SONDHEIM SOARS

….because A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC is such a special Sondheim treat. There’s no darkness nor is there a complicated plot or too many characters going in opposite directions. We couldn’t wait for the curtain to go up and we hated to see it fall.

There is nothing as special for theatre devotees as a special Actor’s Fund performance and this one did not disappoint. The audience is always electric and truly “New York” and the talent, who generously donates their time to this worth cause, plays as though this is truly a command performance. This performance was graced by the presence of Actors Fund President Brian Stokes Mitchell who was hobbling on crutches due to an injured Achilles tendon. We wish Brian a speedy recovery although he did tell us that he was fortunately not in any pain.

A very simple set is all that’s needed when two superstars grace the stage. Angela Lansbury is . . . well . . . Angela Lansbury. Surely she’s the current grande dame of Broadway. We loved her in DEUCE, she enchanted us in BLITHE SPIRIT and she’s so obviously perfect as Madame Armfeldt in A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC. She’s elegant, she’s funny and she’s simultaneously over-the-top and real as can be. And we never forget that it’s just not possible for her to be with us forever so we never miss seeing anything she is doing.

If you consider Catherine Zeta-Jones a movie star, then you better prepare to readjust your thinking. This is her Broadway debut and she it totally captivating. Of course, she’s gorgeous and even every hand movement is perfect. But she really sings. And with phrasing and timing that’s impeccable and a voice much larger than we expected. After the first minute of her taking over the stage, it was impossible not to smile every time she was on it. Will Mrs. Douglas add a Tony to her Oscar this year? We certainly think she deserves it!

Catherine’s chemistry with her leading man . . . who turned out to be played the night we saw it by understudy Bradley Dean . . . was wonderful. This was Jeff’s second time seeing this production and he commented that Dean was every bit as good in the leading male role as Alexander Hanson.

A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC has two show stopping tunes thanks to Sondheim’s genius. The Miller’s Son, sung by the character Petra, showcased Leigh Ann Larkin’s immense talent. She did Sondheim proud and held us entranced. The show’s most famous song, Send in the Clowns, is a totally different kind of song and Catherine Zeta-Jones sang it to perfection. It was languid and electric and humorous in all the right spots and every note - either sung or half sung/spoken was just exactly the right interpretation.

Jeff saw A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC with his daughter Erica a few weeks before due to a tiny ticket buying snafu and he willingly went again. Cathy adored it as much as Jeff and both will need very, very little encouragement to spend another night at A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC.

Next up: LOOPED!