When I grow up I want to be Bernadette Peters. Really. I’ve wanted to be her since 1984 and I saw “Sunday in the Park With George” (also starring one of the loves of my life, Mandy Patinkin). Wait. I take that back. Ever since I saw her on the Carol Burnett Show in the 70’s, I’ve wanted to be Bernadette Peters. But now that desire is stronger than ever since I’ve seen her in Sondheim’s “A Little Night Music”.
Peters, along with the phenomenal Elaine Stritch, play mother and daughter each seeking something new. They took over the roles from the Tony award-winning Catherine Zeta Jones and the multi-award winning Broadway legend Angela Lansbury (this show I unfortunately did not get to see). The new additions are magic on stage. No one. I repeat. No one sings Sondheim like Bernadette Peters. It is a journey in sound and sight that stays with you for the rest of your life. It is a privilege to see her perform.
The renowned Elaine Stritch is a bit shaky in spots, but her unshakeable commitment to the performance cannot be unraveled. Literally wheeled out in a wheelchair, Stritch’s comic timing is spot on. TV viewers know her as Alec Baldwin’s acerbic mother on 30 Rock. But the legendary Broadway icon shines in her Tony-winning one woman show – Elaine Stritch At Liberty. Netflix it. It’s wonderful.
Go see this revival that’s been revived by these truly talented additions. It’s musical theater at its finest. It’s Sondheim. It’s just good.
Storytellers 