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Title: Great show but could use a little trimming
Review: The best of this show is the best of Sondheim. He continues to write the most perfect, richly rhyming lyrics in Broadway history (with the important exception of Cole Porter), and the tunes are wonderful. I don't agree that Bernadette steals the show: wonderful though she is, the part is overwritten. A little less of the Witch would go a lot further. Ultimately the show belongs to Joanna Gleason and Chip Zien, who are both wonderful. When the Baker's Wife comes back and sings, "Sometimes people leave you halfway through the woods," it's definitely kleenex time. And then the Witch re-enters and sings, "Careful of what you say, children will listen." I love this show, and it is certainly well-served by this video. But it could use a bit of trimming, especially in the second act.
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