Bernadette Peters in Concert at the Ordway

It's true, there is nothing like a dame. Especially when that dame is Broadway legend Bernadette Peters. She performed last night as part of the Ordway's "Rock the Ordway" celebration to commemorate the opening of their new Concert Hall in place of what used to be the McKnight Theatre. But she actually performed on the Ordway's main stage, a nuance that was lost to me until my companion and I waited in the crowd in the Concert Hall lobby, only to be told we were in the wrong theater. At which point we scurried across the lobby to find the doors closed and the concert already begun. Oh well, I only missed one song, and got a brief glimpse the pretty new theater. Meanwhile, Bernadette and her 11-piece band, led by Marvin Laird on piano, filled up the larger main theater with music, emotion, inspiration, joy, and sheer talent. Bernadette is a true master of her craft, and since her craft happens to be my favorite art form musical theater, it was a heavenly night. I've been lucky enough to see her perform several times in the past, including with the MN Orchestra in 2009 and on Broadway in Gypsy, A Little Night Music, and Follies, but she's one of those performers that I will see any and every chance I get because she always brings it.

Over about 90 minutes that felt like 20, Bernadette sang 16 songs, 10 of them written by the great Stephen Sondheim (counting the missed opening number "Let Me Entertain You" from Gypsy, for which he wrote the lyrics only). Sondheim and Peters is a match made in musical theater heaven. She's performed in five Sondheim shows in her 50+ year Broadway career (yes, she was a young child when she started). Sondheim's lyrics are so rich, clever, and meaningful, matched with interesting and inventive melodies, and Bernadette is a master at delivering them in a way that brings out every aspect of the song. No matter what she's singing, she knows how to wring every drop of emotion out of the song, whatever emotion the song calls for, whether that emotion is joy ("Mr. Snow" from Carousel, which I had just seen for the first time the night before), desire ("Fever"), heartbreak ("Losing My Mind" from Follies), hope (Disney's "When You Wish Upon A Star"), regret ("Send in the Clowns" from A Little Night Music), or anything in between. She feels every note, every word, every breath of the song and makes the audience feel it too.

Most of the songs in the program are selections from beloved musicals, but she often chooses an unexpected song, i.e., ones that she would likely never sing in a show because they're typically sung by men. Her rendition of "There is Nothing Like A Dame" (from whence came my opening statement) is fun and sexy and unlike I've ever seen it performed before. She sounds lovely singing "Joanna" from Sweeney Todd and holds the note on the word "hair" incredibly long. Instead of choosing the song I expected her to sing from Company, "The Ladies Who Lunch," she sang "You Could Drive A Person Crazy" (a crazy fast song written for three people) and the absolutely thrilling "Being Alive."

Bernadette Peters epitomizes what musical theater is. It's not about vocal histrionics or perfection (although she certainly has that too), it's about conveying emotion, character, and story through song. There are few people on the planet who can do that as well as Bernadette Peters.

The Ordway's "Rock the Ordway" celebration concludes today. And while this was the only event in which I partook, I think it's safe to say: Ordway, consider yourself rocked.

"Follies" at the Marquis Theatre on Broadway

Bernadette Peters and Stephen Sondheim on Broadway.  That's all it took to get me to see Follies last weekend, a show that I previously knew nothing about.  Sometimes it's best to go into a show with no expectations.  I was blown away.  It's an absolutely stunning production.  From the set and costumes, to the huge veteran cast, to the gorgeous Sondheim music, it's an amazing musical theater experience.

Follies is set in 1971 and was first produced on Broadway that year.  It takes place in a theater about to be demolished and reunites the women who worked there in the 30s and 40s as "Follies girls."  The main characters are two erstwhile best friends, Sally (Bernadette Peters) and Phyllis (Jan Maxwell), and their husbands Buddy (Danny Berstein) and Ben (Ron Raines).  They comprise an awkward and complicated love quadrangle.  Buddy loves Sally but Sally loves Ben.  Ben only loves Sally until he has her, and then he wants Phyllis back.  As they reminisce about their past and their stories unfold, we also see the young versions of these four characters.  Their costumes are slightly faded, they're lit with a softer light, and even the sound of their voices is slightly echoing, like we're seeing visions from the past.  Sometimes the past and present action occur simultaneously.  The worlds overlap and we see the parallels between then and now.  It's really beautifully and effectively done.

The show opens with the orchestra playing the Prologue while beautifully dressed women walk slowly and elegantly across the stage, a run-down theater.  They're ghosts of the past, dressed in blacks and greys, with the elaborate headdresses of showgirls.  They continue to walk around or stand in the background as the present-day action goes on in front of them, and one or two even remain on stage during intermission.  There's a sad, wistful feeling about the show, and the costumes, set, lighting, and sound design all contribute to that feeling.

