TheatreWorks Silicon Valley will close its 53rd season with the world premiere of a musical tribute honoring the late Stephen Sondheim, Being Alive: A Sondheim Celebration.
Conceived by Founding Artistic Director Robert Kelley and William Liberatore, TheatreWorks' resident musical director, performances are scheduled for June 5–30 at the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts in Mountain View, California. Opening night is June 8.
Kelley will also direct the tribute with musical direction by Liberatore and choreography by Alex Perez. The cast will feature Anne Tolpegin, Nick Nakashima, Melissa WolfKlain, Noel Anthony Escobar, Solona Husband, and Sleiman Alahmadieh.
Being Alive: A Sondheim Celebration spotlights a group of performers exploring the ever-changing nature of love in their personal lives. A paean to both Sondheim and the process of creating theatre, the musical also showcases the performers’ journey staging a show from dress rehearsals to opening night.
The limited engagement will also have scenic design by Wilson Chin, costume design by Fumiko Bielefeldt, lighting design by Pamila Z. Gray, and sound design by Cliff Carruthers. Randall K. Lum serves as stage manager with Laura Hicks as assistant stage manager.
Sondheim received
nine Tony Awards, including one for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre. He also won eight
Grammy Awards, an Academy Award, and a Pulitzer Prize. The late composer wrote
the music and lyrics for Here We Are, Into the Woods, A Little Night Music, Sunday in the Park With George, Sweeney Todd, Company, Pacific Overtures, Passion, Merrily We Roll Along, Assassins, Follies, Anyone Can Whistle, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, and Road Show as well as the lyrics for West Side Story, Gypsy, Do I Hear a Waltz?, and additional lyrics for Candide. Major revues of his work include Stephen Sondheim's Old Friends, Side by Side by Sondheim, Putting It Together, Marry Me a Little, You're Gonna Love Tomorrow, and Sondheim on Sondheim.
For tickets visit TheatreWorks.org. For information about accessible performances visit TheatreWorks.org/accessibility.
