If you think a Stephen Sondheim revue is all clever lyrics, champagne wit and polished showbiz sophistication, Putting It Together will happily give you that — and then pull the rug out from under you.
Now playing at the Foundry Theatre in Pyrmont, this glamorous cocktail-party musical revue is a dazzling celebration of Sondheim’s greatest work, brought to life by a cast that reads like a roll call of Australian stage royalty.
But it’s also something more biting: an extraordinarily perceptive reflection on modern relationships among the rich and famous — and how the performance of happiness can become the most exhausting role of all.
In the intimate, jewel-box setting of the Foundry, Sondheim’s songs land with an unexpected poignancy. The laughs are real (though at one point canned). The glamour is real. But so is the ache beneath it.
It’s a sophisticated, searing Sondheim revue that sparkles like a black-tie party — before revealing the heartbreak underneath. Extraordinary performances, razor-sharp storytelling, and a dream cast in Sydney’s most exciting new theatre space.
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A glamorous party with a dark undercurrent
The premise is delicious: we’re at a glamorous black-tie cocktail party, surrounded by well-heeled elegance and polished conversation. But underneath the glittering surface, Putting It Together is less a celebration of wealth than an unpicking of it — a clever, intimate narrative about two couples spanning the generations.
The older couple have “made it”: money, fame, and a life that looks perfect from the outside. They repeatedly insist they’re happy — sometimes with a smile, sometimes with a little too much force — and yet everything about them suggests the opposite. Their relationship is at the end of its life, and the play-acting of perfection feels like a desperate attempt to hold the fantasy in place.
Meanwhile, the younger couple are in love and still trying to work out where their relationship should go. Their uncertainty is tender, their optimism genuine, and that contrast becomes one of the show’s quiet cruelties: you can see the future they might be heading toward, even as they can’t.
What makes this structure so effective is that it doesn’t feel like a “concept show.” It feels like theatre — funny, stylish, and increasingly uncomfortably familiar.
Sondheim’s work is often praised for sophistication and wit, but in this production, the songs hit with a deeper emotional resonance. The lyrics don’t just sparkle — they puncture. The music shatters the picture of well-heeled opulence and tranquillity, revealing the anxieties, resentments and regrets that simmer beneath.
It’s a reminder that Sondheim was never just clever. He was honest.
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The cast: Australian musical theatre royalty
This production has the feel of a once-in-a-lifetime ensemble, and the performances are genuinely extraordinary.
Caroline O’Connor and Michael Cormick are uncomfortably lifelike as the “happy and famous” couple. O’Connor’s glamour is dazzling — but she also brings exquisite emotional precision, letting the cracks show just enough to be devastating. Cormick plays charm with ease, but there’s a hardening underneath, a cooling distance that feels horribly real. Together, they’re not just excellent — they’re unnerving, in the best way.
Nigel Huckle and Stefanie Caccamo are beautifully believable as the younger couple — warm, hopeful, and still learning the language of compromise. Huckle grounds the relationship with sincerity; Caccamo is luminous, agile and wonderfully truthful, giving their storyline a tenderness that keeps the show from becoming cynical.
And then there’s Bert LaBonté, who is brilliant as the sardonic commentator tying it all together. He functions as the show’s knowing guide — part host, part observer, part truth-teller — cutting through the glamour with a wry glance and a perfectly timed line. It’s funny, yes, but also slightly dangerous, as if he’s daring the audience to admit what they’re witnessing. LaBonté’s performance gives the evening its bite: he makes the comedy land and the satire sting, without ever breaking the show’s elegant tone.
Twin pianos and percussion
Musically, this production is a standout. Instead of a full orchestra, it’s powered by twin pianos and a single percussionist, and the effect is far richer than you might expect. The sound is sleek and precise — like the musical equivalent of a perfectly tailored tuxedo — and it makes Sondheim’s harmonies and rhythms pop with clarity.
More importantly, the stripped-back instrumentation makes the emotions sharper. Without orchestral lushness to soften the edges, the songs feel direct and unprotected. Every pause matters. Every lyric lands.
The Foundry Theatre
The Foundry Theatre is still new enough to feel like a discovery, and it’s the ideal home for a production like this. Located near The Star precinct and close to the Lyric Theatre, it’s a more intimate, refined alternative, seating around 360 and designed for theatre lovers who want to feel part of the action.
That closeness is crucial. In a venue this size, you don’t watch a marriage fall apart from a comfortable distance – you feel it happen. The room becomes part of the party. And you leave with the unsettling sense that you’ve been let in on something true.
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Who should see it?
- Sondheim devotees (this is a brilliant, beautifully crafted homage)
- Musical theatre lovers wanting a sophisticated night out
- Anyone who enjoys theatre with glamour and bite
- Couples (especially if you enjoy a sharp mirror held up to love, ambition and power)
What you need to know
Where: Foundry Theatre, Pirrama Road, Pyrmont (near The Star, just off the Lyric Theatre).
When: 6 January – 15 February 2026.
Price: Tickets from $69.90.
To get your tickets, click here.
