Theater Review: SONDHEIM’S OLD FRIENDS (Pre-Broadway Engagement at The Ahmanson in Los Angeles)

SONDHEIM MERRILY ROLLS ALONG,
BUT OLD FRIENDS DOESN’T ALWAYS BOUNCE

When a show is billed as a tribute to Stephen Sondheim, expectations are sky-high. His music isn’t just a collection of songs—it’s a theatrical language of its own, intricate, intelligent, and deeply human. Undoubtedly a love letter to the late master, the revue-on-steroids Old Friends started as a one-night-only event in 2022 and then played a full run at the West End’s Gielgud Theatre, which means what we saw at last night’s opening at The Ahmanson—before it hits Broadway in March—is no doubt frozen. Which is a shame, because while it delivers stunning performances, breathtaking vocals and a nostalgia-fueled setlist that deserves a lot of praise, it is also wildly inconsistent in its presentation of Sondheim’s oeuvre.

Beth Leavel's knockout "The Ladies Who Lunch"

With over 40 songs spanning Sweeney Todd, Follies, A Little Night Music, Company, and more, Cameron Mackintosh‘s production is essentially a greatest hits album brought to life. It’s thrilling to hear these songs performed by such accomplished voices, but it also highlights a missing piece: Old Friends is all about the music and starpower, and little else. Matthew Bourne‘s traffic-cop staging for the 18-member ensemble is highly slick, and he creates smart set pieces for some numbers, but it was all very presentational, which is why some numbers felt flat, like “You Could Drive a Person Crazy” done by a trio of woman—nay, cougars—in sparkly cruise-ship attire (the often characterless but glossy choreography is by Stephen Mear).

Kate Jennings Grant, Bonnie Langford, Joanna Riding in "You Could Drive a Person Crazy"

Jasmine Forsberg, Beth Leavel, Bernadette Peters, Kate Jennings Grant, Bonnie Langford,
Lea Salonga, Maria Wirries and Joanna Riding perform “Broadway Baby”

There’s no denying that Old Friends is an enjoyable night out, filled with some of the greatest songs ever written for the stage. For longtime Sondheim fans, it’s a chance to celebrate the music they love, but for those hoping for a deeper, more intimate exploration of his work, it may leave something to be desired.

Bernadette Peters performs “Send in the Clowns”

Bernadette Peters and Lea Salonga

Let’s be honest—half the excitement surrounding Old Friends is its jaw-dropping cast. Bernadette Peters, the grande dame of Sondheim’s world, still knows how to hold an audience in the palm of her hand. Her take on “Losing My Mind” is spellbinding, a performance so fragile and raw it feels like time stops. Her comic chops are abundant in “You Gotta Get A Gimmick” and her youthfulness astounds—I mean, who at nearly 77 can still blow a trumpet through her legs? Less successful was an overwrought “Send in the Clowns,” during which she loudly took in air through her nostrils for dramatic effect. Her Little Red Riding Hood shtick was just silly, but as The Wolf (“Hello, Little Girl”), let’s just say I would be happy to be eaten alive by a bare-chested Jacob Dickey.

Jacob Dickey and Bernadette Peters in “Hello, Little Girl”

Lea Salonga kills with "Everything's Coming Up Roses"

But Peters is not the heart of the show when it comes to show-stopping pizzazz. The first is Lea Salonga, who whipped the packed house into a frenzy with her startlingly dramatic and powerhouse vocals in “Everything’s Coming Up Roses.” The other was Beth Leavel, whose “The Ladies Who Lunch” met, if not bested, Patti LuPone’s version. The audience actually began applauding during the number, but Leavel kept things under control as, with relentless force, she whipped us into a frenzy. Truly, had every number knocked us out at this level, the show would play Broadway for years (it’s scheduled for a limited run).

Beth Leavel, Bernadette Peters, Joanna Riding perform “You Gotta Get a Gimmick”

Jeremy Secomb and Lea Salonga in “The Worst Pies in London"

Salonga’s acting skills also ratcheted up “The Worst Pies in London” and “A Little Priest,” the famed duet from Sweeney Todd sung with a handsome, imposing Jeremy Secomb. But when Salonga sang “Somewhere” as if it were a national anthem, and “Loving You” from Passion, it didn’t work—storytelling and emotion went missing; these songs should wreck you. Likewise with Leavel: her comic genius flared with Peters in “Gimmick” (her scene-stealing Electra outfit is by costumer Jill Parker) but her “The Little Things You Do Together”—re-written as a duet with Gavin Lee as a couple in counseling—only slightly amused because it felt, well, gimmicky. Later, Lee got his own Broadway Backwards moment with “Could I Leave You,” which had super-smart choices that worked well, but instead of getting darkly emotional, it ended up feeling, well, veddy British.

