February 8, 2025
A Sondheim salute starring Bernadette Peters and Lea Salonga? Yes please!! I managed to pick up these tickets for $26 apiece through TodayTix. Apparently I purchased enough tickets through them last year that I’m now a gold member which gives me an additional discount. Woot!
It’s been a hot minute since we’ve been to a show. That was not for lack of trying though. We had tickets for a show that was canceled due to the fires (and let’s be honest, we were in no condition to go to any shows at that time anyway) and then I got sick (think Covid but it wasn’t Covid since I tested negative). But we’re back on the wagon now. Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends was a great way to kick off 2025. The show was presented revue-style with a few songs from each of the shows in his body of work. Bernadette and Lea took the stage to rousing applause. So much so that the orchestra had to hold. They said a few words then launched into Side By Side which then segued into Comedy Tonight featuring the entire ensemble. And what an ensemble! They were all seasoned Broadway and West End performers who handled the difficult Sondheim tunes easily and with panache. It was clear that Bernadette’s voice isn’t what it once was and truth be told I was a little disappointed when she didn’t sing Children Will Listen, but she would not have been able to do it. Lea definitely could do it, so that was the right choice. Bernadette sang the last few lines, so I’ll take that. Lea’s voice is still amazing. I doubt there is a song she couldn’t sing. The staging was great too. The orchestra was up above the stage which allowed plenty of room for some sets below them. There was a screen that would occasionally drop down in front of the orchestra and “buildings” that moved on and off stage. When they started the Sweeney numbers, they did a full transformation and then slid everything off without a pause to transition into Ladies Who Lunch. There was a little video they showed of Sondheim at the piano with Andrew Lloyd Weber (after the show Julie asked who the weird little elf was and I’ve never heard such an apt description of ALW) and some pictures of Sondheim with Bernadette but it was mostly just one fantastic performance after another. Go see it if you can!
Parking at the Music Center is $10. Get there a little early because the line to park backs up and if you arrive too late you run the risk of the lot filling up and being directed through the lot to the Grand Park lot, which means you’ll need to slog up the hill to get back to the Music Center. I left with plenty of time knowing there was a hockey game at Crypto and still ended up on Level 8, which is the last level on the Music Center side of the street).