If you go

May 1-2, 7:30 p.m. and May 3, 2 p.m. at the Evelyn Smith Music Theatre

ASU’s School Of Music and the Lyric Opera Theatre joined forces this weekend to illustrate an artist’s inner struggle in “Sunday in the Park with George.”

The award-winning musical, performed by School Of Music students at the Evelyn Smith Theatre on the Tempe campus brought the crowd to its feet on Friday.

The musical, with lyrics and music by Stephen Sondheim, is based on the 1984 book by James Lapine. “Sunday in the Park with George” has been nominated for 10 Tony Awards and took home the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1985.

Set in Paris, the performance depicts the life of a talented but complex painter Georges Seurat and his obsession with his famous painting, “A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte.”

The story follows Seurat and his relationship with his quirky lover Dot, who must vie for Seurat’s attention while he is consumed with completing his painting.

The play opens with the song “Sunday in the Park with George” performed by Dot, played by ASU senior Ashley Ball.

During the song, Dot is posing for Seurat in the park as an art model and is having trouble remaining still and concentrated.

This musical number foreshadows Dot and Seurat’s turbulent relationship when Dot struggles with understanding Seurat’s direction to focus on the art and its purpose.

Seurat’s obsession with his work challenges his relationship with Dot, and the couple must find a way to stand the test of time.

Seth Tucker, a musical theater and business marketing senior, plays George, the lead role of the production.

“The play is about how being creative can take over your life,” Tucker said. As a student within the creative world, Tucker said he feels “connected” to the play and its themes.

Tucker first took center stage in middle school when he played Snoopy in “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown.” Tucker said he was “overwhelmed by the responses of the audience” at the time and fell in love with theater then and there.

Themes of “Sunday in the Park with George” include desire, struggle, obsession and passion as it trails the making of Seurat’s most recognizable piece of art.

George’s work is criticized by a fellow artist in the musical, which only further fuels his obsession.

During the number “We Do Not Belong Together,” Dot’s heart is broken when Seurat sings, “I cannot give you what you need; I am what I do.”

In the end, Seurat’s stubbornness gets the best of him when he is in danger of losing Dot.

The musical, described as a complex work following Seurat’s single-minded concentration sends the message: stand back and realize the bigger picture.

Reach the reporter at kelsey.groetken@asu.edu.