BTW Peters also played Mama Rose in a Broadway revival of Gypsy (not just as a kid).

@douggordy

9 ай бұрын

I saw that - and though she sang the heck out of it, her interpretation of Rose just didn't work - she tried too hard to make the audience like her, and if Rose isn't something of a monster at times, then what is she?

@ddjr6673

9 ай бұрын

@@douggordy I saw that too... I loved her performance (although not my favourite) I thought she conveyed the desperation to be liked, rather that making the audience like Rose? But it was a while ago!

Lea Salonga has done these roles, in the Philippines and on tours in Asia. When she moved home, she and her husband wanted to raise their daughter there, she started doing international tours of her concert show and performing in roles she never would have been cast in at that time. Now she’s booked and busy: the occasional return to Broadway, doing TV, and now the West End. She’s got an amazing career going.

@labellavita12

9 ай бұрын

plus one of the cast of HBO Max Pretty little liars.

@meredithchandler73

8 ай бұрын

Lea has only been in 2 Sondheim musicals - Into the Woods (as the Witch) and Sweeney Todd (as Lovett). I know some of the songs she sings in OLD FRIENDS are songs Lea has sung before in different concerts either live and/or online. I cannot wait to see this show!!! I’m seeing it twice in the final week.

Bernadette Peters was not only in "Gypsy" as a child. We saw her star as Mama Rose (for which she earned a Tony nomination) in the 2003 Broadway revival (with Tammy Blanchard as Louise). Bernadette was powerful and marvelous.

Having seen Lea multiple times in concerts and musicals and also living not too far from her, seeing her belting out Everything's coming up roses was not a surprise. If she has a concert near you, grab the opportunity and watch her. You'll hear songs not only those power belter songs she is famous for but some others that you won't expect her to sing. She is a chameleons.

Lea Salonga is very versatile and she's not just limited to musical theatre. She's a 2x Disney princess, concert artist, movie actress, was part of The Voice Philippines for so many years, currently filming season 2 HBO Max Pretty Little Liars which btw a full circle for their family because one of the lead in the original Pretty Little Liars which is Shay Mitchell or Emily Fields in the show is closely blood related to her. She also whistled for Sweeney Todd because the actor playing it couldn't.

Amazing review! I saw Lea Salonga as Mrs Lovett on the Asia tour and I would love to see her in the character again!

Amazing show from incredibly talented icons of the stage. Bonnie Langford's version of I'm Still Here in the 2nd act was the thing that totally blew me away.

This show surpassed all of my expectations! Every song change was seamless and didnt just feel like a series of songs. Agree with your standout moment, Bernadette Peters was sensational, you can tell her voice has become more fragile but it's somehow even more beautiful, especially for that song ❤

Lea said in an interview that what is Cameron thinking of asking her to sing as Mrs. Lovett? Yes she played this role in Manila and Singapore productions but not in front of a British audience. She doesn't speak with a British accent normally so she also amazes me everytime I hear her singing any song from Sweeney.

I had the privilege of seeing Bernadette twice in Sunday on Broadway and once in Into the Woods. She really is without peer in when it comes to singing Sondheim. Because of her performance in Sunday, I went on this journey to catch lighting in a bottle again and experience that same magic with Sunday revivals in New York and Washington DC. I must have seen 6 different versions. Finally when I saw Jake Gyllenhaal and Annaleigh Ashford at the Hudson in New York City (I didn't even know Jake could sing!) and that was it. It wasn't exactly the same, but the lightning struck. I hope you see it some day - it's first and foremost, at least for me, a love story. The art for me is secondary. Listen to "Move On" and understand what Sondheim is saying about life, not just art. "Stop worrying about where you're going, move on. If you don't know where you're going, you've gone. Just keep moving on." That's about life, not just art.

I saw this on Thursday. I ended up going alone (i had a spare ticket and couldnt give it away) and was very overwhelmed. So grateful to see in the interval I wasnt the only one in tears 😂 Possibly the most fulfilling night in a theatre I have ever had. A beautiful tribute and a treat to see that cast. Ive never heard applause like it. Like you I never thought I'd get to see Bernadette for myself. Once I saw her as Dot I was a goner. The same for Lea actually, I didn't think I'd ever see it

@myamygdala7

9 ай бұрын

So nice to hear you enjoyed the show, I'm going in a couple of weeks and it's so hard to contain my excitement, I can't wait!! Do you happen to know if there was a stage door afterwards?

