Sondheim’s Old Friends, the new revue at Manhattan Theatre Club’s Friedman Theatre, offers wonderful numbers well performed by talented performers. But to quote Charley Kringas, in act two of Merrily We Roll Along: “true greatness is knowing when to get off.”
This newly constituted entertainment, devised and originally presented in London in 2023 by longtime Sondheim colleague-producer-“old friend” Cameron Mackintosh, serves up some 40 songs, side by side by side by side, over the course of two and a half hours. Virtually all are worth their salt, at least in the original context. But the cavalcade of winning numbers is more than infrequently interrupted by items which do not quite add to the evening’s enjoyment, serving to deplete the showmanship of the whole. Less would be more, methinks; in this case, more results in less.
Bernadette Peters and Lea Salonga share the spotlight and serve as over-the-title stars. Peters falls firmly in the echelon of Sondheim’s old friends and frequent interpreters, having originated roles in Sunday in the Park with George and Into the Woods as well as appearing in revivals of earlier works. Salonga hails from a different branch of musical theatre, having made an auspicious debut in Mackintosh’s Miss Saigon. If she appears to have little Sondheim experience, no matter; from her first solo, an astonishingly good “Loving You” (from Passion), Salonga enlivens the show with almost every appearance.
[Read David Finkle’s ★★★★★ review here.]
As for Peters, her customary stage presence remains intact; her acting of the songs is generally expert; and she is clearly a favorite for sentiment’s sake (as a Sondheim lyric might put it). But some of the singing at the press preview attended was less than prime, and she seemed at times to be struggling uncomfortably albeit with the support of a sympathetically friendly audience. She launches into “Children Will Listen” and “Broadway Baby,” two of her signature numbers, as solos—but is quickly joined by stronger voices.
In the embarrassment of riches department, the nominal stars are supported by at least three who, themselves, have handily carried multiple musicals comedies. Joanna Riding is a West End favorite with two Olivier Awards and a resume that includes the 1995 Judi Dench Little Night Music and the film version of Into the Woods. Gavin Lee first graced our shores in 2006, recreating his role in Mackintosh’s West End production of Mary Poppins; he returns as a song-and-dance character man spreading warmth and charm. Broadway’s own Beth Leavel (The Drowsy Chaperone, The Prom) is hidden away most of the evening, almost forgotten until she hijacks the end of the first act with a searing “Ladies Who Lunch.” Leavel doesn’t even get a solo in the second act, although there are several numbers in which she would likely outshine the people to whom they have been assigned. And wouldn’t we like to see her teeth into one of those meat pies?
Numerous additional talents are on display. Bonnie Langford—whom we haven’t seen locally since her turn as 10-year-old Baby June in the 1974 Angela Lansbury Gypsy at the Winter Garden—and Kate Jennings Grant together with Riding form something of a character comedian trio. (“You Could Drive a Person Crazy,” devised to be sung by a trio of what used to be called bachelorettes, comes off surprisingly well as delivered by these three veterans-in-sequins.) Lesser known but standing out are Maria Wirries, Jasmine Forsberg, Jacob Dickey, Kyle Selig, and more.
The cast of 19, oddly, turns out to be part of the evening’s weakness. One of the joys of musical revues, typically, is watching a handful of performers demonstrate their craft by taking on a variety of numbers in a variety of styles. The best Sondheim revue thus far, the 1977 Mackintosh-produced Side by Side by Sondheim, consisted of a mere four singers with a loquacious narrator; Broadway’s most successful songwriter revue, the 1978 Ain’t Misbehavin’, had five. Both thrived on the small casts, the actors stretching their talents to creatively enliven the material. Sondheim’s Old Friends, though, has the feeling of a memorial benefit performance, with the stars you most want to see spending too much time sitting in the green room.
The strength of any Sondheim revue is, by definition, the songs by Sondheim (with occasional contributions from composers Bernstein, Styne, and Mary Rodgers.) That is the case here, yes; but also included are extended Reader’s Digest-like condensations of Into the Woods, Sweeney Todd, and Follies, mini-shows-within-the-show that seem tacked into the running order on the assumption that they will provide surefire entertainment. They don’t; what’s more, non-rabid Sondheim fans might wonder at the sudden appearance of sketchy scenic elements (designer Matt Kinley), often significant costuming (designer Jill Parker), and scattered plot-centric props. My hunch is that if they cut these mini-musicals down and sang a mere six well-selected songs from these shows (instead of the 15 we hear), Sondheim’s Old Friends would be that much more effective.
That said, three of the evening’s fuller production numbers, pulled out of context, work wonderfully. “A Weekend in the Country,” from A Little Night Music, is so enchanting that we must point out the contributions of Wirries (as Anne), Langdon (Petra), Grant (Charlotte), Lee (Carl-Magnus), and Kevin Earley (Hendrik). The same can be said for a gripping rendition of the Quintet from West Side Story, with Daniel Yearwood (Riff), Dickey (Bernardo), Forsberg (Anita), Selig (Tony), and Wirries (Maria). Watching these two numbers, we can only imagine how powerful Old Friends might be without allotting stage time to the milder numbers, even if they were written (and expertly written) by Sondheim.
Also standing out are (and pardon if we stop naming the particular musicals) “The Little Things You Do Together” from Leavel and Lee; “Getting Married Today” from Riding, with a strong assist on the hymn-like interludes from Wirries; “I’m Still Here,” from Langford; “Could I Leave You?” sung, effectively and without apology, by Lee, a man; and a rendition of “You Gotta Get a Gimmick” bumped and ground and blasted by the blissfully over-qualified trio of Peters, Riding, and Leavel.
Direction and musical staging are by Matthew Bourne, with choreography by Stephen Mear (both of whom collaborated on Mary Poppins). With the large cast, a busy unit set and a 14-piece band up stage, there is little room for dancing. What shines brightly through, though, is that band. While the orchestrations are cut down to a manageable size suitable for present-day economics, music director Annbritt duChateau and arranger Stephen Metcalfe manage to make each and every number sound like reasonable facsimiles of the originals (mostly by Jonathan Tunick, with others by Sid Ramin, Irv Kostal, Red Ginzler and Michael Starobin). What’s more, everything is well played by the band, with special mention to the brass section. As an added and not inconsiderable treat, they throw in a performance of the rarely heard original overture to Merrily We Roll Along, without the customary alterations and deletions. And what a treat it is!
So there is quite a bit of high octane enjoyment to be had at Sondheim’s Old Friends, even if we must wade through 10 or so numbers which don’t quite land. And let me add that I never thought it possible for a rendition of the wickedly uproarious “The Boy From…” to fall mirthlessly flat. Until now.
Sondheim’s Old Friends opened April 8, 2025, at Samuel J. Friedman Theatre and runs through June 15. Tickets and information: manhattantheatreclub.com
