Rating: 
Summary: The best musical ever written!
Review: If you are looking for an experience that will change your life, this is it!!! "Sunday" is a musical for those who will challenge themselves to understand all of cerebral subtleties that are written into the fabric of this work.Stephen Sondheim's score is equally matched by James Lapine's masterfully created book. These two gentlemen have left no stone unturned. Every "T" is crossed and "i" dotted. This performance of "Sunday" to me, is the quintessential performance of any work of art in existence. Bernadette Peters gives a compelling, emotional performance, and Mandy Patinkin is nothing short of pure genius!! If I could give this DVD more stars I would!!! This is a must have for any true fan of musical theater.
Rating:
Summary: color and light and all the magic
Review: I was hesitant buying this movie--i knew the show only through the original cast recording, and I was afraid that a less-than-skillfully-recorded video of the show could ruin the magic of the stage version I had already created in my head. But I needn't have worried--this video was magical, spine-tinglingly so. Other reviewers have complained about problems with the vocal performances on the night of the taping; if these problems were present, they were negligible. Perhaps some of the numbers lack a bit of the polish of the cd recording; well, for me, this just adds to the magic of the experience. THe cd is flawless--not a cracked note or dropped beat anywhere, and it's gorgeous, but it's not quite *real." Part of hte magic of seeing a show is knowing that the performers are on a tightrope, that no matter how good they are there is always the possibility that they *can* flub. That's part of the suspense: the pressure, the tension. The cd is stunning, but maybe the VHS version captures a little more of that tension. This is worth having. Bernadette Peters performs her two roles marvelously, and Patinkin is superb, as always.
Rating:
Summary: The Nature of Art and Artists exposed
Review: If you or someone in your life is an artist (regardless of the art form), this is a must-see. Sondheim and Lapine have illuminated the nature of art and artists in a way I've never seen surpassed. Yes, the songs are wonderful and Bernadette Peters and Mandy Patinkin, the consumate interpreters of Sondheim, have never been better. But the insight into the often perplexing and frustrating world of the arts goes so much deeper. This is not a mere entertainment (though entertain it does) but a soul-searching treatise on what we do and why we are so compelled to do it. Spend Sunday in the park with George and be prepared to see life a little more clearly after the experience.
Rating:
Summary: This is a masterpiece
Review: Sondheim is a genius,the greatest (the only ?) modern songwriter.
Rating:
Summary: Great performances and your own little production company
Review: This show is one of my favorites and the mid-80's video sensitively presents the beautiful staging. The sound is not 100% DVD-state-of-the-art, but believe me the performances and emotion of this show are almost too much to bear. The surprise of the package is the overdub of sound as you hear Sondheim, Patinkin, Peters, and Lapine discuss their recollections and feelings about the show as they watch the DVD video themselves with the sound off. Patinkin states that the show changed his life, is overwhelmed by the experience of watching it and brought to tears. There are a couple of exchanges in which Sondheim talks about his method of writing that are fascinating -- especially if you are interested in the creative process. 'Sunday' had a tough birth and you get some insight on this as some of the most powerful moments were slotted in even on preview night. Own this.
Rating: 
Summary: A Show that lives on in its music.
Review: I have to admit that the only reason I purchased this video was to watch Bernadette Peters. I was glad that I did. Ms. Peters is nothings short of fabulous in this production from Sondheim and Lapine. I will have to admit that the first time I watched this video, I was lost and it seemed very strange to me. I was kind of lost in the first act...but then things started to pick up. The set is a character in the show, in itself, it moves the story along and makes it funner to watch. This is classic Sondheim, though I will admit that I have seen better from Mr. Sondheim. Although Patinkin is the main squeeze in this production, I feel like Peters carried the show on her back. She was uterly amazing. Do we expect anything less from her? My favorite song in the show is, of course, MOVE ON! It speaks to you. This is just one of the best songs in the whole video. I love the last few lines of the song, "Anything you do, let it come from you. Then it will be new. Give us more to see." That is soooo profound if you think about it.
