Putting It Together was developed partly in response to the many requests for an updated version of the Sondheim revue, Side by Side by Sondheim, but the composer did not want to create just another revue, so he and director Julia McKenzie devised a loose plot that involves two couples at a party in a Manhattan apartment. Many of the classic Sondheim songs presented appear in an entirely different context from the manner in which they were originally written, so the show is billed as a "review" (rather than a revue ) of the composer's work.
The original production of Putting It Together premiered in Oxford, England, at the Old Fire Station on January 27, 1992, directed by Julia McKenzie, produced by Cameron Mackintosh and starring one of England's great leading ladies, Diana Rigg.
Putting It Together was next seen Off-Broadway at the Manhattan Theater Club. Previews began March 2, 1993, at City Center Theater, it opened April 1, and closed May 23, 1993. The show ran for 59 performances and 37 previews. The production featured Julie Andrews, Rachel York, Michael Rupert and Christopher Durang.
A production of Putting It Together ran at the Mark Taper Forum (Los Angeles, California), from October 22, 1998, to December 6, 1998. The cast included Carol Burnett, George Hearn, John Barrowman, Ruthie Henshall and Bronson Pinchot.
This production then transferred to Broadway, opening on November 21, 1999, at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre, where it ran for 101 performances and 22 previews, closing February 20, 2000. It was directed by Eric D. Schaeffer and choreographed by Bob Avian, with the cast featuring Burnett (The Wife), Barrowman (The Younger Man) and Pinchot (The Observer) reprising their roles, with George Hearn (The Husband) and Ruthie Henshall (The Younger Woman). Kathie Lee Gifford replaced Burnett at some performances.
The review received its West End premiere in January of 2014 at London's St. James Theatre, with a cast that included Janie Dee, David Bedella, Damian Humbley, Caroline Sheen and Daniel Crossley. It was directed by Alastair Knights, with choreography by Matthew Rowland and Musical Supervision by Alex Parker.