West Side Story- Tonight Quintet (Sondheim Birthday Benefit)

[nextidol09]

I love that the conductor had to go out of his way to show Jason the tempo

[skye7208]

I would pay BIIIIIIIG money to see Audra McDonald play Maria on broadway! One can dream

[VinLAURiA]

As a first tenor back in high school, I have to say, I (and the rest of the choir, really) love this song. Us tenors really love our part in particular, and the entire choir would sing it whatever chance they got.

I remember when we all were changing back into our civvies after one Christmas concert, and someone started singing it, and then a few others joined in, and within seconds the entire choir room was singing it just as if on stage... while CHANGING.

It was GLORIOUS. As is the song.

[exdragon47]

Audio was nice

[xGleekOfTheWeekx]

2:07 who is that guy WOW!

[carr0760]

@xGleekOfTheWeekx That's Jason Daniely very well-known in his own right and also married to Marin Mazzie...I'm not sure which one of the two makes me more jealous..

[natkg2010]

Audra overpowers all of them...love her

[thepickleinspace]

SHIVERS. SHIVERS. SHIVERS.

[ChosenEpicDuel]

Great!!!! i played Tony in our middle school performance. You guys did a great job.

[KyleOgilvie1]

amazing. nuff said.

[tonto48pronto]

Quote from Wiki : The New York Times called Danieley “The most exquisite tenor on Broadway”. His performance here justifies that description 1000 times over !!!!!

From 2:06 to 2:52 alone would have been more than worth the ticket price, but then what he delivers at 3:40 is to die for. There aren't enough superlatives in the whole lexicon for this man so I won't try to top the New York Times' succinctly perfect phrase. Most exquisite.

[lilactor18]

looooooooooooooooooooooooooooo­ooooooooooooooooooooooooooove Audra McDonald and the guy who did Tony was great! :D

[futurestar58]

Usually I enjoy hearing James Barbour sing, but this wasn't a good choice for him. Jason Danieley once again proves he's got a gorgeous voice.

[TheHammerOfJustice1]

i guess sondheim's had the droopy eyes is whole life...

[rellenoz]

For some reason I didn't expect much out of Audra, but DAMN she killed it!!!

[rellenoz]

AUDRA IS A FUCKING GODDESS!!! THAT GIRL SUNG THE HELL OUT OF THAT SONG!!!

[norba6kat]

i dont know if it just the recording but that really wasn't that great

[fartx211]

that was great. shame the recording of it was kind of crappy. wasnt sure if it was the equipment or improper microphone placement though

[plancolt]

Sorry, but the vibrato on Audra here is insanely wide. Distracting...

[jsbach15]

Stephen Sondheim, lived next door (as a youth) to the famous lyricist, Oscar Hammerstein. I'm sure Oscar was constructive in helping Stephen develop his talents.

[Rockin77]

the sharks and jets look like they should be bowling haa

[Vadergeek]

@Rockin77 Who says they aren't?

[pbegley15]

freakin' amazing!!!

[JAR2369]

In any musical i've seen/heard music from my favorite song ends up being the one with every character in it and the climax in the story (Tonight- West Side Story, One Day More- Les Mis, etc..). Great song great version

[musicalchix]

Chills!!! :D

[erchnic]

OMG! What a beautiful voice he has! God bless him.

[spazzymcgeeex]

not a big fan of riff's voice. maria was ok. the ensamble was fabulous though. very good balance in my opinion. anita was brilliant :]

[Selendomono]

AUDRA! god nobody goes for a C like her!

[Troublemaker1991]

How I wish I was there... everytime I listen to the quintet from West Side Story I remember this video of it... It's always memorable to me.

[quietdiva726]

Huh. Audra and Jason sound beautiful - no surprise there. But other than that, this is just sloppy, which is sad, given the scale of the production!

The chorus cuts off haphazardly, the gang members can't hit the low notes, and the vocalists seem to be having difficulty sticking with the tempo set by the orchestra.

I can't decide if it was nerves, bad sound (I'm wondering if the vocalists were having a hard time hearing the orchestra....), or poor music direction. My, oh my, oh my....

[Troublemaker1991]

Maybe because the chorus wasnt given any microphones and they had to yell out the lyrics louder than the rest? I am not sure, but I suppose you're right... Despite all that however I love it!

[Snowydog123]

I think you are right on all counts, but Jason Danielly is a bit too mannered for my taste. This just does not jell.

[PeterBluth]

You thought the theatre celebrated Sondheim's 75th birthday, wait till next year when he turns 80.