@Texaslawhorn

9 ай бұрын

I love Bernadette! I got to see her a few years ago in "Follies" at the Kennedy Center in DC, and she was great.

@meredithchandler73

9 ай бұрын

@@myamygdala7I have to wait until January! It’s so hard!

Oh, still to this day I still consider myself incredibly lucky to have seen Bernadette Peters as Sally in the Broadway revival of Follies at the Marquis theater. I still remember her in that gorgeous dress, standing center stage in front of a wall of red roses, singing Losing My Mind. I was sobbing. She never moved from that spot during the entire song and totally killed the song that is arguably one of the best torch songs ever written.

@Texaslawhorn

9 ай бұрын

I saw Bernadette in the pre-Broadway run at the Kennedy Center. She was fantastic!

Saw it last night - a musical theatre masterclass. Possibly the loudest applause of the night was for Bonnie Langford’s I’m Still Here - to the bemusement of the non-Brit and younger audience members.

After watching this I am so glad I got tickets for the closing week, in which I am going to be in London, coincidentally. I was a bit hesitant about getting them as it is a concert-type show but I didn’t want to pass up on the opportunity to see Bernadette Peters and Lea Salonga (and of course them doing Sondheim) and having heard such good reviews about it I am incredibly glad I decided to get tickets

@meredithchandler73

9 ай бұрын

@liernietxebarria Me, too! I am specifically flying to London in the final week to see this show. I'm SO excited!

I was lucky enough to watch the gala last year and got stall seats second row from the front last weekend. To be able to see Bernadette and Lea close up and every micro expression/acting in their performance is a treat. Bernadette was made for Sondheim songs. Her performance of Send in the clowns and Losing my mind were absolutely heartbreaking. She really is a masterclass act in musical theatre performance. Lea is a powerhouse and her performance of Everything's coming up roses was powerful and full of attitude. She shows her versatility by nailing A little priest from Sweeney Todd. The supporting cast including Janie and Joanna and Bonnie were all fantastic too.

The concept of singing Buddy's Blues as a solo, with Buddy doing the women's parts as well as his own, was first done by Mandy Patinkin in Follies in Concert in the mid 1980s.

@PS-DLMA

9 ай бұрын

And then McIntosh repeated it in PUTTING IT TOGETHER

@shinjj35

9 ай бұрын

And Eric McCormack did a brilliant solo job (using hand puppets for Sally & Margie) in an excellent semi-staged concert Follies at Toronto's Koerner Hall in 2022.

We saw this last Monday and are still buzzing on Friday. Each artist gave a masterclass on how to hold the stage. It’s the must see show.

I can feel the passion you have for musical theatre in every video you post.

Hon, I'm a little old lady so I hope you'll understand how I mean it when i say I just want to give you a hug... you're such a sweetie. Thank you so much for sharing your Bernadette Peters story. I am so so so glad that you got to see her.

Saw the show last week and I was blown away. Such an array of talent on stage. Lea Salonga doing "Everything's Coming Up Roses" was something else. Goosebumps! I would recommend the show to anyone. I'm not surprised you enjoyed the show too. The music selection was perfect. One of the best shows I've ever seen in the West End.

@jlasf

9 ай бұрын

The biggest surprise was Lea’s Mamma Rose. I never knew she could belt out a song. We are used to her in “victim” roles - the weaker person - that it’s unexpected to see her be so dominant.

@kallen868

9 ай бұрын

Sounds amazing.💖

Bernadette Peters at 75 looks incredibly amazing!!!!

