
Out on DVD and Blu-ray this week is Sondheim! The Birthday Concert (Image), a lovely tribute to the brilliant composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim held in March 2010 at Lincoln Center. David Hyde Pierce is the witty master of ceremonies and there are many great performers on hand to sing those memorable songs, including rarities like a song from a Judy Holliday musical he wrote the lyrics for. Reunited original cast members from Sondheim classics perform -- like Mandy Patinkin and Bernadette Peters singing from Sunday In The Park With George and Chip Zien and Joanna Gleason from Into The Woods -- that bring down the house. Patti Lupone sings with two actors who have played the lead in Sweeney Todd (George Hearn and Michael Cerveris) in a fantastic version of "A Little Priest". And Elaine Stritch belts out a rousing "I'm Still Here" from Follies. As Sondheim himself says on stage at the end, "First you're young, then you're old, then you're wonderful." This is pretty wonderful.
