Rating: 
Summary: Putting together but did it gel?
Review: A cast that can't go wrong. I really would love to say I like it especially with the incredible Carol Burnette. But... something is missing...I am sure the live show will be a great experience to watch but how come it didn't capture in the dvd? still you have to see it at least once.
Rating: 
Summary: Putting Together a great show...
Review: All of the actors in this production are great. It took a little while to get used to hearing the changes in some of Sondheims greatest songs, but in the end WELL WORTH the wait. The only flaw in the production is that some Sondheims best were not included. Sunday in the Park With George was only mentioned once, in a brief encounter with "It's Hot Up Here". Also, I am aware that the original production of "Putting It Together" was before the days of "Passion," but in this version, which was way after Passion was on Broadway, there were still no songs from it. Aside from that, it is great. Buy it, and enjoy.
Rating:
Summary: You can never have enough Sondheim
Review: Every time I watched the Carol Burnett Show, I hoped she would sing. Yes, she is a great comic, but she has a way of delivering a song that blends her talents into a full theatrical experience. Even though I singled out Carol Burnett, this show has an exceptional cast that gives this recording a cabaret feel. The interweaving of Sondheim songs is the best I've seen to date, and I've seen a lot of them. Add this to your collection. This is a must.
Rating:
Summary: Belongs in every Broadway fan's collection
Review: First, let me say that I don't bow at the altar of Sondheim. I find some of his songs incredibly beautiful and others witty but less melodically enjoyable. So, why five stars for this revue? Because the performers are exceptional. I honestly feel this is Carol Burnett's best performance. I used to believe that it was practically impossible for her to sing seriously, with sincere emotion. It always seemed that she simply placed a serious veneer over her comic persona. But the years have given her the emotional depth to be able to carry off the challenging dramatic weight of the songs she's handed here. Her subtle and well-sung interpretations of "Every Day a Little Death" and "Could I Leave You" hold up against any others. But that's not all. Let me give equally enthusiastic praise to the two younger performers, John Barrowman and Ruthie Henshall. They are, as others have said here, simply spectacular. They've got it all -- great voices, talent, looks. Both deserve shows of their own. This DVD is not to be missed. Add it to your collection before it goes out of print.
Rating: 
Summary: Missing something... oh a plot that makes sense
Review: Frankly this poor excuse for theatre is not worthy of any stars. Only it songs and its stars give it the 2 it's earned. I Love Sondheim, im a bit of a Sondheim [fan]... so seeing some of my favorite song fleshed out was a bit of a joy. But frankly there is no excuse for the awful storyline... cause there isn't really one. It suffers from Musical Revue syndrome in that sense. Typically sets and costumes and creative lighting can carry a revue to an acceptable theatre experience. But Putting It Together lacks all three of those things. There is almost no set (Abide some mounted squares of neon light and boxes which appears and disappear when they are needed). The costumes are black (aside from Carol Burnets white coat, and one of the gentlemen's dark red shirt). As for creative lighting... well whoever designed the lighting on this show has no sense of reality. He lights every situation with orange or pink, or some insane gobo... its an excuse to look stylish that comes off as tacky. You know the points of view on this show are split so much that you really need to ask yourself... do I want to take the risk of buying it and not liking it. You want Sondheim? I recommend you purchase Sweeny Todd or Into the Woods. Steer clear of this [one].
Rating:
Summary: A revue with a plot. Imagine that.
Review: From the people who brought you the live taping of Jekyll and Hyde starring David Hasselhoff comes a new live taping. It's Stephen Sondheim's Putting It Together. Every moment is memorable from the moment Bronson Pinchot opens the show by telling us that he's been replaced by Regis Philbin to the End Credits. The musical is about 5 people at a cocktail party. An old couple (played by Broadway legends Carol Burnett, of Annie fame, and George Hearn, who recently did Sweeney Todd in Concert)host the party. The guests are a younger couple (played by John Barrowman and the amazing Ruthie Henshall, who is known for her performance as Fantine in Les Miserables in Concert) and a man who is simply known as the Observer. He shows us what kind of themes are in a show by Sondheim such as Seduction or Happiness. There are a lot of songs from many Sondheim plays and some from the movie, Dick Tracy. Sadly, there is only one song from my ultimate favorite Sondheim musical, Into the Woods. It's playing on Broadway. The only song is Hello Little Girl, which is played as a sexual encounter. Of course, it's being played as a sexual encounter on Broadway as well. There are some songs that were cut from some Sondheim musicals such as My Husband, the Pig, which was cut from A Little Night Music. I noticed that most of the title song, except for the first two verses, had been rewritten. My only complaints are that during the title song, George Hearn's microphone goes out. Now that's an onstage blooper. Plus, they didn't show the Entr'acte. Instead, they jumped right to the first song of the second act. Mind you, this might have all been filmed in one night. It might have possibly been the night that the onstage blooper occured. In case anyone's wondering, the onstage blooper was not Carol Burnett messing up in a song. They had started the second act. Every thing was going fine until Carol Burnett told the conductor to stop. Then, she pulled up her skirt and said, "You know what's about to happen?" Then, she let go of her skirt and it fell to the ground. One of the straps broke. John Barrowman was laughing and yelling, "Please tell me you got that on tape." Your wish came true, Johnny. The onstage blooper also incorporates the lost Entr'acte, which is an instrumental of You Could Drive A Person Crazy. Plus, the role of the Wife has not only been played by Carol Burnett but by her dear friend, Julie Andrews. That was in London. One more thing. Putting It Together is actually the sequel to another Sondheim revue called Side By Side By Sondheim
Rating:
Summary: Let's hope more like this are coming on DVD...