Saw it last night - managed to get rush tickets super close to the stage. Oh my god it was so beautiful ❤ I cried about 4 times. I cant believe I got to see Bernadette Peters and Lea Salonga on the same stage - both were truly magnificent. Blubbed as soon as 'White, a blank page or canvas' was said right at the very beginning. Streamed tears when BP walked on stage to watch LS sing Children Will Listen, I was gasping for breath for the entirety of Sunday. I was then taken by surprise how moved I was by the arrangement of Being Alive, and started sobbing. Good thing my mascara was waterproof. The entire cast was brilliant, hilarious, touching and vocally incredible. Everything from Company was brilliant and the Quintet from West Side was so exciting. Loved Agony, A Little Priest, Everybody Ought To Have A Maid and Broadway Baby. Bradley Jaden as the Wolf - nice. And throughout most of the show I couldnt take my eyes off Bonnie Langford - she was incredible and totally held her own on a stage with 2 of the biggest musical theatre performers of all time. Best version of I'm Still Here I've ever heard. I can't say enough nice things about this show. This experience was the best Christmas present I could have given myself.

Thank you for this. Saw this on Saturday! I loved this so much. I saw Lea Salonga's West End debut in Miss Saigon original cast. Was blown away then, and even more blown away now. Bernadette Peters - saw her in Gypsy as Mama Rose on Broadway in 2003/4. The rest of the cast is amazing. Surprise of the night - Bonnie Langford - I'm still here - fantastic. Really loved this whole show.

@labellavita12

9 ай бұрын

I wished i saw Lea in Miss Saigon. Good thing there's the Manila production here on yt with Lea as Kim together with the original Gigi.

I saw Bernadette Peters as Dot and the Wicked Witch (among other performances throughout her career!). So glad you finally got to, too.

One of the things that made Dimension 20's Unsleeping City really work for me was that Stephen Sondheim was the magical ally for Broadway... (Thought I'd share that, for some reason).

@tksm97

9 ай бұрын

Unsleeping City is the best!!!!

Joanna Riding is so underrated, i would so love to see this, so many legends in one room ❤ Also, bernadette was mama rose in the 2003 revival, i didnt know she'd done it before, wow! Talk about full circle ❤❤❤

@labellavita12

9 ай бұрын

I heard Joanna also played mama Rose? how was it? go and watch this. Lea sings Everything's coming up roses.

I’ve had the great privilege to see the work of most of these artists, and I sincerely appreciate hearing your reaction to all of them, especially Bernadette and Lea, both legends of Broadway and the West End. This extraordinary production is the perfect result of Putting it Together. I had the same reaction you experienced with Bernadette, at the age of 11, with family visiting London, seeing A Chorus Line, and hearing At The Ballet ( along with the rest of that soul-stealing production). Unforgettable. ( I can’t help but think of the song ‘Losing My Mind’ without remembering Barbara Cook, her love of Stephen Sondheim, and her hauntingly spectacular performance of that song.) Still.

An AMAZING & POSITIVE review ! which is rare here on KZread, You very obviously know your stuff, whereas most reviewers just criticize and slate performances to make themselves feel important and try to make it look like they know what they're talking about, when they're probably bin-men during the day - so huge thankyou ! I'm seeing it next week !

Saw this show back in October and we all said the stand out performance was Bonnie Langford singing "Im still here". Friends who saw it later also said the same. The show was great.

Ah, Mickey Jo, I was one of the few people to see the original production of Merrily We Roll Along (as well as Sunday in the Park With George) and once was hit (accidentally) in the head by Mr. S himself (don't ask). Since you're in town, give me a call.

Good review. I was surprised Lea's vocal dynamic in this musical. Her voice is entirely different. It has more character and merely superb and reach perfection. Luv it.

@labellavita12

9 ай бұрын

She is a chameleon. She can be funny, terrifying or go back to her Disney voice.

Oh I feel exactly how you did watching this show…..I’ve seen it now twice and still hoping to get one more viewing in before it closes. Such a wonderful time , I must say Lea Salonga as Mrs Lovett was absolutely amazing, Pretty Women , (Not) getting married , ladies who lunch , I’m still here gosh so many gems…..

I am so very envious of all of you Londoners to be able to see this! ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Sounds like an amazing concert. Thanks for your notes at the end about including more diverse songs in other showcases - I agree there are a lot of wonderful tunes we don't hear often enough!

Flying out from Palm Springs to see this! Thanks for your review!

