen Minish and Parris Greaves.

Together features a selection of Sondheim songs that span more than a decade, and which musical director Deb Rosen calls, “some of the most difficult music to date that’s been put in front of us”.

Musically, Rosen (keys) leads a group which includes Kent MacRae (percussion), Hugo McLaughlin (synthesizers) and Jenna Strautman (bass).
Putting It Together (1993), is the result of requests for an update of Sondheim’s Side By Side By Sondheim (1976), a popular compilation show. Sondheim is one of the most influential composers and lyricists in Broadway history, whose works include the lyrics for West Side Story (1957), lyrics and music for
A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum (1962) and Sweeney Todd (1979), among many, many other hits, including songs for Dick Tracy (1990).

Together features a Manhattan couple’s (Morris and Minish) dinner party to celebrate their 25th anniversary. The couple is joined by a work colleague, a maid and a mysterious, uninvited guest.

“There are real emotional arcs through everything,” said Morris. “How the marriage is going, or not going, and things eventually work out.”
Although the rehearsal process will take just 12 days, Morris said the group, “is a very gifted group of professionals. We’re very fortunate to have everybody focused on what we have to do.”

For Minish, performing for the first time at Cornerstone, the cast has proven to be, “a great bunch of people to work with. Everybody is committed and gracious.”

Or, as choreographer Amber Bissonette pointed out, “a good group to be stuck in a whirlwind with.”

The musical numbers, said Rosen, “are all Sondheim. They’re taken from other musicals and put together in a new work. The key to the piece is the music. It’s not about the storyline so much as the music.” “It’s music about relationships,” said Greaves. “The melodies are something you can really grab hold of and act them. “And the story is heavy emotionally, but there are also light moments, some really funny stuff.” Along with the new production, new menus will be offered. The production team for Putting It Together includes Thibodeau as director, Bissonette as choreographer and Bill Brown (sets), Gina Power (stage manager) and Etienne St. Jacques (sound engineer).

Tickets for Putting It Together are available through Cornerstone’s website, www.atthecorner.ca. A portion of all tickets sold goes to KidSport.