Rating:
Summary: Sondheim's most exquisite show
Review: Sondheim's reportoire spans the most ambitious projects ever attempted in the muiscal theater canon. In "Sunday," he tackles art itself, and the obsession of the artist, through the semi-fictionalized accounts of pointillist painter George Seurat and his great-grandson. The show is not without flaws (the Act I/ Act II transition is a bit jarring), but there is really nothing remotely as wonderful as the score and emotion which underlies it. The score sounds better on the cast recording (Several cast members had voice problems when the video was made, and the chorus work is a bit muted), but the energy is still there, and the finales ("Sunday") are perhaps the most spine-tingling moments in musical theater history, as "Sunday Afternoon on La Grande Jatte" takes shape before the audience. This may well be the most personal of Sondheim's work, and if "Children and Art" doesn't bring a tear, then you must have a heart of stone. A splendid editing job makes this video a must-have for any fan of musical theater.
Rating:
Summary: Inspired..........!
Review: When I heard the original CD of this show I felt lost and confused; the music seemed bland, the story and characters were confusing-so I gave up on it. However, watching the show on DVD had me riveted to the seat with intense awe like a great movie. The whole show, to me, was about choices and chosing (two seperate things). It is about why George chose the people, style and sacrafices in his painting "La Grand Jatte" and how the choices made affected his life and if they were wrong or right. And while George had choices to make about the painting, Dot had choices to make about George and their life (act 1) and George (II) had choices to make about his fledging art life (act 2). The concept also gave an insight to art appreciation. Since no one really knows if the people in the painting are related to Seurat, we are shown how to believe they may be.What is the painting about? The DVD production is wonderful. Great picture, sound, cast, design...! This is a 5 star story and will no doubt be watched again and again by me.
Rating: 
Summary: Not Stephen Sondheim's Best Work
Review: The Brilliant Stephen Sondheim has written many, many breath-taking scores such as A Funny Thing Happened On the Way to the Forum, Into The Woods, A Little Night Music, Company, and Into The Woods, but unfortunately this musical does not have the quality and consistant standing ovation quality music as the rest. Although the amazing vocal and acting ability of such stars as Mandy Patinkin and Bernadette Peters help this show along, the music almost ruins their talents in this movie and show. The plot is very original, but it gets boring after the first few scenes. The dialogue is good with some hilarious outbursts by Mrs. Peters and serious moments by Mr. Patinkin, but as I said before, the music diminishes the quality of the book. The quality of the actual video (or DVD) is good with some nice close-up shots of the cast and the sets are of excellent quality. If you would like some good family entertainment, I highly suggest purchasing the following musical videos: "Into The Woods", "West Side Story", and "1776" but I regret to say that I do not recomend "Sunday In the Park With George" unless you have a collection of musical videos and would like more of Mr. Sondheim's works.
Rating:
Summary: Important work for all students of stagecraft
Review: The story of _Sunday in the Park with George_ is unusually inaccessible for a Sondheim work. Unlike most of his mass-appeal pieces, such as _Phantom of the Opera_, this is a playwright's play. To be sure it's comprehensible by everyone, but I suspect those who would get the most out of it would be fellow artists. Far from being a plot driven work, this is the exploration of an idea, a work ethic, a raison d'etre. Inasmuch as there is a plot, it is the story of how art is produced. It is a struggle delivered against the backdrop of a single family's history. As we are shown each generation in the family, we discover how the struggle to produce great work often estranges loved ones, and how the need to be paid often alienates the artist from his own work. It is a fascinating ride, but it is all about character, details, subtle observation, and the angst of artistic creation. Some people don't like such work, so if you're one of these, you might want to rent before buying. However, if you're even slightly artistically inclined, you will come away from this story enriched. You will also find much to laugh about here. The work is full of interesting characters, and surprising character actors. Brent Spiner and Charles Kimbrough put in amusing performances before "Star Trek: The Next Generation" and "Murphy Brown" made them television stars. But I think the most fascinating thing about this work is its set design. I'm not sure I've ever seen a production with better use of scrim. The stage literally becomes an artist's canvas, with bits of scenery flying in and out as needed by Patinkin's character. It is a masterwork of design and anyone studying stagecraft has to make a stop here. Likewise, anyone interested in the business side of Broadway production will find the audio commentary on the DVD especially intriguing. Hearing how the production came together is entirely instructive. Also, there aren't too many DVD audio commentaries which include major actors, so the presence of Mandy Patinkin and Bernadette Peters here is altogether welcome. Perhaps because there was such a time gap between the play and the audio commentary (more than ten years), the participants have had time to think about the experience and put it in historical perspective. As a result, this audio commentaries is one of the very best I've yet encountered on DVD. It may be more interesting than the play itself.
| 