You summed it all up so beautifully. Bravo!!!🎉❤

13:35 he doesn't have two girls to do it alongside him, as is traditionally done. The first version I ever heard was the 1985 Concert with *Mandy Patinkin (see link below).* So I think doing it like this is *1000 times funnier than doing it with a couple* , because as Buddy tries to play both roles he's so hyperbolic when stressing how he immediately becomes all smitten when the woman he likes ignores him... but if the woman becomes attached to him it's _"see-ya-later"_ and it drives him mad in the song going back-and-forth rejecting her and adoring her all over again if she lowers her interest in him: Like in the lyrics: _"Don't come any closer..."_ (rejecting her) ... _'cause you know how much I love you"_ (she looses interest and he's back to being attracted again *before he even finished the sentence* 😁) ... and what initially is him telling a story and mocking the girls, becomes the erratic switch of his back-and-forth behaviour with screams and those personalities bursting inside him... and ends up like a raving lunatic crazier than a bag full of hammers.... 😂😂😂🤣🤣🤣 I know it's a classic, and y'all have seen it, but this is the gold standard on how to maximise all the hilarity of the material ... much, much funnier than your standard duet... which I find really dull in comparison 🤷‍♂️ kzread.info/dash/bejne/gIF30ZKSeMzPn6g.htmlsi=upN9g7hR9GIYUz9e (Recorded Live At Avery Fisher Hall, New York City, September 6 and 7, 1985)

I saw it a couple of weeks ago. Loved it, I’m a sondheim super fan too. Bernadette is not what she was but at 74 she was still great and she has such presence. Lea Salonga singing Loving You was a surprising highlight. Bonnie Langford was great. I would happily pay to see it again. A beautiful night and it was genuinely emotional to be part of

I really enjoyed seeing Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends at the Gielgud Theatre in London on Wednesday 27th September and it was absolutely fantastic

Great review as ever - and if any of the peeps who invite you to review shows wonder if reviews translate to sales - well I watched this and jumped on and spent £250 on tickets for this as my Christmas present to meeeee - can't wait! Just need to find rooms and trains now.

B. Peters is an extraordinary performer. I was lucky enough to see her as Mama Rose in GYPSY, the Witch in INTO THE WOODS and Dot in SUNDAY... all wonderful. But it was as Mabel in the original MACK AND MABEL that made me truly fall in love with her. Just heartbreaking. I look forward to your opinions about HERE WE ARE. I saw it yesterday. Interesting but disappointing... 😮

Bonnie Langford explained in a recent interview that she is singing the lyrics to “I’m Still Here” that were slightly rewritten for the film Postcards From The Edge. Love that!

@MickeyJoTheatre

8 ай бұрын

Oh OF COURSE - and Bonnie singing the Shirley Maclaine version fits like a glove!

Bernadette did Gypsy as Mama Rose as well. I saw it. ❤️. As well as her performance in Follies. Heartbreaking. I’ll never forget either.

Thank you so much for your Bernadette story! I feel you! We'll see the show on the 25th and I'm already in tears as this will probably be my last chance of seeing her! 💖

Wonderful review thank you. You have me even MORE excited to see it November 22nd (I'm not counting!). I feel very similar to you with seeing the leading ladies its such a powerful experience.. I went to London alone when I was 17 to see Patti Lupone in Company and just wept when she appeared on stage because, like you I had watched SO many videos and incredible performances so to see in real life was just a profound moment in my life... Why do us gay men adore the Sondheim queens? I discovered Bernadette Peters as the stepmother in Cinderella been a fan ever since.. can't wait!!!

I saw it before it closed on 30/12 It was incredible I particularly enjoyed Bonnie Langford seeing I’m still here I wish I could have seen it again

Oh how I wish I could be in London to see this, but hopefully, it will be on Broadway shortly!

Saw it on Thursday - completely unplanned trip - so glad I saw it. What a total genius the guy was.

Thanks for the great review! Although I did get to see a wonderful Sondheim tribute with Patti LuPone this past August at the Hollywood Bowl, I wish I could catch this show. But no way to make it to the UK right now. Sigh. Have a wonderful time in NYC!

