This Show Brought its Sunday Best!
Updated: Oct 10
A review of Sunday in the Park with George
by Maximus Handziak, age 14
Sunday in the Park with George is a Stephen Sondheim musical written in 1984. The show is based on the true story of Georges Seurat, a French pointillist painter, played by Jack Anderson in Lake Country Playhouse’s production. The plot is based on how he created his masterpiece, A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte, and how his significant other, Dot (Suze Falk), tries to understand his ways as an artist.
The story showcases the everyday lives of the French people as they pose for him to paint the picture. From old ladies to young boys and beyond, one of the great things about this show is that every character has a story. For this reason, I’d like to highlight the director, Caitlyn Nettesheim. In a production like this, where there are so many people and storylines to keep track of, it’s easy to let a character become shallow. This was not at all the case in LCP’s production, as each and every role was carefully and precisely developed. As Nettesheim wrote in her director’s note, the goal is to "see yourself" in one of the characters. I personally took this to heart and was able to think deeper as to how I can relate myself to them.
This cast was by far one of the most creative casts I’ve ever seen in a musical. For this reason, I’d like to focus on Tanya Stewart, who played Old Lady. The energy and dedication she brought to the table were outstanding. I was also greatly pleased at how detailed her choices were, incorporating physical and vocal qualities of being old, while also allowing for a ton of originality. I’ve seen old characters played by many different types of people, but never have I seen an actor so perfectly show memories of youth on her face or be knowingly exasperating to her daughter. Stewart did an excellent job with this.
One thing I was a little confused by was the set (constructed by Chad Munkwitz). I feel that when designing a set, you need to find a "Goldilocks zone:" not too much, not too little, but just right. In my last review, I mentioned that the scenery was a bit too much; this set, in contrast, could use a little more to fully portray the locations. There were times when I couldn’t tell if we were on the island of La Grande Jatte, in George’s studio, or somewhere else entirely. Something like flats to change the backdrop, or even a few more trees on the island would easily do the trick.
The costumes (designed by Sarah Jo Martens) were a fabulous spectacle in this show. They reflected the time period (1880s in Act 1 and 1980s in Act 2), the people wearing them, and why they were wearing them. From men and women dressed in their Sunday best for church, to aristocrats out in public, it was entertaining to just look across the stage at what everyone was wearing and how it related to the story.
When I saw Hadestown on Broadway this summer, one of the factors I admired about the show was that they had the orchestra on the stage with the actors. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that that was also the case with LCP’s Sunday. It’s an entirely different atmosphere when there is a live orchestra playing as opposed to a recording of the music, and those playing instruments stepped it up in a huge way. This contributed to the overall show experience, not to mention that the orchestra (conducted by Nicole McCarty) was fantastic.
Lastly, if you are wanting to see the show, I’d recommend it to ages 12+ only because younger children may find it a tad boring. There are not many "exciting" moments, as it is a much more sentimental show, made to tug at your emotions and make you think deeper into people’s lives. Therefore, I would not expect to watch a fast-paced or even a fairly comedic show, but if you are someone that likes to dwell on ideas presented in theatre, I would definitely recommend this musical to you. It runs through October 11, 2026 at Lake Country Playhouse.
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