London’s “Old Friends” revue: saying Kaddish for Sondheim? (today's Weekly Blast)
Bernadette Peters sparkles in an evening of tribute, memory, and celebration
Shalom, Broadway lovers!
In today’s Broadway Maven Weekly Blast: a review of Old Friends, the Sondheim revue starring Bernadette Peters and Lea Salonga currently playing in London; and a Last Blast about Pal Joey.
(Premium subscribers also get a YouTube GEM about the themes of The King and I; a Broadway Blast about My Fair Lady; an Opinion piece about the problem with “Sondheim Christmas” memes; and a video with easy-to-miss aspects of the Fiddler on the Roof movie.)
SAVE THE DATES: “Sondheim Academy” has just been announced, Tuesdays in February and March, Noon ET. Also in February, “Funny Broadway,” Sundays at Noon ET. Registration opens in early January 2024.
REVIEW: Another Sondheim revue?
Currently playing in London, Old Friends aims to go deeper than the several revues produced on Broadway during the composer-lyricist’s life. Because Sondheim passed away two years ago, the mood was somewhat somber and even prayerful, while still being playful and affectionate. The central performances of Broadway legends Bernadette Peters and Lea Salonga and the robust song list (including a few surprises) make the show a must-see, at least for Sondheim’s many fans.
Old Friends furnishes an emotional high point in each act that alone makes the experience a worthwhile investment, even if ticket prices are higher than usual for the West End. Peters’s plaintive “Send in the Clowns” (A Little Night Music) and Salonga’s pensive “Somewhere” (West Side Story) stop the show with their heartfelt deliveries. The fact Peters was close to Sondheim himself gives lyrics like “Isn’t it rich? Are we a pair?” new meaning.
Some of the show’s songs, like “A Weekend in the Country” (A Little Night Music) make little sense out of context, but Sondheim’s lyrical dexterity and musical tunesmithery minimize that problem. And sometimes, the revue doesn’t even try to present a show’s plot, such as when Bernadette Peters as Little Red Riding Hood sings “I Know Things Now” (Into the Woods) before the Wolf sings “Hello, Little Girl.” Since the first song is pretty much a post-coital reflection on being taken by the wolf, the order makes little sense, but like most revues, there’s not much plot here anyway. (The understated sets and props mean the music takes center stage, which is appropriate for a revue.)
This is essentially a “greatest hits” show; I knew all the songs except two. Also, Old Friends is skewed to certain musicals in Sondheim’s corpus – there are eight songs from Company and six from Into the Woods but only one from Sunday in the Park with George. (Of course, this was not the night for songs from Assassins.)
The direction of the show (by Matthew Bourne and Julia McKenzie) is excellent, with several refreshing bits of staging and performance. Interestingly, the best ones revolved around sex, such as when Cinderella’s Prince sniffs the golden slipper as if he had a shoe fetish, and when, in singing “courtesans and eunuchs” in “Comedy Tonight” (A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum), a performer grabs his crotch on “eunuchs,” which he sings falsetto.
Well beyond Peters and Salonga, the show’s “company” is strong in acting, singing, and movement. For example, a very funny moment is when male performers, dressed as maids, sing “Everybody Ought to Have a Maid” from Forum. And on a more serious note, songs like “I’m Still Here” and “Children Will Listen” contain lyrics that could easily apply to Sondheim’s biography.
Old Friends is running through January 6 only, but Sondheim’s true love was New York City, and the show would be a welcome addition to this or any Broadway season, should its producer Cameron Mackintosh decide to bring it across the pond.
GIVE THE GIFT OF THE BLAST: A Premium Subscription to the Weekly Blast makes a terrific holiday present.
Note: links to register for ALL classes are always available at TheBroadwayMaven.com.
• Sunday, February 4, 2024 from Noon to 1 pm ET: “Funny Broadway” begins with A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (registration opens in January)
• Tuesday, February 6, 2024 from Noon to 1 pm ET: “Sondheim Academy” begins with “Sondheim’s Identities” (registration opens in January)
LAST BLAST: “Bewitched (Bothered, and Bewildered)” from Pal Joey, which famously celebrates newfound love, contains the following lyric: “Love's the same old sad sensation, lately I've not slept a wink; Since this half-pint imitation, put me on the blink.” By “half-pint imitation,” lyricist Lorenz Hart, superbly talented but notorious for his low self-esteem, may have been reflecting his own insecurities. He was less than five feet tall, uncomfortable with his own gay sexuality, and struggled mightily with alcohol through the end of his life.
Broadway Maven David Benkof helps students further their appreciation of musical theater through his classes, his YouTube channel, and his Weekly Blast. Contact him at DavidBenkof@gmail.com.