Composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim passed away last November, leaving a legacy of songs that cut—often sharply—to the heart of human relationships. Providing a timely sampling of his work, International City Theatre’s “Marry Me a Little” marries together 18 entertaining Sondheim songs from different musicals into one loosely connected but emotionally moving story.
Created by Craig Lucas and Norman René in 1980, “Marry Me a Little” is a 60-minute musical tale sung without dialogue involving a young man (Nick Tubbs) and woman (Katy Tang) who live in the same New York apartment building. Though the two never meet, they sing a number of duets “together,” metaphysically in different apartments while occupying the same set, with a bed that is half hers and half his.
The set—well designed by JR Norman Luker—features a fully detailed apartment plus an upstairs fire escape with plants, expanding the stage vertically for added visual interest. Nestled in the back is a piano, the duo’s sole instrumental accompaniment, gorgeously played by Diane King Vann.
As the man and woman bring home their respective groceries, including beer for him and white wine for her, they sing of how if you’re lonely on a “Saturday Night” you might as well be dead. Songs progress from there to “Two Fairy Tales”—humorously intermixing his and hers versions of their favorite stories—plus more than a dozen other numbers showcasing Sondheim’s tonal harmonies and clever, often bitingly observant, lyrics.
Tang and Tubbs are exceptionally talented singers and performers, and their movements about the apartment are fluidly choreographed by director Kari Hayter. There are thus many highlights, including the fun “Pour Le Sport” about a couple playing golf; “Happily Ever After,” Tubbs’s bitter lament and spiteful declaration; and the title song, “Marry Me a Little,” which Tang belts on the upstairs balcony in full—nearly operatic—glory.
Tang’s vocal range is expressed most emphatically in that song as it allows her to move up and down a couple of registers from her usual soprano, which, though exquisite, occasionally blends in with the piano. And Tubbs’s strong tenor is well suited to Sondheim’s lyrics, as is his ability to convey emotion—from melancholic in “Silly People,” to wistful in “Your Eyes are Blue,” to irate in “Happily Ever After.”
Both performers are appealing to watch as they move about the stage during and between songs, interacting with a natural affinity. It must be hard to sing one strand of a song while someone else is singing another right next to you but supposedly in a different apartment. Yet these two very professional and likable performers pull it off without a hitch, sustaining a lovely bubble of romantic exploration.
By the time “It Wasn’t Meant to Happen” leaves the two in their own separate (though the same) beds, you may be left emotionally drained yet fully inspired. Ultimately, International City Theatre’s production of “Marry Me a Little” is a tour-de-force tour of Sondheim numbers performed by an excellent cast on a magical stage—in other words, ”all things bright and beautiful,” as the song goes.
International City Theatre’s “Marry Me a Little” continues through Feb. 27 at the Beverly O’Neill Theater, 330 E. Seaside Way, with shows Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m.
The theatre will host a post-show talk-back with the cast on Sunday, Feb. 20. Tickets are $49 to $52 and can be purchased by calling the box office at (562) 436-4610 or visiting ICTLongBeach.org. Proof of vaccination and mask-wearing is required.
