Tony Winner Nathan Lane Will Host NY Philharmonic's Symphonic Sondheim; Paul Gemignani Will Conduct

By Michael Gioia
27 Nov 2012

Nathan Lane
Nathan Lane
Photo by Joseph Marzullo/WENN

Tony Award winner Nathan Lane will host Symphonic Sondheim, the New York Philharmonic's performance of symphonic suites by Pulitzer Prize, Tony Award, Academy Award and Grammy Award-winning composer Stephen Sondheim, Jan. 29, 2013, at Avery Fisher Hall.

Tony Award recipient Paul Gemignani will conduct the Orchestra in a program that includes a newly commissioned arrangement from Sunday in the Park with George and orchestral selections from The Enclave, Pacific Overtures, Stavisky, Into the Woods and Sweeney Todd. The evening is set to begin at 7:30 PM.

The program, according to press notes, "spotlights [Sondheim's] musical achievements by presenting symphonic suites of his music without his lyrics. Mr. Sondheim studied music at Williams College, and after graduating he earned a two-year grant to study with composer and music theorist Milton Babbitt. Mr. Sondheim credits Babbitt with teaching him 'long-line' composition, developing musical ideas over an extended period, and cites Rachmaninoff and Ravel as influences."

The New York Philharmonic has presented Sondheim's works 68 times, including the critically acclaimed, semi-staged production of Company in April 2011, conducted by Gemignani and featuring Stephen Colbert, Neil Patrick Harris, Christina Hendricks and Patti LuPone, among others.

Making his Philharmonic debut in this program, Lane starred in Sondheim's musical The Frogs at Lincoln Center in 2004, for which Lane rewrote the libretto and Gemignani served as musical director. Lane is also a two-time Tony winner for his performances in The Producers and Sondheim's A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. He was Tony-nominated for his performance in Guys and Dolls.

Avery Fisher Hall is located at 10 Lincoln Center Plaza. For more information and tickets, call (212) 875-5656 or visit NYPhil.org.