Saw this last week during our visit to London and we had a bloody good time. We were so lucky to be seated in the middle of the sixth row. Lea Salonga was a clear stand out for us. What a voice! She really did hit the ball out of the park with one phenomenal performance after another. We were a wee bit disappointed that her performance of "Somewhere" was a bit rush. It was also glorious to see Bernadette Peters. Who would have thought she was 74? We were also glad to have been introduced to the rest of the cast, who we didn't know maybe because we are not from England. Totally recommended. Have to say though that if there was context to all the songs, it would have been an even better experience.

@labellavita12

9 ай бұрын

Lea sang somewhere in her Royal Albert hall concert entitled dream again kzread.info/dash/bejne/fmyEz9uafqqvm8Y.html&pp=ygUnbGVhIHNhbG9uZ2Egcm95YWwgYWxiZXJ0IGhhbGwgc29tZXdoZXJl also send in the clowns and a bunch of powerful songs.

I probably wont get to see this but having viewed the recorded one-night-only performance (still on iPlayer for those in the U.K.!) I have to agree with your comment on Janie Dee’s rendition of The Boy From… just hilarious and I’d love to see it live! I wish there was more from A Little Night Music - Now/Later/Soon, You Must Meet My Wife, The Miller’s Son (I could go on - it’s my favourite). How was Jeremy Secomb in the Sweeney role? He has a great voice, and was a very effective Peron in the recent Evita concert. Maria Friedman was the first performer I saw as Mrs Lovett so I’m very happy that the recording features her take on the character 😊

The "Could I Leave You" sung by a man first came about in SIDE BY SIDE BY SONDHEIM

@garybassin1651

9 ай бұрын

I sang it when we did SBSBS at our performing arts center several years ago and, not to toot my own horn but, I killed it! So many people came up to me after saying either, "I never knew you could be so bitchy!" or "How did you pull that one off?". I just told them that I imagined that I was singing to my ex-boyfriend. 😊

If you can, there is a clip on youtube from the sitzprobe and Sir Cameron is like a kid at Christmas cheering from the production desk!

Mickey i fell in love with Bernadette Peters the first time i saw her perform a number from Dames at Sea on the Today Show in 1968. Thanks for this review. Hope your broadway trip is as good as the last or better. All the best from HTX

I am a huge fan from Cape Town, South Africa. I won't get to see it. I live vicariously through your reviews !

I still don't understand (as a Sondheim fan) why the orchestrations were significantly reduced. As well, it's a shame that I'm in Canada, and will therefore never be able to see this. Thanks for this Mickey Jo, and for the great content!

I was lucky enough to get rush tickets for this - £30 for the £125 stalls tickets. Potentially the best £30 I have ever spent in my entire life. It reminded me why I am training in musical theatre and I was truly moved by it. The sweeney Todd section was my favourite part but all the songs were all amazing ❤

@TheTradge

8 ай бұрын

I paid £15 for my grand circle ticket, then upgraded to the front of the royal circle on the day, so I had a similar deal 😊

Saw this last week and agreed with much of what you said - Lea Salonga was a complete revelation. But greatest frustration - even having purchased a £12 programme - there was no listing of who was singing which songs. From sitting in the back of the stalls - and certainly with the wig/costume changes - I couldn't tell who was who. And it's such a disservice to the younger performers as they're not getting credit for some of the numbers they deliver so spectacularly. Have you got such a list? Can you share it? A few other thoughts -- Julia McKenzie was in the original Side by Side by Sondheim - the album of which I completely wore out when I was 14 (and where David Kernan sang 'Could I Leave You' - so for many years I only knew it as a 'man's' song). Completely agree about 'Send in the Clowns' - they should have played out the scene,

Just saw it this evening, I loved it. I was almost apprehensive about seeing Bernadette Peters (live, in the flesh, first time in my life - hurray!), because I kept thinking, oh dear, I hope she's not too old. Actually it doesn't matter who sings Send In The Clowns, it will always ALWAYS make me cry, but this did it for me - yeah, of course, the voice isn't quite what it was, and yeah, she looks a bit knackered, but wow, she was brilliant, I loved her being Little Red Riding Hood in the Into The Woods section - she blew me away. A stunning cast, all so talented. The Act One finale, Sunday, from Sunday In The Park With George, is a song that always leaves me breathless with delight. The only song that was missing, for me, was Our Time, which is my current Sondheim Favourite. In the one off performance earlier in the year, they had it at the very end, sung by a youth choir, I missed it from here, but that was just a tiny quibble. It was gorgeous!

