Sunday in the Park with George - No Picnic to Produce

It’s not all that uncommon to base a musical on a popular novel. Think “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,” “Jekyll & Hyde” “The Kiss of the Spider Woman,” and, of course, “Les Miserables,” Les Mis for short.

But a musical based on a painting? Well, that’s another story.

According to Wikipedia, theater composer and lyricist, Stephen Sondheim was so disgruntled by the less than lukewarm reception and derisive critical response to his 1981 musical “Merrily We Roll Along” he vowed quit musical theater.

Collaborator James Lapine, however, persuaded him to get back in the game when the two men spent two days at the Chicago Institute of Art studying a Georges Seurat painting titled A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte (painted, 1884–1886).

Lapine noted that one major figure was missing from the canvas: the artist himself. This observation provided the springboard for Sunday, and the production evolved into a meditation on art, emotional connection and community.

The plot revolves around George, a fictionalized version of Seurat, who immerses himself deeply in painting his masterpiece, and his great-grandson (also named George), a conflicted and cynical contemporary artist.

The musical is rarely done, largely due to the complexity of the music and staging requirements. Nevertheless, Front Porch Theatricals has stepped up to accept the challenge by mounting a production at the New Hazlett Theater starting Friday, August 15.

Director Rob James Courtesy Photo

Assigned the directorial duties is Rob James, who last worked with Front Porch Theatricals as host for their 2025 Season reveal fundraiser after directing their critically acclaimed production of “Falsettos: in May of 2023.

“It’s a really special work of art,” James said of Sunday.  “While in college, I discovered it on the PBS “Great Performances” series and was very impressed with it. Since then, I’ve seen it live twice since.”

James remembers that, when he directed “Falsettos,” producer Bruce E.G. Smith learned of James’ fondness for the musical and told him if Front Porch ever decided to produce it, he’d keep him in mind.

“I never thought they’d produce it because of the complexity of the show,” James said.

Things started to move when Smith and co-producer Nancy Zionts met with James at the Greentree Panera to discuss his role of host for their 2025 Season reveal fundraiser. After a while things got quiet, then the conversation segued into a discussion of James’ directing a proposed production of Sunday.

“I was shocked, thrilled, excited and worried all at once  because Sunday is not produced all that often, and I discussed how difficult it is to pull off,” he said. “Turns out I was right because never before did I attend so many production meetings as I did for Sunday.”

One of the show’s requirements is to recreate the painting using the actors, props and scenic design of the production. To give the audience a heads-on look at the stage, staff removed the side seats of the three -quarter stage to give everyone a straightforward view. The production is also using projection to help create the painting, which requires a close collaboration between projection designer, Joe Spoinogatti, and lighting designer, Forrest Trimble.

Part of the issue is to assure that the lighting, so important to the world of the artist, especially one like Seurat, doesn’t wash out the designs of the projectionist.

Another key component in the production is the costuming. As such, costume designer, Michelle Nowakowski, has been poring through reams of fabric to create the color palette to replicate the painting.

Another technical challenge is the need to create the Act Two contrivance called the Chromalume #7, the electrical artistic creation of Seurat’s great-grandson and fellow artist.

“It’s been a lot of fun to work with the designers of the Chromalune,” James said. “It will look very different from the ones you may have seen in other productions. According to the script, not only does it have to work, then break down, but it has to start up again.”

James played a major role in selecting the actors/singers for the show. He attended the auditions for which some 300 hopefuls turned out.

Once rehearsals began, James started “in pieces,” first by introducing the cast to the music, then worked with the two leads, George (Aaron Galigan-Stierle, head of musical theater at Slippery Rock University) and Dot, (Saige Smith, Pittsburgh-native actor, singer, and arts administrator).

He then worked with smaller clusters of characters before bringing the entire ensemble together.

Actress Saige Smith  Courtesy Photo

In the role of Dot, Saige Smith had a lukewarm response when she got a call from Deana Muro, an artistic advisor for Front Porch, asking her to audition for the role of Dot.

“I was moving at that time and was preoccupied,” Smith said. “However, I never did a Sondheim musical before and this is a dream role. Sondheim is like the Shakespeare of musical theater and this was an opportunity I couldn’t miss. “After they chose me for the role, I was very excited and scared. To better prepare me for the role I took extra singing lessons and worked with vocal coaches to have a solid foundation with the music.”

Smith said Sondheim always seems to write his music with the characters and story line in mind.

“His songs are complicated because they reflect the complexity of the characters,” she said. “Once I learn and sing his music, I learn a lot about the character I portray.”

One of the most challenging moments for Smith as an actress comes when she and George sing “We Do Not Belong Together.” It’s at that moment when she realizes that George is not going to be the life partner she hoped he would be.

“We go straight from an argument to the song, and, by the end, she comes to the conclusion that their relationship is over. She realizes George is self-fulfilled through his art, but also realizs she needs more than that to be fulfilled.”

Another challenge comes in Act Two, when she has about a minute to transform from the fire and zest of the young Dot into the 98 year-old, wheelchair bound, Marie. Not only does it involve a costume and wig change, but also a change in demeanor, vocal tone and attitude.

“Luckily, we have some really great people working in our wardrobe department,” she said.

Smith has a good deal of prior experience making quick costume and character changes. In high school at CAPA, for instance, she made a quick change from Charlie’s Mom to Oompa-Loompas in “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.”

This past June, she went from portraying poet Gwendolyn Brook to Edith Wharton to a lab assistant and other roles in a workshop in New York City during the Women in Theater Festival.

“Fortunately, Sunday has been a favorite of our director for a long time, and he brings such a clear, thoughtful vision for who Dot and Marie are,” Smith said. “I have my own ideas as well, and it’s inspiring to collaborate when we’re so aligned.

When Smith saw her first production of Sunday at Point Park University, she said she didn’t completely understand Act Two, which moves forward 100 years to the 1980s.

“I wanted to stay in the 1880 with George and that era,” she said. “But now I see the show is all about legacy and speaks to the artists of today by flashing forward.”

To provide the musical accompaniment, music director, Camille Rolla has assembled a 12-piece ensemble that will play the full score provided by the publishing company.

“During rehearsals, we initially had a piano accompaniment,” Smith. “This past Sunday, however, we got to rehearse with the entire orchestra for the first time. It was extremely moving to realize what a really beautiful piece of art Sunday really is.”

Speaking on the aspect of how rarely Sunday is performed, director James said “If you’re a fan of musicals and Sondheim, I invite you to come see ‘Sunday in the Park with George.’ It’s rarely performed but magical. I consider it the unicorn of musical theater.”

Front Porch Theatricals is staging “Sunday in the Park with George” at the New Hazlett Theater, 6 Allegheny Square East, August 15 thru August 26. For tickets, go to https://www.frontporchpgh.com/ or phone 412-320-4610.