On Thursday evening, not even the heaviest rainstorm could quell the infectious enthusiasm of Stephen Sondheim, as it permeated Center Theatre Group.
The Ahmanson Theatre of CTG played host to the debut performance of Cameron Mackintosh’s production of “Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends,” featuring renowned Broadway artists Bernadette Peters and Lea Salonga, as well as a group of seasoned stage performers. This grand Broadway spectacle, titled “Old Friends,” arrived in Los Angeles for its North American premiere following a successful run in London’s West End. The show will be on at the Ahmanson until March 9, after which it will make its way to the Great White Way, with a Broadway run commencing April 8 at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre located at 261 West 47th Street. Previews for the Broadway show start from March 25.
Even amidst the rainfall, the stars shone brightly, and I found myself rubbing shoulders with some of the entertainment industry’s elite: Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Ashley Park, Andrew Rannells, Ian Paget, producers Lauren Shuler Donner and Dan Jinks, Peter Paige, Charles Shaughnessy, Kate Linder, Gregg Daniel, Eric Petersen, Vincent Rodriguez, Tom Irwin, and many more. The Hollywood Reporter was also there, capturing the buzz of the night.
Originating from a lifelong camaraderie and creative partnership between Sondheim and Mackintosh, the project named Old Friends began to materialize during the pandemic. The goal was to present this production as the third musical revue of Sondheim’s work, following Putting it Together and Side by Side. Tragically, Sondheim passed away in November 2021. Despite this loss, the creative team persevered, continuing with a lineup featuring directors Matthew Bourne and Julia McKenzie, choreographer Stephen Mear, musical supervision by Alfonso Casado Trigo and Stephen Brooker, musical arrangements by Stephen Metcalfe, and conducted by Annbritt duChateau.
As a devoted admirer, I’m thrilled to share that the ensemble of Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends comprises an array of talented artists, such as myself, Jacob Dickey, Kevin Earley, Jasmine Forsberg, Kate Jennings Grant, Bonnie Langford, Beth Leavel, Gavin Lee, Jason Pennycooke, Joanna Riding, Jeremy Secomb, Kyle Selig, Maria Wirries, Daniel Yearwood, Paige Faure, Alexa Lopez, Greg Mills, and Peter Neureuther.
As a fervent admirer, I must say that every number in the performance was met with thunderous applause from the packed audience. However, some performances truly stood out and had the crowd on their feet. For instance, “The Little Things You Do Together” by Leavel and Lee, “Send in the Clowns” by Peters, the enchanting “Sweeney Todd” segment starring Secomb and Salonga, “The Ladies Who Lunch” by Leavel, “Somewhere” by Salonga, “Broadway Baby” with Peters, Pennycooke, and the entire company, “Everybody Ought to Have a Maid” featuring Lee, Pennycooke, and Selig, “Not a Day Goes By,” “Being Alive” by Dickey, “Old Friends” with Peters, Salonga, and the rest of the troupe, and the climactic finale of “Side by Side.” were some of those memorable moments.
See pics from inside the opening night celebration below.
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2025-02-15 04:25