Someone in a Tree

George Lee Andrews, Kate Baldwin, Michael Cerveris, and Alexander Gemignani perform "Someone in a Tree" from Stephen Sondheim's "Pacific Overtures" at Lincoln Center's American Songbook on Jan. 31, 2015.

[@jjaniero]

This song is simply one of the greatest musical miracles ever.

[@my4160]

R.I.P. wonderful and brilliant Stephen Sondheim.

[@musicalsplays3583]

underrated Sondheim classic! i wish they revive Pacific Overtures on broadway

[@macrent2]

The Japanese pentatonic scale of this song is not easy to write lyrics to; especially ones which make sense. This is actually Sondheim's most prideful and favorite personal accomplishment for a song that he wrote for any show. It is no wonder either! It is brilliantly done.

[@pessoaestupida5600]

A genius for all eternity Mr.Sondheim!

[@lynnmiller3937]

Underrated?

[@DragonPrincessAoife]

They did... terribly from what I can tell...

[@richiejohnson]

@@macrent2 I would dispute that is in a pentatonic mode. Mode is not a key

[@garyscott2146]

Probably the very best and most delightful song Sondheim has ever composed. And THAT is saying something . . . brings me to a happy tearful state every time I listen. There is a point where this song just takes off and soars - such a magnificent celebration of life and artistry!

[@LeftysLefty]

I get embarrassed because I thought I was the only one who tears up at this. Thank you. Saw this on Broadway in 1976 - I was younger then....

[@trajan75]

Sorry I don't see it never a big Sondheim fan. Maybe I'm missing something, but I prefer Cole Porter, Rogers & Hammerstein, Rogers & Hart, Irving Berlin, Frank Loesser, then maybe Sondheim.

[@doloresgomez1536]

@@trajan75 yes,you're missing something for sure

[@trajan75]

@@doloresgomez1536 Or maybe I don't like smug know it alls like you.

[@limecable1278]

@@trajan75 I don’t think they were trying to be rude, I think they were just recommending Sondheim?

[@lynnmiller3937]

" Without someone in a tree, Nothing happened there."

[@LeftysLefty]

Absolutely!

[@edifiedreader]

"And history is someone in a tree"

[@SuperRegency]

"Cups of tea and history"

[@lynnmiller3937]

Very difficult song and they do it so effortlessly!

[@eggizgud]

The Broadway cast and the four who sang this at his online party did it without looking at the lyrics.

[@djmotise]

Alexander sounds so great. Wow.

[@jaydee970]

One of my favorite Sondheim songs. So brilliant.

[@soulsurvivorla]

It is so time to revive this play!

[@fundifferent1]

As long as they do it right. The other revival took away a lot of the essence.

[@BandAids4u]

Gave me chills listening. Great work!

[@SuperRegency]

Welcome To Kanagawa, Someone In A Tree, and Please, Hello are for me the greatest string of songs in any of Sondheim's great scores.

[@pam0626]

A brilliant reminder of how we all have different perspectives.

[@suzanneantisdel4266]

Well said!

[@fundifferent1]

I would love to hear this song with all black singers and a bit of african percussions

[@anningram1031]

BRAVO! BRAVA!

[@lynnmiller3937]

George Lee Andrews listens!

[@burtihal]

Wish they had the original cast do this... not because these 4 are not magnificent, but because the originals are equally wonderful!

[@beckygrajeda2402]

Holy smokes. At 6:15ish the three characters are singing about the same event from different vantage points and/or senses. It's a cubist description of an event in song form. That in and of itself makes this song brilliant. And agreed, they couldn't get any Asian people for this?!

[@lynnmiller3937]

Who is the girl? She is fab!

[@silentsmurf]

@@lynnmiller3937 Kate Baldwin

[@dennislouie]

I am Asian and the fact that they are not Asian does not bother me one bit. It is a beautiful song, beautifully sung. We often want color-blind casting…we can’t have it one way!

[@fundifferent1]

Cubist is 3D. But this is a 4 dimensional song because one of the parties is singing in the present/future while the other 2 are in the past.

[@coll912]

@@dennislouie I am Asian too and I disagree. The show and song is uniquely about the Japanese perspective on a historical event in which they view America in a negative light. For a show to be exclusively all-Asian cast in the 1970s, an era where Asians were heavily discriminated against, this is one of the few pieces that we as a people can claim as our own. Though it was composed by a white man, seeing other cultures try to own it as their own thing just feels as wrong as watching a white man try to sing Hamilton or Porgy n Bess.

[@markbarnwell942]

The Room Where it Happened .lol

[@margaritaperla]

CERVERIS!

[@dogvom]

Wonderful! Bit of an oops at around 3:03 to 3:10, though. :)

[@brentcehan5502]

I think that's actually how it goes. Memories of the past self and the present self don't correspond then they do...Ironically when the two selves sing about ripples.

