At the end of the second act, Nazi flags were draped on either side and there were sounds of goose steps and tanks rolling non-stop. I feel it's important for audiences to take the theatre experiences with them out the door and not just experience them in the auditorium. The New York Times review of Passion and Sondheim's visit to see the show happened late in the show's run. As with any show, actors grow in their roles with each performance. At Signature, we only have four previews before opening to the press.
Passion is a very difficult show to maintain because of the emotional journeys taken by the actors.
I kept a closer watch on this show than any I've ever done before, because of its demands. So it wasn't an advantage or disadvantage. I was just pleased that people were so enthusiastic about our production and about Steve's work. Passion has only three principals, fewer than in most other Sondheim shows. We auditioned 28 Giorgios before Lewis Cleale got the part.