[marysueeasteregg]

My favorite Tony I've ever heard.

I love the whole company, actually.

This quintet and Make Our Garden Grow from

Candide are two of the most sublime moments in musical theater rep. Both

routinely produce chills & tears from me.

Bernstein deserves a special place in heaven for them. <3

(And when the time comes, Sondheim is welcome to join him.)

[Diamondboy1969]

What is Vanessa Williams vocal range?

[swchblade]

sooo good, got the most ridiculous chills at 3:39

[Splurge24]

People can say what they want... THIS WAS ABSOLUTE PERFECTION!!!! Vanessa Williams was sultry and confident. with a voice from God! Exactly what Anita should be! Jason Daniely can sing the habit off a nun; he's incredible. And Audra McDonald... are there even words that could justly describe this woman? Even the most lauding of superlatives insult her talent. And all done to the brilliant lyrics of the master. Stephen Sondheim - will you marry me?

[theatrejunky31965]

agree 100%

[corvus13]

@Splurge24 Audra McDonald?  Perfection.

[AgoVitaDiligoVita12]

Amazing. I have goosebumps <3

[Troublemaker1991]

Wonderful! Simply wonderful!

[underpup23]

Vanessa Williams sounds and looks great.

[Phil19780]

Yeah shes good at her character in this

[StandingAtTheMic]

Audra Mcdonald as Maria is SUPERB...

Vanessa Williams as Anita---I like the IDEA, but she sounds stridant.

Jason Daniely as Tony---is it me or is he a baritone--singing this a few steps down? Either way...GREAT

[Iareto]

Nah, he just has fantastic resonance. He's not your typical whimpy-voiced Tony. And yes, Audra McDonald is wonderful as Maria. I have her recording of Tonight, but it's sadly ruined by Mandy Patinkin (not a fan of that voice). I wish it were Jason Danieley! :p

[StandingAtTheMic]

Agreed. People get really freaked out(kind of like Callas and Southerland fans who will fight to the death to kill anyone who doesn't ADORE their soprano) when I say I don't like his timbre. I don't know why. I just don't.

[carr0760]

@StandingAtTheMic He is definitely NOT a baritone. Jason Daniely is one of the most exquisite tenors on the Broadway stage today! And it's not "a few steps down." How could he be the only one singing transposed? They would have to move the entire thing, which they have not done. If you're not sure, listen to Audra's last note and then tell me that it's supposed to be higher...

[SouthPacific005]

The Tony is phenominal...he gives me goosebumps!

[underpup23]

WOW

[Troublemaker1991]

It is perfect in every way! Just perfect! I get goose-bumps all over me when I listen to this! The music, the vocals... flawless!

[Troublemaker1991]

Maria is exceptional too... she just came in when I published the other comment. xD

[Troublemaker1991]

This Tony is incredible!! Oh my God! What a stupendous voice!

[twinklepug]

holy canoli I was there! :D It was an amazing show/celebration. <3

[devmoran2]

the chorus sounds fine to me

[devmoran2]

who plays tony ?

[devmoran2]

sondheim must have been happy

[Jarrod005]

Audra's C makes me happy =)

[SingerGirlCMP]

i really enjoy audra and vanessa

the women are the real powerhouses

in this performance.

[sprague1337]

wow.. this is really pretty bad for the chorus does not meet what I think of as west side story

[virginiarules510]

Does anyone else think that James Barbour is a little too old to be playing Riff? He's an AMAZING singer and actor, but Riff?

[wickedlover88]

The chorus is insanely sloppy!

[laralovesmusic1]

Oh my goodness....who is James Barbour?

[Singingmyheartout3]

You'd think for something as big as this they'd get gang members that could cut off at the same time and sing the low notes...

Audra and Jason were FANTASTIC!!!!

[moowithme11]

fabulous. absolutely fabulous.

[CEDwyer1969]

Audra is absolutely amazing.

[Maestrojosh87]

Did Jason hit the high C with Audra?

[JDanieley]

Yes.

[Selendomono]

lol i noticed that they changed the lyrics in the movie from in anitas first part

the movie said "Dont matter if hes tired as long as hes here"

this said "dont matter if hes tired as long as hes HOT"

love audra as always

[trashboysj]

The movie cleaned up "Poor Dear! " the slightly racier lyrics "So what?" from the Broadway version.

Also, in the movie, Tony and Riff say things like "Birth to Earth" to each other instead of "Womb to Tomb" and "Sperm to Worm". Early sixties movie audiences couldn't take it, I guess.