[@fundifferent1]

@@brentcehan5502 No, she came in late and because both parts play off each other by swapping melodies her coming in late threw him off time (his rhythm is supposed to sync up with hers, but her being off, made it sound like he was in the wrong rhythm so he kind of had to adjust). It's subtle but it is a bit of an oops. Luckily the song is so complex that they can easily get back on time when their melodies become the same.

[@lynnmiller3937]

Tell George to stop looking at me!

[@lynnmiller3937]

The guy with the beard doesn't look at his book!

[@lynnmiller3937]

He just listens! That's a performance! That's playah!

[@mjastoria]

His name is George Lee Andrews. He was in the original production of "A Little Night Music". He holds the record for most performances in a Broadway show for "Phantom Of The Opera". Jesus Christ, educate yourself on the musical theater or else shut up.

[@ndgunited7212]

@@mjastoria take a deep breath it'll be okay

[@jcthefluteman]

@@mjastoria wow get mad Lynn was appreciating him, don't be a dick

[@Luke_The_Musical]

@@mjastoriahey pal it’s been 3 years, just checking in, you still upset?

[@hilarycohen1470]

« It’s not a tune you can hum…. »

[@elioperez-wilson8223]

Why are they both white though?!

[@eggizgud]

Kate Baldwin doesn't seem to be on top of the beat as the others. You can hear her tiny lags when they're singing in unison towards theend.

[@lynnmiller3937]

Ginger doesn't know the song!

[@sambrown2154]

I love all four of these singers. But who thought it was okay to not have four Asian singers do this, even if it's just this song? Kind of inappropriate.

[@walterwhite4862]

It's not an actual production of the show. There's no problem with any three singers singing this song.

[@RobertDPore]

This was originally part of a panel interview featuring Sondheim and Steve Reich with performances of their music. They had the same four singers doing a variety of Sondheim songs. It still would have been nice to have a more diverse group of performers, but it's ok as it is.

[@hectormata449]

As a minority I say screw your racist-leaning/divisive wokeness and diversity. These “white” performers did a fabulous rendition of Sondheim’s music. I saw the original all Japanese cast performance in San Francisco and it was also fabulous to attend, this was before woke agitators of your ilk began poisoning race/gender/etc relations. .

[@tomarmstrong3297]

Are you kidding? They’re singing a song. Not 4 gringos in a musical pretending to be Asians

[@peerah]

They’re not doing yellowface. This is not a production of the show. Kate Baldwin is not even a 10 year old boy. It’s ok.

[@marvintheatre]

Sounds like "Into The Woods".

[@lynnmiller3937]

The girl doesn't know the song.

[@mjastoria]

@@lynnmiller3937 She is Kate Baldwin and she is a major Broadway talent. She obviously was called in to sing this concert with the score on music stands in front of them and minimal rehearsals. Why would a white female actor be well-versed in singing a score written for a male Asian cast? Why can't you just appreciate Broadway professionals doing their job? Put into your YouTuve search Kate Baldwin's performances in Broadway revivals like "Finian's Rainbow" or "Hello Dolly" where she received Tony nominations and appreciate her talent instead of smugly carping about her.

[@mjastoria]

Is that a problem? You don't have much of an ear for musical theater.

[@eggizgud]

@@lynnmiller3937 Yeah I just commented something similar when another person gave the time stamp of the tutti, and you could tell she was a little behind.

[@georgetimson8620]

A negative view: the musical content of this piece (of which Sondheim was very proud) is zero. "Send in the clowns" at least has a tune. This, like so much of Sondheim, is just declamation.

[@tuberaxx]

Just because it’s not lyrical doesn’t mean it has “zero” musical content. It has more of a tune than “Rite of Spring” and that’s a musical masterpiece.

[@littlelizzyann]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/nnfOnZeQfbSjlc0 Tunes are not the sum total of musical content.

[@tyramey1265]

Opinions are like a**holes. Everyone has one.

[@nicholasfox966]

No one--NO ONE--wrote more memorable musical material than Sondheim. A Sondheim song--no matter its purpose: lyrical, monologue, scene, patter, confessional, philosophical--is instantly unforgettable because of its musical specificity. Specificity is the mark of a great creative artist. His music has SPECIFICITY. That may be the tune, the vamp, the harmony, some combination thereof--whatever it is, there is nothing else that sounds like it. There is nothing else in all of musical theater that sounds even faintly like "Someone in a Tree." What does that have to do with? Could that possibly mean that its musical content is zero, or just the reverse? The combination of tune, harmony, rhythm, vamp, harmonic structure and trajectory (and of course, the monumental lyrics), creates a TRANSCENDENT experience. This is an absolutely transcendent artistic and aesthetic experience, and that has more to do than with merely the vague "hummability" of a tune. It is operating on an infinitely more comprehensive level than that.

[@deerheart87]

Are u insane ????