As I'm beginning to learn is typical in a Stephen Sondheim show, everyone in the large ensemble gets their moment to shine.  And they all just knock it out of the park - Mary Beth Peil slinking across the stage singing "Ah, Paris," Jayne Houdyshell singing the classic "Broadway Baby," Elaine Paige belting "I'm Still Here," and Terri White tapping up a storm in "Who's That Woman."  These women are all stars in their own right, but are in this show for one shining moment.  And the beautiful thing is that they're all over 50.  After seeing RENT starring a bunch of 20-year-olds (which is appropriate for the show) just the night before, it was nice to see mature, beautiful, talented, amazing women kicking it up on a Broadway stage.  That's a rare sight, and thrilling.

Follies celebrated its opening night just this week.  I fully expect and hope to see all four leads nominated come Tony time next spring.  They are all spectacular, especially the women, and each have their "folly" moment at the end of the show.  Danny Burstein (whom we loved in his Tony-nominated role in South Pacific a few years ago) does a funny vaudeville number ("The God-Why-Don't-You-Love-Me Blues") that is hiding deeper pain.  Jan Maxwell has a killer dance number with a bunch of dancing boys behind her.  Bernadette walks out onto an empty stage in a gorgeous purple dress and pours her heart out in song, as only she can do.  Finally, Ron Raines (one of those theater/soap crossover actors), comes out in a top hat and tails and leads the ensemble in a great song and dance number, until he falls apart at the mess he's made of his life.  It's not a happy ending, but it's a conclusion.  I felt like I had been on a journey with these people and shared a moment in their lives.

We waited at the stage door, but because it was a matinee before an evening performance, we didn't see any of the four leads.  But we did see young Buddy and the tap-dancing Terri White, who informed us that the cast was going into the studio in October to record the soundtrack.  I'll be watching for that.

Follies is on Broadway for a "limited engagement" after a run at the Kennedy Center in DC earlier this year.  I'm not sure how long the engagement will last, but it would be a crime for any musical theater lover who has the opportunity to see it, not to.  One could say that it would be folly to miss this show.

"A Little Night Music" on Broadway

When you go to a Stephen Sondheim show starring Broadway legends Bernadette Peters and Elaine Stritch, you know you’re in for a treat. I have recently decided that I need to see more Sondheim. I had the pleasure of hearing him speak earlier this year, and the life he’s lived and the things he’s experienced in the world of musical theater is amazing. His friend and mentor was Oscar Hammerstein of the great Rogers and Hammerstein, so he learned from the best, but he has a style all his own. A Little Night Music is only the second Sondheim musical I’ve seen (not counting West Side Story and Gypsy, for which he wrote the lyrics), the other being Sweeney Todd. It was first produced in 1973, and the current revival opened late last year starring Angela Lansbury and Catherine Zeta-Jones. Although I would have loved to have seen the divine Ms. Lansbury, I’m quite happy with the replacement cast. I saw Bernadette in Gypsy a few years ago, and with the Minnesota Orchestra earlier this year. She’s amazing in everything she does (and is my hair role model ;). I must confess, I mostly know Elaine as Jack Donaghy’s mother on 30 Rock, but she’s also had an extensive career in the theater, so it was a privilege to see her on stage. I don’t believe she’s known for her singing voice, so she sort of spoke her solo song. But I found that interesting and moving, because you could really hear the lyrics, and she spoke them with such meaning and passion.

I didn’t know much about A Little Night Music before seeing the show. For some reason I thought it was a serious piece, maybe because the most famous song is the mournful “Send in the Clowns.” But it’s actually a light-hearted comedy for the most part. Based on the Ingmar Bergman film Smiles of a Summer Night, it’s set in Sweden in the early 20th century. Bernadette plays an actress named Desiree who travels a lot and has left her daughter Fredrika to be raised by her mother (Elaine). Desiree’s ex-lover Fredrik, who is Fredrika's father, is recently married to a beautiful, flighty young woman. They have yet to consummate their marriage, which may have something to do with the fact that she’s in love with her stepson! Fredrik surprises his wife with a night at the theater, where Desiree is performing. Fredrik later visits Desiree and they re-ignite their old flame, only to be interrupted by Desiree’s married lover! She decides to invite them all to a weekend in the country at her mother’s estate, where hijinks ensue, and everyone eventually ends up happily ever after.

One of the features of the musical is a Greek chorus of five actors, who come out and sing commentary on the action and ease the transitions between scenes.  The set is simple and elegant, and the period costumes grand.  It’s a wonderful classic musical with beautiful, poignant, and funny lyrics, and an extremely talented cast. It was a lovely afternoon at the theater and an appropriate choice for my first New York City blog post!