A SONDHEIM SUMMER NIGHT

Marriott Theatre’s superb ensemble
untangles Sondheim’s deliciously
complicated comedy of manners

There aren’t many shows that can convince large numbers of city dwellers to make the journey out to Lincolnshire, but for Stephen Sondheim, I think many will be willing to spend “A Weekend in the Country,” as the characters in his musical A Little Night Music do. At Marriott Theatre, those Sondheim lovers can catch one of this musical giant’s less frequently performed works at Marriott Theatre. It’s a musically brilliant, complicated comedy of manners.

Based on Ingmar Bergman’s 1955 comedy of manners, Smiles of a Summer Night, Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler’s A Little Night Music is a musical comedy of manners set in Sweden around 1900, exploring a series of messy love triangles involving Desirée Armfeldt (Alexandra Silber), a touring actress, and the two married men who love her, Fredrik Egerman (Andrew Samonsky) and Count Carl-Magnus Malcolm (Alan H. Green). Anne Egerman (Addie Morales), Fredrik’s bride, is a blushing 19-year-old, still virginal after 11 months of marriage—a point of contention between the couple.

Countess Charlotte Malcolm (Veronica Garza), Carl-Magnus’s droll wife, knows all about her husband’s infidelity and is determined to find a way to make him stop—perhaps by making him jealous—though she would never dream of leaving him. To further complicate things, Sondheim and Wheeler introduce a slightly incestuous love trio: Fredrik’s son, Henrik (Eldon Warner-Soriano), is in love with his oblivious stepmother, Anne. When this tessellation of triangles is invited to enjoy “A Weekend in the Country” at the estate of Desirée’s mother (Carmen Roman)—an aging courtesan who is ward to the actress’s 14-year-old daughter Fredrika (Olivia Grace O’Sullivan), everything comes to a head. It’s a hilarious mess of harebrained people doing horrible things.

Sondheim writes his scores with intention, incorporating the story’s themes into his musical form. A Little Night Music is composed entirely of waltzes, mirroring the love triangles littered throughout the story. The pattern of threes is also reflected in the trios that sing together throughout, most notably the “Now,” “Later,” “Soon” trio with Fredrik, Henrik, and Anne.

Marriott’s in-the-round production, directed by Nick Bowling, with music direction by Ryan T. Nelson, brings together an exceptional cast of vocalists to expertly sing Sondheim’s complicated score, heavily inspired by classical music—a style that’s often challenging for musical theatre singers. Despite a few issues with blend and balance in the trios and larger ensemble numbers, this production sounds fantastic (sound design by Michael Daly and music coordination by Trevor Jones).

Warner-Soriano winds up the audience with his pent-up performance of “Later” as Henrik, accompanying himself on a cello and showcasing both his vocal talent and his skill on the instrument. Garza brings the laughs as Charlotte Malcolm, but also sings an exceptional rendition of “Every Day a Little Death” with Morales as Anne. Garza has the clearest grasp of the tone of this musical, making every one of her lines drip with sardonic humor. The other standout vocal performance comes from Madison Uphoff as Anne’s maid, Petra, singing “The Miller’s Son,” a song that can buzz with tension and sensuality when performed well, and she performs it very well.

The most famous song in the show, “Send in the Clowns,” is sung by Silber as Desirée Armfeldt. She has a very unique voice, rich and heavy with a rapid vibrato. I think her rendition will either really work for you or it won’t—it’s a matter of personal taste. For me, it comes across as a bit overperformed, when I think the song—originally written for Glynis Johns, a husky character vocalist—works best when sung simply.

A Little Night Music is not an easy Sondheim musical to do well. If a production can’t convey the slippery, sardonic humor of the piece, these privileged elites can become very uncomfortable to watch. Marriott’s production catches fire not long into the first act when Veronica Garza enters as Charlotte Malcolm and fully unlocks the musical’s comic tone. Once we get to “In Praise of Women,” and especially “Every Day a Little Death,” we’re golden. The rest of the musical is a laugh riot.

I recommend making the journey out to Lincolnshire to see Marriott’s production of this demanding show. While it takes its time finding the balance between musical excellence and the comedy of manners humor, once it arrives, the payoff is well worth the wait. It’s a beautiful evening of music and laughter at the absurd problems of the elite.

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photos by Justin Barbin

A Little Night Music
Marriott Theatre, 10 Marriott Dr. in Lincolnshire
Wed at 1 & 7; Thurs at 7 (select Thurs. at 1); Fri at 7:30; Sat.at 4 & 8; Sun at 1 & 5
ends on August 9, 2026
for tickets, call 847.634.0200 or visit Marriott Theatre
free parking available

for more shows, visit Theatre in Chicago

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