Putting It Together

How Stephen Sondheim and I Created Sunday in the Park with George

By: James Lapine

Narrated by: Adam Grupper, Alyssa Bresnahan, Eva Kaminsky, Graham Winton, T. Ryder Smith, Len Cariou

A behind-the-scenes look at the making of the iconic musical Sunday in the Park with George

Putting It Together chronicles the two-year odyssey of creating the iconic Broadway musical Sunday in the Park with George. In 1982, James Lapine, at the beginning of his career as a playwright and director, met Stephen Sondheim, nineteen years his senior and already a legendary Broadway composer and lyricist. Shortly thereafter, the two decided to write a musical inspired by Georges Seurat’s nineteenth-century painting A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte.

Through conversations between Lapine and Sondheim, as well as most of the production team, and with a treasure trove of personal photographs, sketches, script notes, and sheet music, the two Broadway icons lift the curtain on their beloved musical. Putting It Together is a deeply personal remembrance of their collaboration and friendship and the highs and lows of that journey, one that resulted in the beloved Pulitzer Prize-winning classic.

©2021 James Lapine (P)2021 Recorded Books

Really hard not to give this all 5 stars

While the performances are great, this is one time I wish it had only been one narrator. The content is fascinating and it’s all performed well; but knowing what the actual people interviewed sound like in real life, I found it distracting to have someone else read their interviews because it took me out of the story.

Loved the Story, Not the Performances

If you’re a fan of Sondheim, Lapine or just theater in general, you’ll love this behind the scenes look into the making of a difficult show. The voice actors, however, take you out of the story. There’s no attempt to match even well-known people to what their natural speaking voices sound like. Many of them sound like they’re voicing a Lexapro ad — forced, & almost like they’re making an effort to imitate human speech. Very distracting. But otherwise, it’s well written, honest & it drew me in.

An absolute must-listen!

What a gift this is to the musical theatre world! Honest, meticulous, fascinating, funny, poignant - James Lapine and Stephen Sondheim have opened our eyes to the amazing journey of creating this masterpiece work. I enjoyed every minute and every detail!

Wonderful …

… and exhilarating. Fantastic to hear the amazing Len Cariou as Sondheim. Wish that the folks still with us said their own words, though. A bit jarring to hear others say the words of such recognizable voices as Bernadette Peters, Mandy Patinkin, Christine Baranski, etc. Still fabulous, though.

really great history of "putting it together"

really worth the listen.
my only quibble is with the editing. sometimes there's too much of a pause between performers lines. but I gave the performance 5 stars because the performers themselves were fantastic. do listen.

Marvelous

It’s a marvelous book about the development, history, and people who created an amazing musical - one of my favorites.

It wasn’t structured how I imagined it would be, it’s better. Instead of a recitation of facts, it plays out through a series of short conversations between the author and the people involved in the musical’s creation. Interspersed with Lapine’s personal recollections, insights, and emotions.

In addition to specifics about the individuals and the musical, it delves into the complex process of staging a production, and artistic theory and practice.

The use of several narrators serves the material very well.

Recommended to those who’d like a peek behind the curtain, more so if you admire the works of Sondheim, and especially to fans of this wonderful musical.

What a great backstory!

I enjoyed this book so much because I love Sunday in the Park with George. I wish we could have the backstory on all of Sondheim’s musicals. This book is a treat!

Certainly a great read

Most certainly a magnificent read. The content was very enlightening and entertaining. Highly recommend if you are a fan of the theater.

Excellent book and narrator…

Not a musical theater “person” but a long time lover of the theater in general. This is by far the finest book on the creation of a work of art I’ve encountered. The story of the musical mirrors the relationship of the author and Stephen Sondheim. It’s a very enjoyable listen…Lupine can be self-indulgent but he also doesn’t shy away from relating conflict (which he sometimes is the cause of), portrayed as a normal part of artistic collaboration. This isn’t just great gossip (which it sometimes is) but a real exploration of creativity. Great book.

If your passion is theater…

If your passion is theater, this book will be your new passion for the next few days.