Playing Around: Weekend in the Park with Stephen

New York may be the town most connected to Stephen Sondheim, but Chicago has a long association with him as well, so a weekend-long, free Lollapalooza-like celebration of the musical theater of Sondheim spotlighting Chicago performers that will take place throughout Millennium Park is not quite as out of left field as it may appear.  (Dennis Polkow)

Millennium Park, between Michigan and Columbus, and Randolph and Monroe, (312)742-1168. Free.

FRIDAY

Today’s opening day highlights include: “Cabarah: Friday Night Date,” an offbeat look at some of the large-group numbers from “A Little Night Music” and “Company” directed by Bonnie Shadrake (4 and 5pm, Lurie Garden South Stage); jazzers Judy Roberts, Greg Fishman and Paulinho Garcia offer jazz takes and improvisations on Sondheim standards (4:15 and 5:15pm, Lurie Garden’s Great Lawn Stage); “Wicked” cast members offer selections from “Sunday in the Park with George,” “Evening Primrose” and “Company” with jazz pianist Jeremy Kahn (4:30 and 5:30pm, Wrigley Square Stage); veteran musical-theater conductor and former Chicagoan Kevin Stites leads the Grant Park Orchestra and Chorus and Broadway stars George Hearn, Judy Kaye, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Brian d’Arcy James, Liz Callaway and Danny Gurwin—all of whom have a long history of working in Chicago—in scenes and selections chosen by Sondheim himself from “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum,” “Sweeney Todd,” “A Little Night Music,” “Pacific Overtures,” “Merrily We Roll Along,” “Company” and “Into the Woods” staged by veteran Chicago director Gary Griffin, who is currently directing “The Color Purple: The Musical” on Broadway (6:30pm, Pritzker Pavilion); “Sondheim’s Women” will feature musical theater students from Roosevelt University showcasing songs with a women’s point of view (8 and 9pm, Chase Promenade South Stage); choreographed sections of “Into the Woods,” “Follies” and “A Little Night Music” will be presented by dancers from Lucky Plush Productions with live accompanying musicians and singers (8:15 and 9:15pm, Lurie Gardens’ South Stage); gender-bending takes on Sondheim solo and group numbers from performers from Chicago’s White Horse Theater (8:30 and 9:30pm, Chase Promenade North).

SATURDAY

Today’s highlights include: “Cabarah: Freaks, Fools & Fairy Tales,” an offbeat look at some of the large-group numbers from “Anyone Can Whistle,” “Into the Woods” and “Sweeney Todd” directed by Bonnie Shadrake (1 and 2pm, Lurie Gardens’ South Stage); “Pacific Overtures,” featuring cast members of the recent Broadway revival of the show (1:30 and 2:30pm, Lurie Gardens’ Great Lawn Stage); “The Frogs,” a medley from the show performed by James Falzone’s Allos IV (2 and 3pm, Central Chase Promenade Stage); “Sondheim on the Balcony,” featuring cabaret performers Naomi Ashley, Ben Benedict, Rosalyn Kerins and Colleen McHugh bring scenes from “Sweeney Todd,” “Anyone Can Whistle,” “Company,” “A Little Night Music,” “Merrily We Roll Along “Assassins” and “Follies” to life (2:30 and 3:30pm, North Balcony Stage); guest vocalists will be accompanied by new music ensemble eighth blackbird in full original arrangements from “Sunday in the Park with George,” “Follies,” “Passion,” “Sweeney Todd” and “Pacific Overtures” (3:30 and 4:30pm, Lurie Gardens’ Great Lawn Stage); Open Eye Productions present scenes from “Assassins,” “Merrily We Roll Along” and “Dick Tracy” (4 and 5pm, Lurie Gardens’ South Stage); more “Sondheim on the Balcony” features cabaret artists Tom Michael, Beckie Menzie and others performing scenes from “Company,” “Anyone Can Whistle” and “Dick Tracy” (5 and 6pm, North Balcony Stage); cast members of “Wicked” and “The 25^th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” perform highlights from “Saturday Night,” “Into the Woods,” “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum,” “Sunday in the Park with George” and “Merrily We Roll Along” with jazz pianist Jeremy Kahn (5:30 and 6:30pm, Lurie Gardens’ Great Lawn Stage); an encore of Friday’s concert features veteran musical-theater conductor and former Chicagoan Kevin Stites leading the Grant Park Orchestra and Chorus and Broadway stars in various scenes and selections from “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum,” “Sweeney Todd,” “A Little Night Music,” “Pacific Overtures,” “Merrily We Roll Along,” “Company” and “Into the Woods” (7:30pm, Pritzker Pavilion).

SUNDAY

The closing day includes: cabaret duo Colleen McHugh and Miriam Plotkin and music trio Foiled Again performing standards from “Follies,” “Into the Woods,” “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum,” “Dick Tracy,” “Assassins,” “Sweeney Todd” and “Company” (1 and 2pm, North Balcony Stage); the Chicago Cello Society interprets works from “A Little Night Music” and “Sweeney Todd” for eight cellos with the assistance of top Chicago vocalists such as Lauren Curnow as Mrs. Lovett (1:30 and 2:30pm, Lurie Gardens’ South Stage); the Chicago Children’s Choir performs selections from “Merrily We Roll Along,” “Follies,” “Sunday in the Park with George” and “Into the Woods” (2:30 and 3:30pm, Wrigley Square); top Chicago opera singers Michelle Areyzaga, Levi Hernadez, Bill McMurray, Scott Ramsey and Jessye Wright sing songs from “Into the Woods” and “Follies” (3 and 4pm, North Balcony Stage); “A Sondheim Diva” presents Sondheim veteran and original cast member of “Bounce” (which opened in Chicago before heading to Broadway) Marilynn Bogetich performing selections from that show as well as “Sweeney Todd,” “Follies” and “Anyone Can Whistle” (3:15 and 4:15pm, Lurie Gardens’ South Stage); “Sunday” features the Chicago Gay Men’s Chorus under the direction of Patrick Sinozich performing a set of Sondheim standards which will close with a grand finale rendition of “Sunday” from “Sunday in the Park with George” that will involve many of the artists of the entire “Sondheim in the Park” weekend (4:30pm, Great Lawn).