Name: Stephen Sondheim's Old Friends
Start: 2025-02-08
End: 2025-03-09
Location: Center Theatre Group at the Ahmanson Theatre

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Stephen Sondheim's Old Friends - LA + OC [41976]

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Stephen Sondheim's Old Friends

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Stephen Sondheim's Old Friends - LA + OC [41976] - Product Media

Five actors perform on stage, three on elevated balconies and two on the ground, amidst a dramatic urban backdrop with spotlights highlighting each performer.

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A group of nine individuals, predominantly women, strike a dynamic pose on stage in front of a vibrant red curtain, all dressed in elegant black attire.

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A group of actors in period costumes stand on stage under dramatic lighting, evoking a historic or theatrical setting.

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Bernadette Peters was born Bernadette Lazzara on February 28, 1948 in Ozone Park, Queens, New York. She appeared on television shows such as Juvenile Jury,&nbsp;Name That Tune,&nbsp;and&nbsp;The Horn and Hardart Children's Hour&nbsp;from age 3, and in 1958 she received her Actors Equity Card at age 9. The following year, she made her New York stage debut in the New York City Center revival of&nbsp;The Most Happy Fella. During her teenage years, she attended&nbsp;Quintano's School for Young Professionals and appeared in the second National Tour of&nbsp;Gypsy, as well as regional productions of&nbsp;The Sound of Music&nbsp;and&nbsp;Riverwind.

After graduating from high school, she made her Off-Broadway debut in&nbsp;The Penny Friend&nbsp;in 1966. From then on, Peters became a regular on both the Broadway and Off-Broadway stage. At the end of the 1960s she starred off Broadway in&nbsp;Curley McDimple&nbsp;and originated the role of Ruby in&nbsp;Dames at Sea, winning her first Drama Desk Award. On Broadway, she worked as a standby on&nbsp;The Girl in the Freudian Slip&nbsp;(1967) and starred as&nbsp;Bettina in&nbsp;Johnny No-Trump&nbsp;later that same year. She went on to star as&nbsp;Josie Cohan in&nbsp;George M! in 1968, winning the Theatre World Award, and as&nbsp;Gelsomina in&nbsp;La Strada&nbsp;in 1969.

In the 1970s she received her first Tony Award nominations,&nbsp;firstly in 1972&nbsp;for her performance as Hildy in&nbsp;On the Town&nbsp;and again in 1975 for originating the role of Mabel Normand in Mack &amp; Mabel.

In 1982, Peters starred as Sally in the Off-Broadway production of&nbsp;Sally and Marsha,&nbsp;and the following year, she&nbsp;originated the dual roles of&nbsp;Dot and&nbsp;Marie in the Playwrights Horizons production&nbsp;of Stephen&nbsp;Sondheim's&nbsp;Sunday in the Park with George. Following the show's Broadway transfer in 1984, she earned&nbsp;her third Tony Award nomination. In 1985, she starred as Emma in Andrew Lloyd Webber's&nbsp;Song and Dance&nbsp;and finally won her first Tony Award in 1986. She then once again collaborated with Sondheim and starred as the Witch in&nbsp;Into the Woods&nbsp;on Broadway in 1987.

During the 1990s, Ms. Peters appeared in four Broadway productions:&nbsp;The Goodbye Girl&nbsp;in 1993 (earning her fifth Tony Award nomination), one-night-only revivals of&nbsp;Sunday in the Park with George&nbsp;in 1994 and Into the Woods&nbsp;in 1997, and as&nbsp;Annie Oakley in&nbsp;Annie Get Your Gun&nbsp;from 1999, winning her second Tony Award in the category of Best Actress in a Musical.

Peters starred as Mama Rose in the 2003 revival of&nbsp;Gypsy, earning her seventh Tony Award nomination. She returned to Broadway in 2010, assuming the role of&nbsp;Desiree Armfeldt in a&nbsp;revival of&nbsp;A Little Night Music, and again in 2011, starring as&nbsp;Sally Durant Plummer in the Broadway revival of&nbsp;Follies. She also received&nbsp;the Isabelle Stevenson Tony Award in 2012 for her humanitarian efforts. In 2016, she was honored with the Theatre World John Willis Award for Lifetime Achievement. She returned to Broadway from January 20 to July 15, 2018, assuming the title role in&nbsp;Hello, Dolly!&nbsp;from Tony Award winner Bette Midler.

