PUTTING IT TOGETHER

By Diana Simmonds

January 9 2026

PUTTING IT TOGETHER, Impresario Productions at the Foundry Theatre, 8 January-15 February 2026. Photography by Daniel Boud

For this celebration of Steven Sondheim, the black box of the Foundry theatre is transformed into a glittering 1930s salon with white drapes, white sofa, white grand pianos (two), crystal chandeliers (two), more delicious lights, a well-stocked cocktail trolley, and an equally well-stocked array of percussion instruments (set and lighting design Nick Fry and Trudy Dalgleish). Julia McKenzie would be very happy.

McKenzie (best known in Australia on TV as Miss Marple) is the English musical theatre star who devised the show in 1992. With Sondheim, she strung together a plot and characters with songs from his shows, including Sweeney Todd, A Little Night Music, Merrily We Roll Along, Into The Woods, Sunday In The Park With George, et al, and some lesser-knowns: The Frogs, Dick Tracy, Anyone Can Whistle and so on.

McKenzie cherry-picked the songs that suited her narrative, rather than the most famous, and the result is a tongue-in-cheek yet heartfelt celebration of love, loss, and loopy moments (the latter thanks in the main to Bert LaBonté and Caroline O’Connor, whose comic chops are beautifully utilised here by director and choreographer Cameron Mitchell).

The chic style of the show is encapsulated by Michael Cormick, a musical theatre baritone royalty, whose silver fox persona is further enhanced by a sleek tux, wing collar, and black bow tie (costume design Nigel Shaw). When Cormick strolls on, you just know he’s charming, loveable and hopelessly unfaithful. With LaBonté fulfilling the role of Narrator and listed as Observer, the two hours-plus a bit running time explores the nature of relationships on New York’s Upper East Side, where the bourgeoisie is tres haute and little else impinges on their glamorous world – other than heartbreak, deceit, revenge and martinis.

The younger set is represented by the uncannily Lupone-like Stefanie Caccamo. She is also a fine performer in her own right with comedic and soprano elements to add to a naughty streak and pathos to spare. And fulfilling the role of handsome tenor, Nigel Huckle is yet further evidence of the depth of the Australian musical theatre pool.

They’re accompanied on stage by Kevin Wang (piano, musical director), Nicholas Till (piano), and Richard Gleeson (spectacular work on percussion), with musical supervision and arrangements by Guy Simpson, with orchestrations by Jonathan Tunick. From this minimal outfit comes the very best of Sondheim: no embellishment required, it’s musically spectacular.

The same must be said of the performers, all of whom are glorious to watch and listen to (sound design Michael Waters). Since its first out-of-town try-out in Oxford, Putting It Together has been staged in London, New York and who knows where else, with stars including Diana Rigg, Julie Andrews and Carol Burnett taking on the role that frankly, Caroline O’Connor makes her own. She is a brilliant musical theatre creature and in this company is first among equals with humour, pathos, inebriation and despair to spare. Don’t miss her.

If, during this unpredictable summer, you crave something cool, chic, funny and beautiful with a soupçon of heartbreak on the side: this is the show for you. Recommended without reservation.