Review: I am elated that such shows like "Putting It Together" are being preserved on DVD. It is a wonderful DVD with wonderful performances. The music is Sondheim at its best, and the performances are great. Bronson Pinchot is the only thing I do not like on the DVD because he is not much of a musician and looks uncomfortable 2/3 of the time. If you needed one reason to buy this DVD it would be Ruthie Henshall. Everything she does is just heaven. Need I mention how brilliant Carol Burnett is?
Rating: 
Summary: A Pleasant Evening of Sondheim
Review: I looked forward to seeing this production, since I had not been able to see it in NYC. I enjoyed it a lot, especially the performance of Carol Burnett, who I think does some of her best work here. The whole cast does a marvelous job of the material, singing and dancing very well. The blooper is a riot and typical of Carol Burnett's sense of humour. She's a pro all the way and makes the best of something very embarrassing that happens(I won't ruin it for those who haven't seen it). Eric Shaffer, the director, is an acquaintance of mine and I've grown to love his work. He's quickly becomming a major talent among directors and I hope he continues to do good work, such as this.
Rating:
Summary: The Next Best Thing to Being There.
Review: I love the fact that Cameron MacKintosh films his stage shows with several cameras at live performances. It's a much more rewording viewing experience than the attempt to recapture the theatre experience in a studio. Well, MacKintosh put it together once again, and we can all be glad of it! This is one of those very rare theatre treats in a time when theatre is tending to get more and more about less and less. The combination of Stephen Sondheim's music and the talents of the likes of Carol Burnett, George Hearn, Ruthie Henshall, John Barrowman and Bronson Pinchot is really more than a theatre enthusiast dare wish for, but it's all there on this DVD. If that weren't enough, we also get the extra treat of a little on-stage blooper that took place the evening this was filmed, which caused Burnett to literally stop the show. This is added as extra footage, which will have you falling on the floor laughing as it did John Barrowman. Carol Burnett shines through it all, but will reduce you to tears of laughter with her renditions of "Lovely" from "A Funny Thing Happened..." and "I'm not Getting Married Today" from "Company". That said, she also pulls of some very touching moments, such as "Old Friends" from "Merrily We Roll Along". Hearn's voice is still, despite his age, beautiful and strong. Ruthie Henshall wows you on several occasions, but especially with "More" from "Dick Tracey". John Barrowman, who tends at times to be stiff like a body-buider, overcomes this for the most part, and manages to pull off some difficult dancing and singing with a sweet charm that you would not normally associate with a man built like a football player. The surprise of the evening is Bronson Pinchot in his first musical role. That he is a talented, slapstick comedian is known since he starred in "Blame it on the Bellboy", but who would have thought that he could sing, too! He has the timing and agility of Charley Chaplin with the grace and style of Fred Astaire. Somebody please make this guy a huge star before we all go through menopause! If you love musical theatre and Stephen Sondheim's music, then this is an absolute "MUST"!
Rating:
Summary: i can't stop watching this show!
Review: I saw this version of the show when it was in Los Angeles and I fell in love with it. It combined Carol Burnett, John Barrowman, and SONDHEIM! all in one. Sondheim's songs haven't sounded better and it's one of those shows that you can watch anytime. Rather than playing a CD with one of these songs that I want to hear, I just pop in the DVD and go to that number. The cast is incredible! The DVD blooper is hilarious and thank god its in Dolby 5.1 surround sound.! All I need is a state of the art home entertainment center to really appreciate this DVD.
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