The World of Musical Theatre fi ofa he West End to Broadway and beyond ee Rage ve wy . a eee ‘< CRO OTE 13} cek-o WENA clale Rel au Pe a Ream, ot . yt “ne Ee Tet Wes an Eee NcN A me meets Wicked cast a spell TESTS Ba oaCHANDOS ornate! Available 15" September y OSCAR HA Creente Celebrating the eightieth anniversary of Rodgers & Hammerstein's groundbreaking musical, John Wilson and Sinfonia of London present the world premiére recording of the complete original score, in its original orchestration. Available on streaming services and as digital download, Hybrid SACD and limited edition double vinyl LP. Fee te ee eee eer ed ee ed ee eR a Ls Ce eae ee ee a ee Rie Pa ee eae ed a er ee Lee eed AE Re Re eRe a lg eed eae ee Le a eae ee ge ee eee Re ee eo ae gd me ed ee eae eae eR ee cy a its original instrumental clothing sounds as fresh as the day it was written’ — John Wilson WWW.CHANDOS.NET STAY IN THE KNOW rorwosiess-sruno-simaowno} SpotMUSICALS eee tue ey iain ‘Eons eee’ (MA Music Leisure & Travel Mark Allen ‘tenttattgenar M Welcome Its risky investing in new work — but essential, too ‘atime when, for better of worse, society could handlybe more risk-averse, it heartening that, in Musical Theatre at least, risk are sil being taken where they need tobe taken. Im referring specifically to ‘The Curious Case of Benjamin Baton (see page 47), ‘whieh I caught twice during its recent run at Southwark Playhouse Elephant (yes, loved i that much. In startlingly revealing section ofthe show's programme, ‘we were made privy to the inner financial workings of Putting on the show. The shocking conclusion, afer all the outgoings - marketing, theatre hie ete ~ were set against the ely income generated by ticket sales, was sated with surprising alacity:"The show i guaranteed to make loss in this inital production. This is often the «ase when producing a new piece of theatre, especially ‘when producing a musical’ U strikes meas both reckless and amazing thatthe production companies (ATG, GBA, Gavin Kali, Bilene Davidson, Umeda Arts Theater and Jethro Compton) ‘would willingly throw thir weight behind something, ‘knowing tha the only thing guaranteed is that they'l Jose money. And yet. They clearly recognised that this isagem ofa show. That it as the potential to transfer, perhaps toa theatre with a larger capacity and the availablity for ito run for longer. That ican, i the long term, reap rewards, financially ast think what the ‘world of Musical Theatre woul look ike if we had even ‘mote visionary, risk-taking investors? ‘Of course, there are other examples of shows that it ‘must have faken real guts to support financially. As "Tim Bano says in his interview with Trevor Dion. Nicholas (see page 36), when you lookat the ‘success formull ofa musical -afamousband name a renowned composer or acelebrity cast and then compare that with Next to Norma, in which Nicholas will soon star when itmakesits UK premiere at the Donmar ‘Warehouse, this isa shows that intially “icked none of those boxes An exploration of mental health issues, witha score by (in 2008) two barely known writers, Next to Normal defied the odds and went onto inspirea cult following, to the extent that, a its ‘composer Tor Kit tells our writer, ‘even he cant quite fathom shy it has taken 15 years for the UK to stage its ist professional production. Kittisin good company. Stephen Sondheim, to, was met with resistance on occasion — just look at Merrily We Roll Along, the Broadway ailuee tha closed abruptly in 1981 ls particularly apt, then, that a song from that flurc has become the title of one ofthe most Anticipated West End shows ofthe later half of 2023. ‘Stephen Sondheinis Old Friends opens for arun a the ‘Gielgud Theatre on 16 September, following a one-off ‘gala last year, and stars the legendary Bernadette Peters ‘making, at 75, hee West End debut. In our cover feature (see page 24), she talks to Matt Wolf about working with Steve (as she calls him), and about er desir to continue honouring his memory. In Cameron Mackintsh’s tribute show, Peters (and a wealth of other Alstrs) willbe revisiting Sondheinis output in a variety of sol, duo and ensemble numbers as she tells Mat, itis ‘a privilege to go back to someting you know well ‘Which sa rather neat way of introducing our two remaining features, New writing ie essential if Musical “Theatre isto continue to evolve, but 