Aside from her career on stage, Bernadette Peters has also enjoyed a prolific career on screen, winning a Golden Globe in 1982 for her performance as Eileen in&nbsp;Pennies in Heaven. In addition, she earned two Golden Globe nominations in 1977 for Silent Movie&nbsp;and All's Fair. She also earned Emmy Award nominations for her appearances on The Muppet Show&nbsp;(1978) and&nbsp;Ally McBeal&nbsp;(2001), and Bobbie's Girl&nbsp;(2003). Her other most notable screen credits over the course of her career include the roles of&nbsp;Lily St. Regis in Annie&nbsp;(1982), Marie in The Jerk&nbsp;(1979),&nbsp;Sophie in Anastasia&nbsp;(1997),&nbsp;Sarabeth Breyers in Grey's Anatomy&nbsp;(2008),&nbsp;Jodie Papadakis in Ugly Betty&nbsp;(2009),&nbsp;Leigh Conroy in Smash&nbsp;(2012-13),&nbsp;Lenore Rindell in The Good Fight&nbsp;(2017),&nbsp;and Gloria in Mozart in the Jungle&nbsp;(2014-18). From&nbsp;2020-2021, she&nbsp;guest starred&nbsp;on screen as Deb in&nbsp;Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist, and the role earned Peters her fourth&nbsp;Emmy Award nomination.

Bernadette Peters - NY

Bernadette Peters in Hello, Dolly! [3868]

Bernadette Peters in Hello, Dolly!

Stephen Sondheim's Old Friends on Broadway - NYC [40572]

Stephen Sondheim's Old Friends on Broadway

Stephen Sondheim's Old Friends - NYC [40572] - Product Media

The Samuel J. Friedman Theatre is a historic Broadway theatre located in New York City. Established in 1925, the theatre is managed by Manhattan Theatre Club (MTC), a leading professional theatre producer. Originally named the Biltmore Theatre, it was renamed Samuel J. Friedman in 2008 to honor the late American publicist. The theatre seats over 650 people and is renowned for its excellent acoustics and state-of-the-art light and sound systems. It has also been the host to several notable productions and has welcomed some of the finest actors and actresses in the industry.

**How to Get There**

In the heart of the city, the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre is easily accessible through multiple modes of transportation. If commuting by subway, take the 1, 2, 3, 7, S, A, C, E, N, R, Q, W, Fourth Street lines to 42nd Street. From the station, it's just a short walk to the theatre. For those driving, numerous parking garages are available nearby. The theatre is also well-served by numerous bus lines. However, due to the busy nature of the city, public transport is a recommended choice.

Samuel J. Friedman Theatre - Manhattan Theatre Club - NY

Samuel J. Friedman Theatre

The Samuel J. Friedman Theatre, a historic Broadway theatre managed by Manhattan Theatre Club, accommodates over 650, with excellent acoustics and light systems.

Bernadette-Peters-124x124px

Maria Lea Carmen Imutan Salonga was born on February 22, 1971 in Manila in the&nbsp;Philippines. In her native country, Lea made her professional stage debut in The King and I&nbsp;at the age of seven. She would go on to star in&nbsp;Annie&nbsp;in 1980, and a string of other Filipino productions followed, including&nbsp;Fiddler on the Roof, The Sound of Music,&nbsp;and&nbsp;The Fantasticks.

Lea's international breakthrough came in 1989 after being cast in Cameron Mackintosh's world premiere production of&nbsp;Miss Saigon&nbsp;in London's West End. She played the leading role of Kim and won the Olivier Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Musical&nbsp;in 1990. In March 1991, she reprised her role and made her Broadway debut in&nbsp;Miss Saigon&nbsp;at the <a href="https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/theatres/broadway-theatre">Broadway Theatre</a>. She went on to become the first Asian woman to ever win a Tony Award, also picking up a Drama Desk Award and Theatre World Award in 1991.

