Broadway musical fans have admired the musical output of Stephen Sondheim for a long time. After all, he wrote lyrics for West Side Story back in 1956, when he was 26 years old. Two decades later, he had notched 10 substantial musicals, and that was enough for a revue to round up some of his best tunes for an evening in the theater. Thus Side by Side by Sondheim was created, which solidified Sondheim’s reputation. It was a hit in London in 1976, then moved to New York a year later where it ran for nearly a year, 384 performances in all.
This summer Side by Side is the opening production for the Commonwealth Theatre Company’s dinner theater season at Northern Kentucky University, where it will run through June 28. Director Mark Hardy says, “These are wonderfully rich, wickedly delightful and smart songs. They are both theatrical and personal, and they always feel new. What makes them work so well in a revue is that each is a perfect and very short play. Every song Sondheim writes takes us on a vivid journey.” Hardy’s cast of six will entertain you after dinner, or skip the dinner altogether and get tickets for the show only. Tickets are scarce, so call soon if you want to enjoy this great collection of songs. $15-$29.
Get details, tickets and showtimes here.