[virginiarules510]

There were a lot of things movie audiences in the sixties couldn't take that were perfectly fine to theatre audiences. It's still the same way now in a way.

[babbagecabb]

i'm really digging the gang Bowling Shirts!

phenomenal performance by all

[usernamehere8]

This.

Was.

AMAZING!!!

=D

[dophina127]

i love sondheim... he makes me happy.

[allieree]

"Tonight" sounds like the inspiration idea for "One Day More" in Les Miz. I don't mind really. If one is to lift song ideas, Sondheim/Bernstein is a wonderful source.

[babbagecabb]

I have a feeling you're just trying to show off that you know about Le Mis.

There's really no relation, other than they're both climactic and have a lot of overlapping singing.

The message isnt even remotely the same

[impishanchor]

allieree was right to say that the messages were the same. they both tell about what the characters hope will happen sometime in the future. but even more, the placement of the song is similar, as is the stylistic elements of the two pieces. just because the plot is different doesn't mean that they aren't similar and if you're insulted at the allegation that boubil&schonberg took music from anybody, it's very common for composers to take ideas from other composers and use them for their own work

[lakme]

Audra's C6 is just stunning.

[fludu1]

You are absolutely right !!!!

[PeterBluth]

I love when Jason Daniley enters. He sounds a lot like Colm Wilkinson in the beginning.

[ActorSinger51]

he's probably a little nervous--the hollywood bowl holds several thousand. It's much larger than any broadway theatre.

[LukaHartman]

not that good, the cast, even for a concert/celebration/presentati­on is way to old, and James Barbour as well as Jason Daniely are WAY to old for the parts, the ensemble as a whole was never together with the orchestra, and when Barbour has his solo lines with Daniely, he isn't on pitch. Vanessa Williams did impress me however, and of course Audr McDonald is always amazing.

[musicalgeek406]

I agree that they don't seem to entirely be with the orchestra, although I think the complaint of them being "too old" is ridiculous. No, none of these people would ever be cast in these roles, but as it's a concert its really just about voices (and to a certain extent, celebrity).

I also agree about Audra. I think that woman is incapable of being anything less than amazing.

[Masquerade2010]

exactly. ever heard the Les Miserables tenth anniversary concert? several of those singers may not be cast in those roles at their age, but they sound fantastic (all except Colm Wilkinson, who sounds every bit the age Val Jean is at the time of his death). and because it's live, there are mistakes. it seems like someone has screwed up in every live performance I've ever seen. but I digress. this, in my humble opinion, was fabulous.

[jwbtenor]

The great thing about concert performances is that you can use voices that you could not cast in a staged production. Bear in mind that Bernstein himself, for his last, definitive recording of WSS used opera singer Kiri Te Kanawa and Jose Carreras!

[sofia801]

this was...the most AMAZING thing i've EVER heard in my life. wow.

i love audra mcdonald.

[Living4JoshAndFrodo]

Sondheim rocks! He's the greatest EVER!!! Him and Andrew Lloyd Webber should get together and do a musical. West Side Story is the greatest musical EVER!!!!!

[singerchick37]

audra is divine

[grobanie8191]

wow that gave me chills, amazing!

[4260laurel]

Love James Barbour but he is so flat here.....others are terrific

[Gqfashion1]

YES LORD!!! I just got chills all over my body!

[jernobyl]

That is ASTOUNDING. I love it!

[Tippercanoe]

Sondheim just did the lyrics right? So who are you to criticize bernstein? (;

[licklestarlet]

I love this! We do it every chance we get!! xxx

[BestMusicalMoments]

Wow! Nicely done!

[broadwaylover2011]

Audra can sing that high c soo well. it is fantastic!!

[RustySax]

And in tune, too!!

[Hinder12girl]

wow! i love this vid! its cool

[youngfreak32]

Every single person who sings a solo in this does it wrong. I speak only as an experienced singer.

[theycallmezach]

as a high school vocalist i would have to agree

[bwaylvsong]

They sound perfect to me, with the exception of Barbour's occassional sharpness.

[1234rdc]

kinda off no?

[caitididwhat]

you know, i never really gave vanessa much credit, but she's great.

i must say, though, it always frustrated me how the original arrangement made anita blend into the chorus; she was never prominent enough.

but who am i to criticize sondheim? :) i'm just saying that whenever i see west side, i always want to hear more of her in the quintet.

[WildQueenie]

Jason and James in one video! I'm in heaven!!! =]

[brightsunshine]

I was one of the performers later at this concert!

[FryingPanMustard]

they clap for the ladies, but not for James and Jason. what gives?