0, oo, revisiting the past, from which so many new ideas emanate, Following on from our recent Guys & Dols coverage, {im dalighted that we could send Edward Seckerson to the Bridge Theatre fora tly-on-the-wall feature about how the show’ cast recording came together (see page 40). Meaaviile, in David ays feature on Lat Cage ‘aux Flles (see page 30), we learn how Timothy Sheader has founda very personal resonance with this 40-year-old show ~ making the revival at Regent’ Parkan appropriate swansong for this venucs outgoing artistic director Likeall the shows mentioned here at _Musials we rely on audiences (or readers!) tokeep doing what we do, and fm hugely grateful tall ofyou who have supported us so fr. Visit musicalsmagazine.com to subscribe, and never miss an issue! Set sarah krkup@markallongroup.com INTRODUCING THIS ISSUE'S FEATURED CONTRIBUTORS. Former The Indeperdentchit Cassel music re Edward Seckerson isovaterone broddestet Hewntes fox Gramophone appesrs on BBC Rado 3 and andhos publishes books on Maier ‘nd Michal Ten Them He leo st the Comparing Notes sees at rary Cos. "Youcan teed Eawards cok on pe ‘Lis recording feature on page 40, Inerecordng eviews on pages 2and 74 ala Ranks 2 Londo PES baseatiesve crc Wi ars writer ana SR tessrcerano ‘ regu contributes

something important in lif F smetimes just have to make a chang ion to her materials profound, though the performer I first sav, when Twas Trecll Sondheim himself telling me once that Peter the irs Sally whom he fl hich that show‘Above Paying the Witch ght with Chip Zen and Joanna Gleason ~ Broadway premiere o From where does she summon sich pathos? Any song that I sing has tobe one that I comect to deeply, and I have to find it ina way that’s Every time an reotch hough When Peter sored additional song teste Day a aig om ete would appear in the Thornton Wilder play (The Matchmaker) Sunday, we would 1964 musical i based " 5 : She aso went othe Linco Cate Litayto 9, ‘What is that?’ bbe reminded othe legendary Carol Cannings cecupancy ofa role that Peters could then reshape fon which Jerry Herm “1 though, “Let me see what Carol did” but after that, twas about "Whois tis person to me? [always want to make personal as possible so that Fm never copying anybody hen I ist interviewed Petes, in 1998 om the ‘occasion of her exhilarating Royal Festival Hall solo concert that September which was recorded live, she spoke to me of ‘never thinking that I would ever be in a Sondheim show: I thought [was just froma different world and was someone he probably wouldnt be interested in, limited myself, and I was wrong Twenty-five years late, Petes has indeed moved on toa place of connection with the work and the man that she speaks of with something approaching ave, ‘We did a reunion of Into the Woods [in 2015]; Peters recall, ‘and I thought, “Here Lam playing the Witch 28 years later after having lived 28 years more” She continues Itwas such a privilege to go back to something you know well and to bring all this new information tit its ifyou learn bout life in Steves songs and his music, and [find myself wishing [could be in his next show so that [ould learn more! Infact, Sondheim inal sho Here We Ave, is opening in New York at The Shed ‘this autumn while Peters is performing in London. (One fels the decades dotted with memories asbefits this one-time interpreter of Dot. speaks of going with Sondheim to.a Seurat, exhibition atthe Metropolitan Museum of Art {in Nev York. ‘Theard him chuckling and didn realise that Ihad started singing “Color and Light” [the song from Sunday]. had no idea Twas even doing tha. 28 Musica Au)(oe I can sing Ro eM rsron privilege ani [Above hs Desire Armies. wth Alexander Hangon a8 Frest«Egerman ~ A Lite Night Muse, Waltr Kerr Theale, 2010 Below With Maney Patnkn as George in Sunday, 1984 Peter adds: "When we did his 90th birthday [concert] and I spoke to him afterwards, he was amazed at how wall his songs stood alone’ Indeed, during our interview she flls ‘ore than once into an impromptu Sondheim recital ~ a beloved snippet of music here and there from a performer sho sar the original Company in New York but missed the first productions of mich of his later work during the 1970s when she was living in LA. He never thought of the songs outside ofthe show but wrote them fr the characters, Thats why the show that Cameron is putting together is so wonderful