In a treat for Stephen Sondheim and music theatre fans alike, Watch This is currently presenting Colour & Light: The Art of Stephen Sondheim – a stunningly superb production that pays tribute to one of musical theatre’s greatest storytellers.
Guided by the steady vision of Co-directors Dean Drieberg and Melanie Hillman, the production features a powerhouse ensemble, Johanna Allen, Vidya Makan, Jacob Rozario and Nick Simpson-Deeks, with Music Director and Featured Artist Dr Trevor Jones on piano. Together, they navigate the dizzying breadth of Sondheim’s songbook with wit, precision and reverence.
From the moment audiences step inside, they are immersed in a world of opulence, thanks to Rob Sowinski’s exquisite design. Lush velvet and translucent curtains frame the stage, like the drapery of a grand salon, while carefully chosen furnishings and props – from vased cherry blossoms and a gleaming art deco drinks cart, an eclectic array of lamps to a facsimile of Seurat’s A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte – ground the production in both elegance and playful reference.
At the centre, a magnificent antique-style grand piano becomes the heart of the performance space. Sowinski’s lighting, ably assisted by Jacques Cooney Adlard, bathes the stage in washes of colour that shift fluidly with mood and meaning, while Tomas Strode’s crisp, precise sound design ensures every note and lyric lands with clarity.
The program is a treasure chest. Well-loved classics from A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Company, Follies, Sweeney Todd, A Little Night Music, Into the Woods, Merrily We Roll Along, and Sunday in the Park with George sit alongside hidden gems from Anyone Can Whistle, Evening Primrose, Marry Me a Little, Pacific Overtures, Passion, Saturday Night, and Dick Tracy. The diversity of selections underscores the extraordinary range of Sondheim’s craft.
Highlights abound. Fresh from her acclaimed turn as Mrs Lovett in Victorian Opera’s Sweeney Todd in Dubai, Johanna Allen sets the evening’s high standard with a deliciously funny and razor-sharp rendition of The Worst Pies in London. Vidya Makan delights with The Boy From…, the wickedly witty parody of The Girl from Ipanema, penned for the 1966 Off-Broadway revue The Mad Show, to return later with a sensuous rendition of The Miller’s Son from A Little Night Music.
Jacob Rozario charms with a wonderfully nimble I’m Calm from A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, while Nick Simpson-Deeks brings quiet devastation to his haunting performance of Send in the Clowns from A Little Night Music.
Trevor Jones’ creative flair as Music Director is unmistakable – from his inventive re-interpretations to his playfully constructed medleys, he reshapes familiar material with intelligence and surprise. His own vocal talents are also showcased, particularly in the hilarious and breathless Not Getting Married Today from Company, performed alongside Allen and Rozario with pinpoint comic timing.
Colour & Light achieves what many tributes cannot: it feels at once deeply reverent and refreshingly alive. By weaving Sondheim’s lesser-known treasures with his iconic works, Watch This not only reaffirms his place as a master storyteller but also reminds us of the inexhaustible depth of his legacy. Colour & Light is a production of balance, harmony and sheer theatrical joy – a feast for devotees and newcomers alike.
Colour & Light: The Art of Stephen Sondheim
Theatre Works, 14 Acland Street, St Kilda
Performance: Friday 19 September 2025
Season continues to 27 September 2025
Bookings: www.theatreworks.org.au
For more information, visit: www.watchthis.net.au for details.
Images: The Company of Colour & Light: The Art of Stephen Sondheim – photo by Ben Fon | Nick Simpson-Deeks in Colour & Light: The Art of Stephen Sondheim – photo by Ben Fon | Johanna Allen in Colour & Light: The Art of Stephen Sondheim – photo by Ben Fon | Dr Trevor Jones in Colour & Light: The Art of Stephen Sondheim – photo by Ben Fon
Review: Rohan Shearn