[Splurge24]

Jason Daniely - mm mmm mmmm. His voice gives me chills. But what's up with the ill fitting suit.

[broadwaymelody33]

Heh I love hiim as well.

We did West Side at our high school, and I know a boy who sings almost exactly like Jason, but he refused to try out for the show because he thinks musicals are dumb.

Ironic much?

[RyanBaby13]

when i first saw this show..i fell in love with it!!

& this vid is AWSOME!!!!!

[rettophantom]

Audra was AMAZING

[banjolo]

james sounds a little off...harsh maybe

[derrickcrash]

all those boys in the gangs and they couldn't find a single baritone? love audra... clearly.

[juanieboy12]

I love Audra Macdonald! :D

[FightingChanceProd]

Can I just say how much I love Paul Gemangi... I am sure I spelt that wrong... but I do. He's always so happy and bouncy with his glasses. I saw him at Wall to Wall Sondheim and he's always just - on.

[bellatzigane]

this is so awesome because I know Audra McDonald!! I've never seen this video of her so im glad it's on here!

[broadwaymelody33]

You KNOW her?!?

omg, how?

[Misty15big]

How do u know audra!!! I've always wanted to meet her. that is SOOOOOO COOL!!!!

[ginafaloola]

that was shiver-mania. lol

[broadwaymelody33]

I think everyone is perfect! Its not a broadway performance, its a gift to Sondheim. And these are all great stage performers, so stop saying how much they suck.

[encorebc]

I was impressed with Miss Williams. Nice job. Audra was great. Jason was great. Too old for Tony? He's not playing Tony...he's singing a song. Sigh. Some people.

[sunshynluver]

I'm such a grand fan of Vanessa Williams', and the first to defend her, but come on! a) what was that foolish accent, and b) why even do it if you're going to sing down the octave and need backup girls?

[tylerb013]

sunshynluver,

That's how the original arrangement is written.

[blackpython]

I don't like James Barbour as Riff, and the chorus could've been a bit fuller in the beginning, but other than that, I loved this clip. And I agree, the Tony was a little too low (by that I kinda mean he sounded to old for Tony, but he still sounded good). Audra was great.

[Jonny120205]

there are many elements of opera that clearly shine through in West Side Story, this was Bersteins intention, the song sung with vibrato works very well, this is an excellent performance

[goldeneye00756]

That was kind of a mess? Daniely seemed a little too low for Tony, or is it just me? Williams was good casting but had absolutely nothing to do esp. since Anita's part *always* gets drowned out the final swell, Audra overpowered everybody else, and wow, could Barbour have BEEN more wrong in every way?

[ellakanahmen]

Totally agree with you about Barbour, he's painfully sharp and if anyone looks too old, it's him, not Danieley. Truly Jason's Tony was awesome. The two female soloists? Gorgeous vocally and visually.

uhhh....the Jets and Sharks looked like they were on opposite bowling teams or something. And the volume of their portion....weak. Or were there simply not enough of them.

Oh and Paul Gemignani rules!

[gabsylv]

opposite bowling teams..ha ha!

[rodanvideo]

Incredible, passionate song.. the performance was not. Tempo - tempo, guys. Hit the notes! Get the timing right. Come on!! I really wanted to be floored by this clip, but alas.. not so.

[BadBoy117007]

hells yes Audra gets the most applause!!! (it should've been a standing-O when she came on but we didn't want there to be a mutiny with the rest of the cast :-P )

[Djbearrob]

This was last July 2006 at the Hollywood Bowl. It was a great show celebrating Sondheim's birthday. Streisand led the audience in singing Happy Birthday to him. I drove 6 hours just to attend.

[lourdeszamalloa]

audra the best!!!!

where was this performance?

[nate11111]

This is absolutely amazing, especially Audra.

Ok, so I know this is an obnoxious request, but could you possibly upload this onto google video? I'd love to be able to put it on my iPod!

[sirgio]

Beautiful performance! Perfection at it's best!

[izziwizzi00]

I was Maria In WSS and I really like this and it's really good but Maria and a couple of other people had too much vibrato

[twinkletoes747]

who the fuck are to say that? im prettyyyy sure that audra was better than you were ... you were should not commenting that she had too much vibrato... its the way its supposed to be sung

[cricketbat]

Jason Danieley's voice can melt metal!

[mysterium07]

Eh, not enough James Barbour.

[Brokenlizard14]

I'm with you. Could have used a LOT more James.

[Alayna22]

Love it! Thank you so much!

[LORETTASTAR]

WOW!

this was fantastik. I loved it! Thank you for posting.