Saturday Night (1954)
Words & Music: Stephen Sondheim
Book: Julius J. Epstein, based on the play Front Porch in Flatbush by Julius J. Epstein and Philip G. Epstein
Premise: From their front porch, middle-class bachelors in Brooklyn, New York, 1929, bemoan their inability to find dates for Saturday evenings. Gene, a lowly runner on Wall Street, hatches a plan to gatecrash the Junior League Cotillion at the Plaza Hotel in Manhattan and make his mark in society circles. There, he meets and charms Helen, who has – unbeknownst to Gene – also gatecrashed the party.
Major productions:
1999 O'Rourke Center for the Performing Arts
2000 Second Stage Theatre
2003 Chapel Off Chapel / Federation Square (Magnormos) *Australian premiere
2009 Jermyn Street Theatre / Arts Theatre
2011 Signature Theatre
2014 York Theatre Company
Bridewell Theatre (1997)
The Bridewell Theatre Company
14 Bride Lane, Fleet St, London EC4Y 8EQ
Previews: 11 December 1997
Opens: 17 December 1997
Closes: 24 January 1998
Performances: 38
Director: Carol Metcalfe and Clive Paget
Musical Director/Orchestrator: Peter Corrigan
Set and Costume Designer: Bridget Kimak
Music Supervisor: Mark Warman
Musical Staging: Tim Flavin
Lighting Designer: Geoff Spain
Production Manager: Pete Bull
Cast:
Bobby: James Millard
Dino: Maurice Yeoman
Artie: Jeremy David
Ray: Simon Greiff
Celeste: Tracie Bennett
Hank: Mark Haddigan
Gene: Sam Newman
Fantasy Man/Male Vocalist/Clune: Gavin Lee
Fantasy Woman/Miss Fletcher/Florence/Usherette/Dakota Doran/Female Vocalist: Rae Baker
Police Lieutenant/Fantasy Butler: Paul Brereton
Mildred: Ashleigh Sendin
Helen: Anna Francolini
Musical Numbers:
Act One
"Saturday Night" – Dino, Bobby, Ray and Artie
"Class" – Gene and Company
"Love's a Bond" – Male Vocalist
"Isn't It?" – Helen
"In the Movies" – Celeste, Mildred, Usherette, Artie, Ray, Dino and Hank
"Exhibit A" – Bobby
"A Moment With You" – Male Vocalist, Helen and Gene
"Saturday Night" (reprise) – Dino, Ray, Artie and Bobby
"So Many People" – Helen, Gene
"One Wonderful Day" – Celeste, Bobby, Hank, Dino, Artie, Ray, Mildred, Florence, Gene, Helen
Act Two
"Saturday Night" (reprise) – Dino, Ray and Artie
"I Remember That" – Hank, Celeste
"Love's a Bond" (reprise) – Female Vocalist
"All for You" – Helen
"It's That Kind of a Neighbourhood" – Dino, Ray, Artie, Mildred, Celeste, Hank
"What More Do I Need?" – Helen, Gene and Company
"One Wonderful Day" (reprise) – Company
Recording:
Saturday Night – A Stephen Sondheim World Premiere Cast Recording
-
Compact Disc, 1998 [First Night [UK] CD65] (52:50)
-
Compact Disc, 1998 [RCA Victor [US] 09026-633182-2]
Producer: Chris Walker
Engineer: David Hunt, assisted by Niall Alcott
Orchestrator: Peter Corrigan
Conductor: Mark Warman
Recorded at: Angel Studios, London, 10–11 February 1998
Selections: "Saturday Night", "Class", "Love's A Bond", "Isn't It", "In the Movies", "Exhibit A", "A Moment With You", "Saturday Night (Reprise)", "So Many People", "One Wonderful Day", "Saturday Night (Reprise)", "I Remember That", "All For You", "It's That Kind of a Neighborhood", and "What More Do I Need?"
O'Rourke Center for the Performing Arts (1999)
1145 W. Wilson Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60640
Previews: 14 May 1999
Opens: 19 May 1999
Closes: 18 July 1999
Performances: xx
Director: Carol Metcalfe and Clive Paget
Musical Director/Orchestrator: Peter Corrigan
Set and Costume Designer: Bridget Kimak
Music Supervisor: Mark Warman
Musical Staging: Tim Flavin
Lighting Designer: Geoff Spain
Production Manager: Pete Bull
Cast:
Bobby: James Millard
Dino: Maurice Yeoman
Artie: Jeremy David
Ray: Simon Greiff
Celeste: Tracie Bennett
Hank: Mark Haddigan
Gene: Sam Newman
Fantasy Man/Male Vocalist/Clune: Gavin Lee
Fantasy Woman/Miss Fletcher/Florence/Usherette/Dakota Doran/Female Vocalist: Rae Baker
Police Lieutenant/Fantasy Butler: Paul Brereton
Mildred: Ashleigh Sendin
Helen: Anna Francolini
Musical Numbers:
Act One
"Saturday Night" – Dino, Bobby, Ray and Artie
"Class" – Gene and Company
"Love's a Bond" – Male Vocalist
"Isn't It?" – Helen
"In the Movies" – Celeste, Mildred, Usherette, Artie, Ray, Dino and Hank
"Exhibit A" – Bobby
"A Moment With You" – Male Vocalist, Helen and Gene
"Saturday Night" (reprise) – Dino, Ray, Artie and Bobby
"So Many People" – Helen, Gene
"One Wonderful Day" – Celeste, Bobby, Hank, Dino, Artie, Ray, Mildred, Florence, Gene, Helen
Act Two
"Saturday Night" (reprise) – Dino, Ray and Artie
"I Remember That" – Hank, Celeste
"Love's a Bond" (reprise) – Female Vocalist
"All for You" – Helen
"It's That Kind of a Neighbourhood" – Dino, Ray, Artie, Mildred, Celeste, Hank
"What More Do I Need?" – Helen, Gene and Company
"One Wonderful Day" (reprise) – Company
Recording:
Saturday Night – A Stephen Sondheim World Premiere Cast Recording
-
Compact Disc, 1998 [First Night [UK] CD65] (52:50)
-
Compact Disc, 1998 [RCA Victor [US] 09026-633182-2]
Producer: Chris Walker
Engineer: David Hunt, assisted by Niall Alcott
Orchestrator: Peter Corrigan
Conductor: Mark Warman
Recorded at: Angel Studios, London, 10–11 February 1998
Selections: "Saturday Night", "Class", "Love's A Bond", "Isn't It", "In the Movies", "Exhibit A", "A Moment With You", "Saturday Night (Reprise)", "So Many People", "One Wonderful Day", "Saturday Night (Reprise)", "I Remember That", "All For You", "It's That Kind of a Neighborhood", and "What More Do I Need?"
