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09/07/2012 12:01 AM

Rare Sondheim Revue "Marry Me A Little" Returns To Off-Broadway

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Musical theater fans should rejoice, as the rarely done Sondheim revue "Marry Me A Little" is about to open off-Broadway, thanks to the Keen Company. NY1's Frank DiLella filed the following report.

From the Public Theater's summer staging of "Into The Woods" to the celebrated 2011 production of "Follies," or even the pared-down Broadway revival of "A Little Night Music," there have been Sondheim favorites aplenty on the New York boards in recent years.

However, sticking with the musical theater master, but veering more towards the obscure, off-Broadway's Keen Company is about to offer up a lesser known Sondheim work, the revue "Marry Me A Little."

Under the direction of the Keen's new artistic director, Jonathan Silverstein, "Marry Me A Little" kicks off the company's 13th season. The tuner, which is made up of Sondheim melodies cut from various shows, originally debuted off-Broadway in 1980 courtesy of a cast member from Broadway's "Sweeney Todd."

"Craig Lucas was in the chorus of 'Sweeney' and he had the idea to use a bunch of cut songs from different Sondheim shows. So he approached Sondheim and said, 'Can I do this?'" says Silverstein.

Set against the backdrop of present-day Brooklyn, "Marry Me a Little" follows the relationship of "Man," played by Jason Tam, and "Woman," played by Lauren Molina.

"It's a very contemporary piece with a contemporary look on relationships," says Molina.

Molina performs "Can That Boy Foxtrot" in the revue, a song that was cut from "Follies," while Tam performs a song cut from "Company," "Happily Ever After."

"Oftentimes musical theater can be very fun and fluffy, and that's great. But it's nice to have the fullness Sondheim brings to his songs," says Tam.

"Marry Me a Little" is set to begin previews on September 11th at The Clurman Theatre on Theatre Row. For more information, visit www.keencompany.org.