In January 1992, she became the first Asian woman to play the role of&nbsp;Éponine in&nbsp;Les Misérables&nbsp;on Broadway. Later in her career, she returned to the musical in the 2006 revival, becoming the first actress of Asian descent to play the role of Fantine from March to October 2007. She also starred in both the 10th and 25th anniversary concerts&nbsp;of&nbsp;Les Misérables&nbsp;(as Éponine and Fantine, respectively)&nbsp;in London.

Lea has also garnered great acclaim for her work with the Walt Disney Company, providing the singing voices for two Disney princesses. She played Princess Jasmine in 1992's Aladdin&nbsp;and Fa Mulan in 1998's Mulan. The company awarded her "Disney Legend" status in 2011.

She returned to Broadway to play Mei-Li in the Broadway revival of&nbsp;Flower Drum Song&nbsp;from September 2002 to March 2003. Salonga later&nbsp;starred as Kei Kimura alongside George Takei and Telly Leung in the Broadway premiere of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/reviews/allegiance">Allegiance</a>&nbsp;from October 2015 to February 2016.

Since finding fame, Salonga&nbsp;has returned to the Philippines to perform on many occasions, with her credits including starring roles in&nbsp;My Fair Lady&nbsp;(1994),&nbsp;Miss Saigon&nbsp;(2000),&nbsp;Proof (2002),&nbsp;Baby&nbsp;(2004),&nbsp;Cats&nbsp;(2010),&nbsp;God of Carnage&nbsp;(2012), and&nbsp;Fun Home&nbsp;(2016). Other notable stage credits in Asia include the 1994 Singapore production of&nbsp;Into the Woods&nbsp;and the 2008 Asian Tour of&nbsp;Cinderella. She has also been a regular coach on the Filipino version of The Voice&nbsp;and The Voice Kids.&nbsp;

As a recording artist, Salonga has released a total of 10 studio albums since her debut,&nbsp;Small Voice,&nbsp;in 1981 and has sold over 19 million copies of her albums worldwide.&nbsp;

Lea returned to Broadway as&nbsp;Erzulie,&nbsp;Goddess of Love, in Michael Arden's&nbsp;2017 Broadway revival of&nbsp;Once on This Island,&nbsp;beginning&nbsp;performances on November 9, 2017. She continued in the role through&nbsp;June 24, 2018 and reprised the role for the production's final performances from December 27, 2018 through January 6, 2019.

Lea Salonga - NY

Once On This Island on Broadway [7828]

