May 23, 2025
Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends, starring Broadway legends Bernadette Peters and Lea Salonga, is one of those shows you’ll forever wish you’d seen if you miss it. It’s a show chock full of showstopping musical numbers created by Stephen Sondheim, many of which are performed by the two Broadway legends, Peters and Salonga. Starting with ‘Comedy Tonight‘ from ‘A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum,” the revue signals this show is gonna be a blast, and it is. The show’s been performed in London and LA, and it’s here on Broadway for just a few more weeks.
What we loved about this production was how it let the songs stand on their own two feet, without any interruption or explanation by an obtrusive narration clumsily attempting to provide context. That made the experience far more enjoyable than some shows we’ve seen where the ‘storytelling’ track is a real distraction from the music it’s nominally all about (not naming names, they’re no longer running).
While every musical number here is pretty incredible, Lea’s “Everything’s Coming Up Roses” from ‘Gypsy‘ was unforgettable. Having witnessed Bernadette bring down the house with her rendition of it a few years back, Lea’s Rose was entirely distinct and truly amazing, fierce, and powerful. For her part, Bernadette absolutely nailed “You’ve Gotta Get a Gimmick” alongside Beth Leavel and Joanna Riding, and her performance “Send In the Clowns” was sublime.
Cast Member Bonnie Langford greets fans.
During a recent TV interview, Bernadette said she wanted to do the show because it’s ‘uplifting’ and right now the World needs to be uplifted. We agree 100%. The show runs until June 29th, at the Samuel J. Friedman Theater on West 47th Street. So if you’re thinking about going, don’t throw away your shot to see itby waiting too long.
“Uplifting“