and entertaining ich number is like a play ~ an experience - ofits on its very satisfying? Mackintosh, in turn, is in a good position to rack the progression of a performer he first got to know when he was co-producing the Broadway version of Song and Dance {Ein which this performer born in Ozone Park, Queens, broke hearts nightly playing F alovesick Englishwoman let loose in Manhattan E ‘Bernadette sprit has never changed, which s what makes her ageless! Mackintosh § told me within the same week that Ichated to Petes. ‘She a brilliant actress, and what E Tvenoticed off that as her voice changes, she uses her instincts as an actor nat to clo anything but to gain a new level in what she gets out of the materia E Peters can evisceratea spectator emotionally and raise joyful laughs, as well shan} J soon forget her in Hey, Mr Producer, the 1998 two-night-only tribute to Mackintosh in which she sang audience for any faults with her English accent a sweet gesture that, a it turnel ou, was also wholly unnecessary ‘Unexpected Song’ from Song and Dance and apologised to the Landon, In the second act, she appeared as atrumpet-toting Mazeppa, one of the strippers feom Gypsy. Look for that blisfl image again, bt improved, in Old Fri i i Betes of frther trumpeting sl acquired over the year ‘think Ti better his ime! 4 -thesong’Old Friends self grows in meaning all he time, too, Last Api she Joined 4 isin Chenoweth to sing tat 90h birthday celbration, ths ime nto Sondheim # but of her dear friend, Carol Burnett, ‘Carol came to see me in Dames at Sea when I was like 20 oF 21 and put me on her show. I knew her when she was starting out and we've ben throu ‘ups and downs together. She’ just remarkable MusialsMagazine com Bemadette Peters M Feature ats extraordinary, oo, is ‘commitment to the thea eters ongoing notwithstanding those yeas in Hollywood making movies ike The Jerk and Pe time she = from Heaven, during which ionship with Steve Martin, her leading man on both those films She went ‘on to marry Michael Wittenberg, an investment advise, who was killed in a helicopter crash in 2005, age 43,) She stared as Eleanor inthe film ersion ofthe 1980s Tama Janowitz bestseller Slaves ‘of Now York and is fondly remembered for an array of TV appearances ranging from The Muppets (one can imagine Kermit as one of her pets) to 1nd the recent TV series High Desert, playing Patricia Arquette’ mum. But the theatre is home, no one more so than Sondheim. Might she lke to havea goat Mrs Lovet, at this point the obvious ole from his repertoire of ladies that has so far got away? Maybe somewhere in] the future, [dont know: Inthe se for both the smal: sy Toda that traveled from London to New York and the current, contrastingly starry Sweeney revival wit Josh Groban and meantime, she’ fll of p scale pie-shop Swee Annaleigh Ashford "To heat those two with a fll 26-piece orchestras just so fabulous? rg 1 exercise and ea nice amount of protein, en looks? Hove does Peters keep her ev which puts muscle on your bones and Keeps you standing up (Meat vanished from her diet years ago.) ‘To physically take cae of my voice and my body: I go tothe gym, lit weights, ake singing lessons, keep everything up and running’ VVocalising happens in the shower ass 1 preps ‘once more for an eight-performace week in which, Mackintosh says, the cast of Old Friends willall understudy one another, ters gamely Including herself in that collective approach, So dont look for Peters to pat her fet up any time soon. ‘Is funny, I remember when [went to see Lena Hornds one-woman show on Broadway thinking,“ hope Im like that when Tin 85” And ro Tm way past tha [ike lexing my muscles, and if st back and think about it I el pretty grateful that Im able to do what I do. People say the word retirement and I don' see any reason todo tht ive in the moment right now, and when I come ‘out to do. show, that’ the moment that matters Stephen Sondheimis Old Fri Theatre from 16 Sep vst sone nds iat the nolfriendscom Musicals Aug/Sep 2028 M29)i i i PO eee] For all its gaudy spectacle and re aco ae ale latele lal La Cage aux Folles is a quietly subversive landmark in TES Cor Ta athe Ba ele aS eth 40 years after its Broadway premiere, director Timothy Sheader ~~ tells David Jays why the show has personal resonance for ey) and how its message of inclusivity is more relevant than ever beer , A | ih OM