Arts Agenda - Life in revue

Side by Side by Sondheim was developed in the mid-1970s to attract British audiences who had yet to embrace Stephen Sondheim’s musicals and, as Georgia Ensemble Theatre’s cheerful production proves, it’s still an effective showcase for his tunes. The four-person singing company features David DeVries as a dapper host, introducing different pieces, explaining their influences and identifying plot points. DeVries doesn’t quite have the powerhouse vocal chords of his co-stars, but makes up for that with attitude, proving entertainingly pointed and saucy in such pieces as “Could I Leave You.”
Sharon Blackwood’s forceful, operatic singing voice cannot be faulted, but she’s awkward during some of the evening’s stagey comic business. Chris Bouchard and Kim Bowers-Rheay brim with musical theater showmanship, with Bouchard’s eager rendition of “Being Alive” offering one of the evening’s showstoppers. Bowers-Rheay shows even more versatility, proving especially funny with the frantic patter of a cold-footed bride in “Getting Married Today,” but overcooking the showbiz survivor song “I’m Still Here.” Sondheim himself is “still here,” too, and Side By Side affirms his staying power.
Side by Side by Sondheim plays through Oct. 1 at the Georgia Ensemble Theatre, Roswell Municipal Auditorium, 950 Forrest St., Roswell. Performances are Thurs.-Sat. at 8 p.m. and Sun at 2:30 p.m. $17.50-$27. 770-641-1260.