"Being Alive"is a song from the musicalCompanywith music and lyrics byStephen Sondheim.The song appears at the end of act two and is sung by Robert, a 35-year-old bachelor at the center of the show, who "...realizes being a lone wolf isn't all it's cracked up to be... he declares that he wants to take the chance, be afraid, get his heart broken—or whatever happens when you decide to love and be loved."[1]
Context
editSituated at the end of musical's second act, the song expresses the central character's concerns while facing his 35th birthday. Prior to singing "Being Alive", Robert reflects on the relationships of five couples, his "good and crazy married friends" —Susan and Peter, Sarah and Harry, Amy and Paul, Jenny and David, Joanne and Larry—along with three girlfriends: April, Kathy, and Marta.[2]While each relationship has its problems, Robert concludes that it's better to live with someone rather than remain alone.
Background
edit"Being Alive" was introduced after three previous closing numbers had been tried. The first of these attempts was with the song "Multitudes of Amys", but as Sondheim describes, writerGeorge Furth"transferred the situation in which it was to be sung – Robert's proposal to Amy – to Act One and the song had to be replaced".[3]The second attempt was "Marry Me A Little", which Sondheim later reflected that he realized halfway through the writing process the song would not work for the character, and finished it only as "a favor for a friend who loved it."[3]The third attempt came with "Happily Ever After," which even made it to the Boston tryout before it was "deemed too dark to serve as a closing number."[4]Hence Sondheim made a fourth and final attempt with "Being Alive", where he tried to express the same thoughts as "Happily Ever After" with a touch more optimism.[3]
Sondheim was initially reluctant to write a closing song with a positive tone, and made efforts to write a composition that would combine cynical and hopeful sentiments. He wrote in his 2009 memoirFinishing the Hatthat he worried a plainly optimistic approach would be "unearned and pandering, not to mention monotonous, since there would be only one thing to say: namely, marriage is wonderful". His concerns were resolved when "Michael Bennettcame up with the idea of using the same technique of interlaced spoken voices from Robert's friends that we used in 'Side by Side by Side,' helping him break through his moment of crisis. That suggested to me a song which could progress from complaint to prayer. Thus, 'Being Alive.' "[5]
Performances
editThis sectionneeds additional citations forverification.(April 2022) |
"Being Alive" was first recorded by Dean Jones, who originated the role of Robert onBroadwayin 1970. After Jones's short tenure playing the role, his replacementLarry Kertalso recorded the song, which has since been included as a bonus track on reissues of the original cast album.
The song was performed by Alex (Judd Hirsch) on the US sitcomTaxi,during the 1980 episode "Alex Jumps Out of a Plane".
"Being Alive" has become popular outside its original musical setting, and while written for a male part, the song is frequently performed by women:Bernadette Peters,Patti LuPone,Barbra Streisand,Dusty Springfield,Margaret Whiting,Lea Salonga,Ute Lemper,andLauren Samuels,among others.
Raul Esparzawas a nominee at the 2007Tony Awardsfor his role inCompanyand performed the song on the awards telecast. On the fourth season of the television seriesGlee,the characterKurt Hummel(Chris Colfer) performed the song in the episode "Swan Song",as his audition for the fictional school NYADA.Neil Patrick Harrisalso performed it as Bobby in the 2011 revival ofCompany.[6]
The American composerGabriel Kahanewrote the pianoscherzo"Being Alive" for the 2015 albumLiaisons: Re-Imagining Sondheim from the Piano.[7]
In the British soap operaEastEnders,the song is wedding song whenLinda Carter(Kellie Bright) marriesMick Carter(Danny Dyer) on New Year's Day 2016, performed by West End starAlice Fearn.The song also appears on her album "Where I've Been... Where I'm Going".
In the 2019 filmMarriage Story,written and directed byNoah Baumbach,lead character Charlie Barber (portrayed byAdam Driver) performs much of the song in a New York piano bar.[8][9]
The2023 season finaleof9-1-1: Lone Starfeatured Tommy singing the song at the wedding of TK and Carlos.
References
edit- ^Blanchard, Jane M. "Bustling, robust 'Company' Sondheim musical seldom misses a beat. 21 May 2002".The Washington Times.
- ^Flahaven, Sean Patrick (2007).Company Synopsis.Liner Notes: Nonesuch Records Inc., a Warner Music Group Company.
- ^abc"Being Alive." Carlin America.Carlin America.Web. April 6, 2011."Archived copy".Archived fromthe originalon February 6, 2012.RetrievedApril 7,2011.
{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^Jeremy McCarter. "It's The Little Things." New York Media, LLC. November 30, 2006. Web. April 6, 2011.[1]
- ^Sondheim, Stephen (2009).Finishing the hat: Collected lyrics (1954-1981) with attendant comments, Principles, Heresies, Grudges, Whines and Anecdotes.New York, NY, USA: Knopf. p. 196.ISBN978-0679439073.
- ^Price, Lonny (March 15, 2014),Company(Comedy, Drama, Musical), Neil Patrick Harris, Patti LuPone, Martha Plimpton, Ellen M. Krass Productions, New York Philharmonic, NCM Fathom,retrievedAugust 22,2024
- ^Tommasini, Anthony (April 23, 2012)."Anthony de Mare's 'Liaisons: Reimaging Sondheim'".The New York Times.
- ^Specter, Emma (November 19, 2019),"Adam Driver Singing Sondheim in Marriage Story Deserves Every Award",Vogue
- ^Bradshaw, Peter (November 15, 2019),"Marriage Story review – everything you always wanted to know about divorce",The Guardian