Old Friends was my second most fave show in 2023 (no 1 goes to Crazy for You of course). Saw OF twice. Absolutely brilliant.

I’m so looking forward to this show got front row seats next week

I’m a huge Bernadette fan too. So glad you finally got to see her live!!

Thanks for expressing one or two of my misgivings e.g. the lack of context for Send in the Clowns, the change of gender in Could I Leave You? but I agree totally with your summary of the show’s impact since it left me reeling with admiration. I’m surprised that you appear not to have rated Bradley Jayden individually since I had never heard of him before but was very impressed and felt he had star potential but I thought your review of Janie Dee’s performance was bang-on. So pleased you had a great night and got to see your own goddess of the theatre in Bernadette Peters’ performance.

You are right this does seem to be more about the women than the men. I feel it need a male star such as a George Hearn or a John Barrowman who also has a connection to Sondheim . The men seem to be bit of an afterthought . Having said that, though, I thought that Bradley Jaden was fabulous as the wolf . For me, of course, the attraction is to see Bernadette Peters for the first time in the West End, which took my breath away. She moves from fully formed characters such as a strumpet with a trumpet, to a youthful red Riding Hood with ease. Her emotional breathy vocal when she sings, clearly as herself, ‘Too many mornings’ to Sondheim is worth the price of admission in itself.

@tananario

9 ай бұрын

Or not. Why not have it just the way it is?

This sounds wonderful. Maybe Ms. Peters will be shown your vlog and comment. I hope you're chartering a separate plan for your Sondheim NYC merch😂. Just kidding. Maybe the performance will grow sequels using all the left out Sondheim material, Pacific Overtures has several

As a younger musical theatre fan who is also a massive admirer of Sondheim, the highlight for me was Sunday in the Park with George at the end of the first act. I didn't know the story of the musical or any of the songs, so when the projection of the painting came into focus above the stage I just burst into tears - the sheer shock and amazement factor combined with the music was too much for me!

Ugh I wish this is on Broadway. So lucky!!!

Mickey... you have such an ardent fan in South Africa. I live for your reviews. Your ability to analyse every detail with such intelligence and authority is a delight to listen to. Your willingness to welcome input from 'down below' says so much about you and earns my respect. Even when you're deliciously bitchy - when required - it is never with any malice or bitterness like so many critics can be. It is clear that you love the industry passionately. Thank you!! Keep them coming.

I am so glad I decided to see the show multiple times during my very short visit to London. I saw the full cast twice yesterday and then tonight Clare Burt was out. Monique did Electra in Gimmick (very well done), Janie did The Little Things You Do Together (fantastic), and Joanna did Ladies Who Lunch (awesome).

“…she also did Gypsy as a child.” GURL. She was Mama Rose in 2003! ((Ps! I saw BP in that Gypsy, and in Night Music… honestly the only person who makes me starStruck.)

I wish I could see this production. Is the original staging available anywhere? I have been fortunate to see Bernadette Peters perform on Broadway and in concert several times. I saw the original productions of Sunday in the Park, Song and Dance, and Into the Woods. My wife and I got tickets for ‘Woods’ in New York years after the original cast had moved on. But it turned out that ONE night they were all back, including Peters, to record the show for DVD and PBS. Before the performance began, Sondheim himself appeared on stage to introduce the show. It was an incredibly moving experience, and I found myself in tears before the show even started.

@cannibalisticrequiem

9 ай бұрын

He did mention the one night only concert was filmed so... 🥾🦵🏻 Er, I mean... perhaps there's a slime tutorial on KZread?

@Midlander83

9 ай бұрын

It’s on BBC iplayer if you are in the U.K.!

@Midlander83

9 ай бұрын

And if not I’d be very surprised if it wasn’t released on DVD/streaming platforms once this run is finished.

