Year of the Rat Music Project

“Sunday in the Park with George” is a visual marvel, but unfortunately it leaves something to be desired musically, mainly melody.

The play is a fictional account of the pointillist George Seurat’s struggle to paint “Sunday in the Park on the Island of La Grande Jatte.” Each of the figures in the foreground of the painting has been given a character, and, by using projectors to create an optical illusion for a back drop, the painting comes to life.

George, played by Daniel Evans, is completely inaccessible to others, almost autistic in his inability to maintain relationships, and it is painful to watch him and the wall between himself and his lover, cleverly named Dot.

Stephen Sondheim, the author, also wrote “A Funny Thing Happened On the Way to the Forum” and “Sweeney Todd” and the failings of “Sunday in the Park” are the same as “Sweeney Todd.” The songs are often metaphorical, when George dabs his dots the music dot-dot-dots along with him, and this is pleasant enough. And like Sweeney Todd the lyrics are quite clever and this too is well and good. The problem is one of form; the songs are endless and tiresome.

There are only the slightest choruses, every song is packed with piercing notes, and many of the songs are played back-to-back. To get an idea of what I’m talking about check out this version of “Sunday in the Park with George” from an Sondheim tribute concert.

What I learned about Musicals: Songs are just like monologues, special effects or literary devices, they are best used to punctuate the most important parts (like the last clause in a post, wink).