„Sondheim’s Old Friends“ pays tribute to the legendary composer
Even though “Sondheim’s Old Friends” opened in early April, there doesn’t seem to be any better way to bring the unusually exciting Broadway 2024-25 season to an end than to glorify this revue which pays homage to one of the greatest composers the musical theatre has ever known.
Organized by producer Cameron Mackintosh in London and now in New York, it is a clever, smartly paced compendium of some of the best-known numbers from his most successful musicals, including “Company”, “A Little Night Music”, “Follies”, “Sweeney Todd”, “Into the Woods”, “Merrily We Roll Along”, “Gypsy” and “West Side Story”, altogether more than 40 songs put together cohesively one after the other in a well-designed musical stretch without any specific dialogue tying them in. As a salute to this great composer, this is a total success.
The large cast of well-trained performers is led by Bernadette Peters, best known for her starring roles in the original productions of “Sunday in the Park …” and “Into the Woods”, and Lea Salonga, first discovered in “Miss Saigon” and last seen in “Here Lies Love”. The two stars share the opening number “Side by Side” as well as a couple of other songs like “Children Will Listen” and “Old Friends”; individually, they also take center stage, Bernadette to deliver “I Know Things Now / Bounce”, “Send in the Clowns” and “Losing my Mind” and Lea “Loving You” “The Worst Pies in London”, “Somewhere” and “Everything’s Coming Up Roses”.
The rest of the time, they also mix frequently with the supporting cast in which remarkable soloists also take the spot, like Jason Pennycooke in “”Live Alone and Like It”, a song Sondheim wrote for the film “Dick Tracy”, and “Buddy’s Blues” from “Follies”; Jeremy Secomb in several songs from “Sweeney Todd”; Jasmine Forsberg in “On the Steps of the Palace”; Gavin Lee in “Could I Leave You”; Bonnie Langford in “I’m Still Here”; Beth Leavel in “The Ladies Who Lunch”; and Kate Jennings Grant in the hilarious “The Boy From …”, a parody of “The Girl from Ipanema” Sondheim wrote in 1966 for the off-Broadway production “The Mad Show”. The 17 participants who share the stage with the two stars are particularly excellent and demonstrate their own capacities with flair and talent.
The smart staging by Matthew Bourne brings all the selected musical moments together in a manner that does make sense and gives the revue the solidity it needs to endear its audience, with the scenic design by Matt Kinley, the lighting by Warren Letton, and the costumes by Jill Parker providing an extra touch of high quality. The Sondheim Orchestra, lively conducted by Annbritt duChateau, provides the music with Jonathan Tunick’s original orchestrations.
In the past, there have been several concerts bringing together fans of the composer and well-known stars to perform many of these songs. But those were once-in-a-lifetime occasions that have not survived, other than in much sought-after recordings. “Old Friends” definitely stands out, and will no doubt last much longer, given the attraction Sondheim still provokes among fans of the theatrical musical world.
Musical Direction: Annbritt duChateau • Direction: Matthew Bourne • Choreography: Stephen Mear • Scenic Design: Matt Kinley • Costume Design: Jill Parker • Lighting Design: Warren Letton • Sound Design: Mick Potter • With: Bernadette Peters, Lea Salonga, Jacob Dickey, Kevin Earley, Jasmine Forsberg, Kate Jennings Grant, Bonnie Langford, Beth Leavel, Gavin Lee, Jason Pennycooke, Joanna Riding, Jeremy Secomb, Kyle Selig, Maria Wirries, Daniel Yearwood, Paige Faure, Alexa Lopez, Greg Mills, Peter Neureuther
Cover photo: Matthew Murphy