Are you not doing another set of Broadway vlogs for this trip? I really enjoyed them last trip and am eagerly awaiting a new set if you are doing them

Saw your review on and Juliet play saw it with my gf recently. She enjoyed the play and got signatures from the cast. Seeing Michael Jackson play this month see it if you can.

Ms Peters also did Gypsy, playing Mama Rose, as an adult (Cast album is available!). The show is stunning, and oddly emotional for a concert performance.

@kallen868

9 ай бұрын

It wasn't a concert performance. Full Broadway revival.

I’m lucky enough to have seen it twice already and will undoubtedly go again during the run! Curious to know if the out-of-order Into the Woods songs slightly annoyed anyone else? 🙊

Bernadette devastating!!

I loved the review! Best line - “Grieving with a budget” 😂 Jokes apart, I also enjoyed it so much, as a die-hard Sondheim fan, it was necessary!

Streisand sang Children will Listen in Hyde Park a few years ago...I sobbed at that too x

I’m a huge Passion fan and I don’t know what you’re referring to. I love all of it!

@MickeyJoTheatre

9 ай бұрын

Haha, Loving You!

@s.hopkins4490

9 ай бұрын

@@MickeyJoTheatre oh! I thought you were going to say I wish I could forget you- that one haunts my life 💜💜💜

Bernadette, for me I discovered her from her movie with Mel Brooks, Silent Movie, the Pennies from heaven and Annie. One of those i wish i would be able to see live one day. (including a singing Julie A... actually, Julie A doing anything since she got me singing. But have seen Dolly P twice :) )

Darling...Bernadette just didn't do Gypsy as a child; she did a Broadway revival and was Tony nominated. For a professional theatre critic that was a major blunder!

David Kernan did "Could I Leave You?" in SIDE BY SIDE BY SONDHEIM, so a male doing that song is not unprecedented and makes a harrowing song even more surprising, I think.

i've booked to see it on closing night, and i was just curious if they performed the slightlt cut down version kf sunday like rhe televised version? also i loved the story from when you were 16! ❤❤❤

@MickeyJoTheatre

9 ай бұрын

Yes to cut down Sunday! I hope you enjoy the closing night!

@autumn4652

9 ай бұрын

thanks! im cool with a cut down sunday, just need to be mentally prepared to expect it lol.

Bernadette also did Gypsy as Rose right? Not only as a child

I went a second time last night and maybe absorbed a little more as I was almost overwhelmed on my first visit, around four weeks ago. I fairly much agree with everything Mickey Jo says, though my 'could have been improved' moment was the West Side Story segment, which I felt lacked a bit of power as the Jets and Sharks choruses were sung solo (albeit very well) by Bradley Jaden and Marley Fenton. But it's nitpicking. There was nothing I did not like about Old Friends apart from a bit of truncating (Somewhere was cut short about half way through for example). Absolutely everyone on that stage is a star and I would happily go back and see it once a week for the rest of the run. I did wonder about Mandy P - last night was one of his nights off - but f course he couldn't really fit into this show, so if they do appear together it will surely be at his rather than Old Friends. I have tickets for this Thursday but Old Friends plays on Thursdays so it ain't going to happen on my watch. (Mandy's' show starts half an hour after Old Friends does, and ends half an hour earlier)

Is there any way to watch the recorded performance? That you know of? I'm directing a Sondheim Tribute review, and I'd love to watch it in order to be inspired. If you can help in any way, I'd love it. BTW: I directed/choreographed Follies just before Bernadette played the role in Washington DC at the Kennedy Centre. My cast and crew collected funds in order to send me, the Music Director and two guests to go see the show. It was pretty incredible. Her performance of Losing My Mind was amazing, but it was really interesting that the ending of the show was rewritten to make Sally (Bernadette's Character) have a strong finish instead of a weak one. I prefer the weaker ending myself. It fits better with the story and the rest of the characters - including the theatre that is about to be demolished.

Any chance that Old Friends and Sunset Boulevard will be extended?

You forgot to mention "MACK & MABEL." Bernadette created this role with Sondheim. The show was not a success but is filled with some of his greatest songs ever. Have you heard the original LP? I highly recommend......

