Maria Friedman Re-arranged Outing - 10 April 2008
On Thursday night Whatsonstage.com hosted an outing to see Maria Friedman’s critically acclaimed show Maria Friedman: Re-arranged at the Menier Chocolate Factory. After an evening of fantastic entertainment, we were treated to a post-show discussion with Maria and her long-standing musical collaborator Michael Haslam.
The show has received rave reviews (click here for Michael Coveney’s review) and based on last night’s performance it’s clear to see why. Maria was keen to emphasise early in the show that the songlist was not chosen on the basis of theme. Rather, she chose to celebrate the freedom of a concert format by “dipping into as many emotional spaces as possible” during the course of the evening. And she was certainly true to her word. From a poignant rendition of “You Are My Sunshine” to her seminal version of Sondheim’s “Broadway Baby”, she spanned genres and styles, remaining all the while utterly engaging.
The most memorable moments of the show were undoubtedly those that involved members of the audience. She found a couple of willing participants to waltz her through “I Want to Sleep With You Now” and play the hapless customer in “The Worst Pies in London” (from Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd). And a personal favourite was her bullish stroll through the audience as she belted out a somewhat vicious rendition of Randy Newman’s “Short People” (though she was keen to point out it was meant as a satire!).
In an illuminating post-show discussion, Maria addressed audience concerns that she has left the musical theatre stage for good. Saying she needed time with her family, she didn’t rule out a possible return to musicals once her children have grown older. Asked why there were not more shows of this kind in London, she explained her difficulty in finding agreeable venues. With that in mind, we all owe a debt of gratitude to David Babani, artistic director of the Chocolate Factory, for giving Maria the platform she so richly deserves.
Theo Bosanquet (Content Manager)
