March 12th was the night the lights went out on Broadway. The rise of the coronavirus impacted every section of society and often when history has given us catastrophes or terror, it's art that thrives and lifts us up. But even that was taken. Thousands of jobs in the theater disappeared. Shows that were just finding their footing and giving us new stars were cut short. The Tonys were canceled. We were all disconnected from each other - physically, geographically, emotionally - in a way we've never been before.
What began around a virtual dining table with four people (Mary-Mitchell Campbell, Bill Curran, Raúl Esparza, Stephen Sondheim and Paul Wontorek), an idea to have a few folks sing some songs to celebrate the 90th birthday of Stephen Sondheim, musical theater's most revered composer, lyricist and legend ("I put him right alongside Gershwin," says Esparza), quickly grew and morphed into a complex, technical masterpiece that brought together the greatest voices of the Broadway stage along with film and television favorites to not only honor Sondheim but to help heal the wound of a devastated industry.
Take Me to the World: A Sondheim 90th Birthday Celebration gave millions of people a better than front row seat to not just a greatest hits album of his work, the virtual format gave audiences an experience unlike any they've ever had before. We screamed when Christine Baranski, Meryl Streep and Audra Mcdonald belted "Ladies Who Lunch" in bathrobes, slinging back drinks. Our hearts soared at Lin-Manuel Miranda's "Giants in the Sky" and our tears flowed with Judy Kuhn's "What Can You Lose" and Annaleigh Ashford & Jake Gyllenhaal's "Move On" to Bernadette Peters' rapturous acapella version of "No One Is Alone" and the show-stopping ensemble finale of "I'm Still Here."
In this interview with host and producer and four-time Tony nominee Raúl Esparza, he details the very specific technical difficulties and soaring achievements of musicians recording each section on their own only to be succinctly edited Ryan Simmons and sound designed by Michael Croiter and Mattias Winter and reveals that the Library of Congress reached out to include it as a great American work. We get emotional talking about our favorites (anyone who knows me knows what my favorite number was), the surprises, the passion and personal stories from each performer that elevated every song.
Please donate to ASTEP (Artists Striving to End Poverty): www.broadway.com/sondheim90