In 2022, Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends at the Sondheim Theatre (where else?), became one of the fastest selling concerts to the point a live screening was hosted in the adjacent Prince Edward Theatre. Born during the COVID-19 pandemic by long-time collaborators Cameron Macintosh and Stephen Sondheim, it became a more poignant affair after the latter’s passing in 2021. For a composer with over seven decades of musicals under his belt, Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends was an appropriately grand affair with an all-star cast including Dame Judi Dench, Petula Clark, Helena Bonham Carter, Michael Ball, Imelda Staunton, Rob Brydon and Broadway legend Bernadette Peters.
As many of us watched the recording pea green with envy at the people who managed to buy a ticket, it came as a very pleasant surprise when Cameron Macintosh announced Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends‘ West End return for a limited engagement. While some old friends would return from the 2022 gala, the announcement also came with some new friends, including one of Broadway’s most iconic leading ladies Lea Salonga.
I was kindly gifted a ticket to one of the press performances. All opinions are my own.
Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends
Cast
- Lea Salonga
- Bernadette Peters
- Bradley Jaden
- Gavin Lee
- Janie Dee
- Jeremy Secomb
- Claire Burt
- Jason Pennycooke
- Joanna Riding
- Bonnie Langford
- Damian Humbley
- Marley Fenton
- Bonnie Langford
- Christine Allado
- Beatrice Penny-Toure
- Jac Yarrow
- Harry Apps
Rating: ★★★★★
What are my thoughts on Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends?
Whether it’s Sweeney Todd, Gypsy, West Side Story or Into The Woods, it’s guaranteed there’s at least one musical you know from Sondheim’s repertoire even if you didn’t realise it. A pure love letter to the man who captured the hearts of multiple generations of theatregoers, it’s impossible to think of just one highlight as his musical genius is brought to life by the talented cast and creatives as they go through 39 songs for the night. Instead of your traditional concert with performers stood onstage belting their hearts out, it becomes a theatrical tapestry anchored by Matthew Bourne and Julia McKenzie’s amazing direction and Stephen Bear’s stellar choreography, recreating some of Sondheim’s most iconic numbers.
Even with the inclusion of the traditional Sondheim songs like Bernadette Peters’ poignant Send In The Clowns or Joanna Riding nailing Company’s tongue-twisting Not Getting Married Today (garnering much deserved applause), there are still plenty of pleasant surprises in the setlist. From a gender flipped version of Follie’s Could I Leave You from Gavin Lee to the campy Everybody Ought To Have A Maid from his debut musical A Funny Thing Happened On My Way To The Forum, it’s the kind of concert that makes you beg for a revival of every Sondheim musical.
What’s the cast like in Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends?
With some old faces returning from 2022 and newer ones joining for the ride, the 19-strong ensemble don’t just stand there looking pretty as they sing Sondheim’s melodiously, witty and technically complex score. They become their characters and are all given their moment to shine from the always stunning Christine Allado to natural showman Jason Pennycooke. It would be impossible to go through each one by one, but Janie Dee’s hysterical The Boy From…, Bonnie Langford’s stellar I’m Still Here, Clare Burt’s (a last minute fill-in for Hayden Gwynne) delightful Ladies Who Lunch and the soul-stirring Sunday are just some to watch out for.
Making her West End debut at 75, Bernadette Peters brings everything to the table that reminds you why she remains one of Broadway’s most iconic divas. From her impeccable comedic timing in Into The Woods’ I Know Things Now and Gypsy’s You Gotta Get A Gimmick to the poignancy of Follies’ Losing My Mind, the liveliness and nuance she brings to each number transcend any concerns people may have with her age.
Opposite Peters as emcee for Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends is Tony winner Lea Salonga, whose powerful voice commands the stage for numbers like the defiant Everything’s Coming Up Roses, the hopefulness of Someday or the delightfully macabre Mrs. Lovett opposite Jeremy Secomb’s maniacal Sweeney Todd.
What are my overall thoughts?
I laughed. I cried. I had a gay old time at Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends. A life-affirming tribute with a hint of sorrowfulness for the loss of one of Broadway’s greatest composers, I feel the West End could do with its own Sondheim renaissance as we’re currently seeing on Broadway. Perhaps now’s the time to announce that long delayed Sunday in the Park with George revival (note to the producers, Jake Gyllenhaal doesn’t need to star in it) or a transfer of the Sweeney Todd revival…?
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