The Stephen Sondheim S.T.A.G.E. benefit show for APLA from March 2007

SHAUN'S THING WITH PATRICK

SHAUN CASSIDY
is a former actor, singer and musician. He is also a former lemonade salesman, birthday party magician and Bar Mitzvah entertainer. He currently writes and produces television shows. One day, this will be his former profession, too. This is his fourth performance for S.T.A.G.E.

-- From the By Side By Side By Side By Side by Stephen Sondheim program for the 23rd Annual Southland Theatre Artists Goodwill Event benefiting AIDS Project Los Angeles

Photo of Patrick by Chris Kane | APLA, S.T.A.G.E. | March 2007

As I sat in my seat waiting for the show to start, I was already smiling when I read Shaun's very short bio in the program. I thought it was perfect and really captured it all in a nutshell.

Act One: Agony, Into The Woods, 1987

Patrick starts the scene and walks out on stage in a pair of tights. Soon Shaun comes out one of the doors and is also wearing a pair of tights. Patrick and Shaun start having a conversation about looking for women. The exchange between the two of them is great. I think that almost every other line that Shaun spoke or sang got a tremendous laugh from the audience. The expressions, gestures and costumes are absolutely priceless.

Patrick starts the singing as he moves over to the side. He has such a wonderful voice and it's very impressive! Then Shaun moves over to the other side of the stage and takes over a little bit. I know Patrick has been doing more theatre lately than Shaun, so I wasn't quite as surprised to hear Patrick. I've seen Patrick in several musicals (Pirates of Penzance, Aida and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat) and I know he's always exceptionally good. The last time I heard Shaun sing was in Blood Brothers in 1993.

I love Patrick, but I think Shaun stole the show in this production. Shaun's voice is unbelievably deep, mysterious and even a little sexy. They start alternating singing and it is very well done with a lot of emotional intensity in their voices. Then Shaun walks across the stage and they both sing for a little bit. This is my favorite part because both are swinging their arms together and having a grand time while singing, until Shaun hits Patrick in the stomach with one arm. Patrick nearly doubles over and it appears to be an accident, so Patrick looks stunned. I think it was most likely staged that way, but it was a totally priceless moment that looked like it was totally unrehearsed. I believe Shaun has a very unique and natural ability to make moments happen like that. The combination of Patrick and Shaun on stage, together, in tights with boots, was worth more than words could describe and the song was only about four minutes long. I also loved Shaun's little bow that he did as he left the stage walking backwards. It's hard to describe, but Shaun did this cute little twirly thing with his hand. The timing was perfect because both Patrick and Shaun went through separate doors at the same time.

Photo of Patrick and Shaun by Chris Kane | APLA, S.T.A.G.E. | March 2007

Act Two: Agony (reprise), Into The Woods, 1987

The song in the next act starts with both Patrick and Shaun going in and out of the six doors at the back of the stage. It looks like Shaun does a little boxing imitation at one point that is quite funny to see. Then both Patrick and Shaun come out together and end up bumping into each other a little bit. Again the humor comes shining through as they start out chatting about how Shaun's Rapunzel has run off.

Soon the music starts and the rest of the time has Patrick and Shaun alternating singing back and forth. Their voices blend together beautifully and they sound incredibly talented and wonderful. The reprise of the song was also about four minutes, but it was over way too soon.

Shaun's performance was purely wonderful. It was like every theatre show that I've seen him in during the 10 years from 1983 to 1993 in an 8-minute nutshell. It had the humor of Mass Appeal, the strong voice of Dangerous Music, the spontaneity of Romance, Romance and the dynamic chemistry of Blood Brothers.

I will end this review with the following quote when Shaun portrayed Mark Dolson in Mass Appeal. This is from memory, so it might not be completely correct.

You come here with your mink coats and your blue hair. These things are your shackles. They're accessories that you have made essential. You're slaves all week, you want to be slaves here, too.

Some of the moments from the Sondheim show will most likely remain in my memory for a long time as well.