David Hyde Pierce (center) and the cast of ‘Here We Are’.Photo:Emilio Madrid
Emilio Madrid
The first of two acts is said to be an adaptation ofThe Exterminating Angel, while the second is based onThe Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie.
The cast of ‘Here We Are’.Emilio Madrid
According toPlaybill, the musical is about “trying to find a place to have dinner,” Sondheim said before hedied at 91 years oldin November 2021, with the first act dealing with the interruptions at a dinner.
The second act focuses on the “people who have dinner and can’t leave,” which was Sondheim’s “cheerful view of the world today.”
The musical stars Emmy winner Cannavale and Emmy and Tony winner Pierce, who are seen onstage as Leo Brink and the Bishop in PEOPLE’s exclusive images, respectively.
Other images also show the rest of the cast, including Francois Battiste as Colonel Martin, Tracie Bennett as Woman, Micaela Diamond as Fritz, Amber Gray as Claudia Bursik-Zimmer, Jin Ha as Soldier, Tony winner Rachel Bay Jones as Marianne Brink, Tony winner Denis O’Hare as Man, Steven Pasquale as Raffael Santello Di Stanticci and Jeremy Shamos as Paul Zimmer.
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A musical theater icon, Sondheim wrote the music and lyrics for 16 musicals, includingA Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum,Follies,Pacific Overtures,Sunday in the Park with GeorgeandRoad Show, which marked his final original production while he was still alive.
He also wrote the lyrics forGypsyandWest Side Story.
Currently, revivals ofMerrily We Roll Along (starring Daniel Radcliffe, Jonathan Groff and Tony winner Lindsay Mendez) andSweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street(with Josh Groban and Tony winner Annaleigh Ashford) are running on Broadway. Additionally,Into the Woodshad a successful run in 2022 and a gender-swapped version ofCompanyran in 2021.Assassins, meanwhile, was revived Off-Broadway last year.
In an extensive interview withVultureabout the making of Sondheim’s final musical, Mantello said, “His shows are so deep they really demand that you grapple with them in some way. And it’s why in some sense that what the world makes of Here We Are at this particular moment in time is irrelevant, to me at least.”
The director added, “I want him to be celebrated, and I would like for his work to be appreciated. But in some way I think we won’t know for 20 years where this falls in the canon of his work.”
Here We Areofficially opens at The Shed’s Griffin Theater on Sunday, Oct. 22. Originally scheduled to run through Jan. 7, 2024, the production’s dates have been extended to Jan. 21.
source: people.com
