THE STEPHEN SONDHEIM COLLECTION

Image Entertainment has released The Stephen Sondheim Collection, a beautiful DVD collection of six Sondheim DVDS: Into the Woods, Sunday in the Park with George, Follies in Concert, Passion, Sweeney Todd in Concert and A Celebration at Carnegie Hall.

Presented in an elegant white box, Amazon describes the content of each disc – for those unfamiliar with these shows and events – as follows:

A Celebration at Carnegie Hall: This star-studded salute to Sondheim’s most enduring melodies features Patti LuPone, Bernadette Peters, Liza Minnelli, Madeleine Kahn, Victor Garber, Glenn Close, Betty Buckley and many more!

Follies in Concert: The incomparable Stephen Sondheim brought his sensational Follies to the stage in 1971 where it was hailed as “monumental theater” by The New York Times. Fourteen years later, the magic was recreated by an unparalleled gathering of stage and screen luminaries performing with the New York Philharmonic at Lincoln Center for a wildly enthusiastic audience. Includes the memorable songs “Losing My Mind” and “I’m Still Here” and an all-star cast.

Into the Woods: A baker and his wife journey into the woods in search of a cow, a red cape, a pair of golden slippers and some magic beans to lift a curse that has kept them childless. Tony Award winners Bernadette Peters, Joanna Gleason and the rest of the original Broadway cast weave their magic spell over you in Stephen Sondheim’s masterpiece, a seamless fusion of fairy tale characters and what happens after “happily ever after.”

Passion: An unforgettable chronicle of the redemptive power of love, this is a mesmerizing musical rhapsody in which a soldier torn between two women discovers the true meaning of love. A haunting study of obsessive love, this striking production offers a visual and musical feast that will linger in your heart and soul forever! Winner of 4 Tony Awards.

Sunday in the Park with George: Sondheim and James Lapine construct a dazzling story from one of the world’s most famous painting, Georges Seurat’s “A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grand Jatte,” creating a moving exploration of art, love and commitment. Winner of the 1985 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.

Sweeney Todd in Concert: This delicious production, a musical thriller of revenge and romance set in Victorian England, features Broadway diva Patti LuPone as Mrs. Lovett and veteran stage actor George Hearn in the title role. Premiering in 1979, the legendary show went on to win nine New York Drama Critics Circle Awards and eight Tony Awards; recorded with the San Francisco Symphony as conducted by Rob Fisher.

If you don’t already have the DVDs individually, this is a great set for yourself – or for a friend. With the festive season just around the corner, it’ll be a Merry Christmas indeed with some Sondheim in your stocking!