Gavin Lee, Kate Jennings Grant in "A Weekend in the Country"

Then there’s Bonnie Langford, who played Baby June to Angela Lansbury’s Rose in 1973’s revival of Gypsy. This triple-threat long-time pro was perfect for “I’m Still Here.” which had updated lyrics written for Shirley MacLaine. Kate Jennings Grant (who I remember as Sarah Brown in Broadway’s Guys & Dolls, 2009) was very funny in one of Sondheim’s songs that is actually from a revue, The Mad Show. With music by Mary Rodgers, “The Boy From…” had Grant, Piña Colada in hand, injecting the song with wit and warmth, reminding us that Sondheim’s brilliance is as much about humor as it is about heartbreak. And is anything more exciting than hearing peals of laughter from viewers who never heard the clever lyrics before? (Marshall Barer, lyricist to Rodgers’ music for Once Upon a Mattress—the show that played The Ahmanson just before Old Friends, swore to me that the song was about him, which Sondheim denied in a letter to me. I wonder how many fans know that the very busy Steve always responded to mail.)

Jeremy Secomb and Company in "The Ballad of Sweeney Todd"

Kyle Selig, Daniel Yearwood, Jacob Dickey are “Waiting for the Girls Upstairs”

The ensemble as a whole is bursting with talent, elevating even the more predictable moments. Two men in particular were so delicious that I was saddened they didn’t have their own number. The first is Kevin Earley, a new addition to the cast replacing David Harris; just watch Earley’s remarkable acting choices in ensemble numbers as Frederick (the well-cast “A Weekend in the Country” in which every lyric is intelligible thanks to Mick Potter‘s sound design), Paul (a slowed-down “Getting Married Today”), and Prince Charming (“Agony”). And Kyle Selig, who replaced Grant Gustin in Water for Elephants on Broadway, infuses each moment with an infectious joy as the second Prince, as Tony (“Tonight Quintet,” perhaps the most exciting ensemble number in musical theater history) and as a male domestic (the very cute “Everybody Ought to Have a Maid”). Also, super-soprano Maria Wirries wows with terrific turns as the priest in “Getting Married Today,” Rapunzel (added to “Agony”) and Anita. Another member who does get his own number is Jason Pennycooke, but “Buddy’s Blues” just doesn’t take off as he works way too hard trying to work up the crowd.

Gavin Lee, Kyle Selig, Jason Pennycooke in "Everybody Ought to Have a Maid"

Jasmine Forsberg, Jacob Dickey, Kyle Selig, Maria Wirries, Daniel Yearwood: "Tonight Quintet"

Musically, Annbritt duChateau and her upstage 16-piece band are resoundingly great playing orchestrations mainly by Jonathan Tunick (we get the entire thrilling Overture from Merrily We Roll Along, too). Visually, Old Friends is polished but restrained. Matt Kinley‘s set design hints at the original productions, with two stage door set pieces occasionally rolling in for more intimacy, and Warren Letton‘s rock-concert lighting offers more drama than some of the songs. The combination of elegant simplicity and spectacle does keep the focus on the performers, but it also means there’s nothing particularly surprising about the staging. It’s a pleasant, respectful approach—but Sondheim was never just “pleasant.” He was daring, subversive, and unafraid to push boundaries. In contrast, this production feels content to bask in the warmth of nostalgia (which works when the ensemble sings “Not a Day Goes By” to projected images of Steve) rather than take any creative risks. Speaking of which, George Reeve‘s projections simply astounded during the ensemble’s “Sunday.”

Jacob Dickey, Bernadette Peters with Company in "Sunday"

Sondheim was more than just his melodies—he was a storyteller, a provocateur, a master of subtext. But here, the show feels more like a concert than an exploration of what made his work so revolutionary. We gain personal insight into his genius by the songs themselves, but each one should have been a standalone hit, like the ones in some of the benefits for S.T.A.G.E. and Broadway Backwards, to name a few. Attending an evening of Sondheim performed by Broadway and West End pros is a no-brainer, but know before attending that, for a show with this much talent, the lack of deeper reflection leaves us longing for something more.

photos by Matthew Murphy

Sondheim’s Old Friends
Ahmanson Theatre, 135 N. Grand Ave. in Los Angeles
ends on March 9, 2025
for tickets (starting at $45), visit CTG

then plays Manhattan Theatre Club’s Samuel J. Friedman Theatre, 261 West 47th St
previews begin March 25, with opening set for April 8, 2025
for tickets, visit MTC

for more shows, visit Theatre in LA