@MickeyJoTheatre

9 ай бұрын

I love Mack and Mabel, but it was definitely written by Jerry Herman!

@jnewmark41

9 ай бұрын

@@MickeyJoTheatre OMG.....my bad! I feel like a dunce now.... you are 100% correct. I LOVED your review by the way......very inspiring.

No Frogs?🐸

Are there understudies?

@MickeyJoTheatre

9 ай бұрын

It's interesting - rather than understudying individual people, everyone in the cast covers different songs, even Bernadette! So if one performer is out their material will be divided among the others.

@susanneseimel4741

9 ай бұрын

oh wow, that's really unusual! I'm a musical performer from Austria and I can't wait to see this show soon 🙂Thanks for the information! @@MickeyJoTheatre

The show didn't work for me. The flow was an incoherent mess and a waste of massive talent. i didn't like that they were all given songs that they would never be cast for. Lea Salonga's vocals were incredible but the lack of context, emotional core and meaning to most of them left me feeling bored. Bernadette Peters was completely inappropriate for little red riding hood, and lea salonga while good as ms lovett, should have been johanna with her vocal talents. sweeney todd didn't have the vulnerable edge of a len cariou that seems necessary to me to play the character. It left me disappointed that i wasn't seeing more of each musical and less of ones that I didn't care for. Agony and the Sweeney Todd intro were standouts. The younger performers had incredible voices and deserve their own shows. A ton of offensive songs were gender swapped so they wouldn't be offensive to modern audiences, but they should have been left out entirely. Half of the songs they chose were about how horrible marriage is, how much they hate their spouses, and how they cheat constantly with no remorse...I thought millennials had managed to quash that particularly unfunny boomer humor. The boy from... is straight up racist. the i am not get married one...I just can't get into the headspace where people think a woman being pressured into an unwanted marriage is funny. the sondheim tribute at the end seemed like no one put much effort into it. throughout the show there were too many lame jokes and it really grated after a while. one older lady did a grand battement to her face and slid into a split, then acted like she couldn't get up. Come on lady, you are stronger and more flexible than 99.9% of 20 year olds. The whole thing was extremely disappointing. Unfortunately I agree with all the 3/5 critics ratings on this one. (Also, be aware that if you are sitting in the back half of the stalls, you will have a restricted view of at least 4 performances.)

@wilsonwilson8496

9 ай бұрын

Tell that to Mcintosh. 😅

@Midlander83

9 ай бұрын

It sounds from this as though half your problem is with Sondheim rather than this show itself; you seem to take issue with quite a few of his songs, which makes me wonder why you booked to see it? Company is over fifty years old so will of course have some dated attitudes; however I’m pretty sure songs like The Little Things You Do Together are there to illustrate why Bobby is (or thinks he is) not attracted to the idea of marriage and commitment. As for Getting Married Today, it’s not about a woman being pressured into marriage at all, it’s just about ‘cold feet’ on the wedding day - a fairly common feeling - and Amy genuinely loves Paul, a fact that she later realises. I’m actually not a great fan of Company, mainly because I don’t find Bobby an interesting or likeable character and fail to see why all his friends are so obsessed with him - but I can’t see a problem with those songs! This is the first time I’ve heard The Boy From… criticised as ‘racist’ - why do you think this? If it’s the Spanish place name being played for laughs, I think the joke there is that it’s so ridiculous and so obviously made up by the ‘boy’ in question and the character in the song has failed to clock this, along with a couple of other things. Happy to hear another perspective on it though!

@emhu2594

9 ай бұрын

​@@Midlander83 my problem is the selection of songs. There are many to choose from, other choices should have been made. Definitely disappointed to see so little from into the woods and Sweeney Todd.

@Midlander83

9 ай бұрын

@@emhu2594 I can’t argue there - you can never have enough songs from Sweeney Todd (judge’s solo aside)!

The way you felt about meeting Bernadette Peters is the way I felt two weeks ago when I saw Stephen Schwartz in concert and I met him afterward. And I just basically started blubbering to him and he was the most kind person I have ever met. I had that same teenage connection to Godspell among so many other things he was involved in, and it meant everything to me to meet him, so I totally get what you’re saying there 🩵