Come Play Wiz Me | Sondheim's Parties, Puzzles, Games & Ambivalence

A rib-tickling whirlwind tour exploring how Stephen Sondheim’s passions for puzzles, games and parties reveal the man behind the myth. Steve’s glorious humour and skill are celebrated by Sondheim’s chum Martin Milnes and Steve’s first love Peter E. Jones, alongside Ronan Farrow, Mia Farrow, Patti LuPone, Adam Guettel, Jamie Bernstein, James Lapine, John Weidman and more.

“What happens when two dames from Planet S come from Outer Space hit Earth? Your sides will explode with merry Martian marital mix-ups!” – Stephen Sondheim

Discover how Patti bonded with Steve during Mia’s magical ‘Full Moon Parties’; Steve’s excitement over his and Ronan’s favourite video game; why Steve used pot while writing; and much, much more … including untold stories about ‘It’! 

 

“He loved games because there are solutions. There are solutions that there aren't in real life. There's a way to get the answer. There's no bloody answer in real life.” – Maria Friedman

CHAPTERS:

00:00 - Ronan Farrow: Steve & Video Games

02:46 - Games & Puzzles: Steve’s ‘Perspicacity’

12:23 - Cryptics & Treasure Hunts

18:35 - Anagrams & Parlour Games

27:54 - Musical Parties: Steve, Hal & Lena

32:36 - ‘Full Moon’ Parties: Steve, Mia & Patti

37:17 - Steve & Pot: ‘The most audacious thing I had ever seen’

42:26 - Ambivalence, Acceptance & Spatulas

50:23 - Joshua & Mia: ‘It’ and ‘Serious Consideration’

58:13 - Laying Rumours To Rest

 

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CREDITS

Hosts and Producers: Martin Milnes and Peter E. Jones

Executive Producer: Jason Caffrey

Produced in partnership with: Creative Kin 

Mixing and Mastering: Chris Traves
Directed, Devised and Written by Martin Milnes

 

CAST AND VOICE ACTORS

Alistair McGowan, Daniel Cane, Charlotte Page, Arthur Magee, Yeukayi Ushe, Tom Hopcroft, James Gower-Smith, Samuel Black, Rebecca Ridout, Jude Peters, Melissa Redman, Mehran James McCullough, Becky Hopcroft, Maya Post, Rosanna Roscoe, Colm Molloy, Jonathan Christopher, Simon Butteriss. 

DRAMATIC RE-ENACTMENTS
Written by: Martin Milnes
Produced by: Peter E. Jones

 
MUSIC AND SCORE

Original Score Composed by: Peter E. Jones
Music and Lyrics of Stephen Sondheim: Courtesy of The Stephen Sondheim Trust

Sondheim and Bernstein Instrumental Tracks: Provided by Broadway Studio Orchestra

Music of Stephen Sondheim: Played by Colm Molloy

‘Come Play Wiz Me’ (Sondheim): Played by The National Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by John Owen Edwards

The Good Life Theme Music: Composed by Burt Rhodes 

 FEATURED SONGS & VOCAL PERFORMANCES

"Thanks A Lot, But No Thanks” (Previn, Comden & Green): Sung by Dolores Gray