Once On This Island on Broadway

Once On This Island on Broadway [7828] Product Media

The musical <a href="/show/once-on-this-island">Once on This Island</a> has held a special place in my heart since I saw the original production back in 1990.&nbsp;The infectious music and romantic tale brought a unique temperament to a traditional medium.&nbsp;The show has lost none of its luster over the years, and in this revival&nbsp;production the beauty of this musical has been given its full due and then some.It tells the legend of Ti Moune (an incandescent Hailey Kilgore), an orphaned peasant girl raised by Tonton Julian (Phillip Boykin) and Mama Euralie (Kenita R. Miller), who falls in love with a handsome, wealthy boy Daniel Beauxhomme (Isaac Powell) from the city on the other side of the island.&nbsp;Separated by only a few miles of sand, they are nonetheless worlds apart.&nbsp;Ti Moune's love for Daniel is so strong that when he returns to his mansion home, she cannot bear to stay behind.&nbsp;Guided by four spirits:&nbsp;Erzulie, a warm and ethereal Goddess of Love&nbsp;(<a href="/actor-profile/lea-salonga">Lea Salonga</a>), Asaka, the irrepressible Mother of the Earth (<a href="/actor-profile/alex-newell">Alex Newell</a>), Agwé, the God of water, dignified and thoughtful (Quentin Earl Darrington) and Papa Ge, the mesmerizing spirit of death (Merle Dandridge), Ti Moune embarks on a journey to uncertain future.&nbsp;She has made a promise she will be asked to keep, but can love conquer all, even death?The ensemble, aptly referred to as 'storytellers' in the program, contribute in myriad ways to the performance, handing off the narrative to each other in a verbal dance that never allows the story line to drop.&nbsp;In a complete performance, they also create a living context. They are the birds; they are the night; they are the wind.Using the theater in the round space to full advantage, director Michael Arden&nbsp;and set designer Dane Laffrey&nbsp;have embraced every inch of space, creating a unified world for performers and audience alike.&nbsp;With an upturned boat here, fallen tree there, laundry fluttering on clothes lines extending to the walls of the theater, we are in the storm-tossed French Antilles in an instant.&nbsp;With ironic timeliness, the detritus-strewn sands and fallen trees echo images we have seen all too frequently in recent months, in places like Houston and Puerto Rico.The antitode to tragedy is to dance, to make music, to tell stories, to live in brilliant color, which these islanders do with abandon.&nbsp;Performing complex choreography by Camille A. Brown,&nbsp;as if the dance were the inspiration of the moment, with authentic gesture and of dazzling originality, the cast infuses every moment with spirit, emotion and music.&nbsp;Everywhere you look something catches your eye.&nbsp;Costumes by Clint Ramos&nbsp;vividly define the two worlds of ragtag poor and opulent wealthy, in rich bursts of color echoed throughout the set design.&nbsp;Lighting designers Jules Fisher and Peggy Eisenhauer, and sound designer Peter Hylenski&nbsp;evoke sun and storm to great, even visceral, effect.&nbsp;As you ride the wave, you cannot help but ask -- How did they pack so much legend, so much music, so much dance into 90 minutes?In Once on This Island, Director Michael Arden&nbsp;has created an island of joy at the <a href="/theatres/circle-in-the-square-theatre">Circle in the Square</a>.&nbsp;I cannot praise this production enough.&nbsp;Every single element blends perfectly to bring this already beautiful musical to dazzling, joyous life.(Photo by Joan Marcus)<hr /><h2>What the popular press says...</h2>"All I can say is that after a dismal theatrical fall, in which even the highlights seemed ashen, what a delight it is to enter the world of Once on This Island." Jesse Green for New York Times"Broadway's bewitching revival of Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty's Once on This Island&nbsp;is filled with beauty." Joe Dziemianowicz for New York Daily News"After seeing the&nbsp;imaginative and dynamic&nbsp;Once on This Island, you may feel that once is not enough." Adam Feldman for Time Out New York"Together with his resourceful design team and cast of expressive, vocally gifted performers, Arden has approached the piece with the nurturing hand it requires — striking a balance between child-like story theater and folkloric ritual with a fantastical dash of dangerous voodoo. It's a show about the healing power of storytelling, which makes it perfect for these grim times. Themes concerning the divisions of class, race, skin-color pigmentation and wealth also give the material timeless currency." David Rooney for Hollywood Reporter"Just what the weary world needs now - an uplifting revival of Lynn Ahrens' and Stephen Flaherty's lush and lovely 1990 musical fable about the enduring force of true love." Marilyn Stasio for VarietyExternal links to full reviews from popular press...<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/03/theater/review-once-on-this-island-revived-and-ravishing.html" target="_blank">New York Times</a>&nbsp;- <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/theater-arts/island-revival-bewitches-theater-review-article-1.3670842" target="_blank">New York Daily News</a> -&nbsp;<a href="https://www.timeout.com/newyork/theater/once-on-this-island" target="_blank">Time Out</a>&nbsp;- <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/once-island-theater-review-1063783">Hollywood Reporter</a>&nbsp;- <a href="http://variety.com/2017/legit/reviews/once-on-this-island-review-broadway-1202629232/">Variety</a>

Review of Once on This Island on Broadway

The Circle in the Square Theatre is a renowned and intimate theatre venue nestled in the heart of New York City's bustling Broadway district. Established in 1951, it stands as one of the oldest and most distinctive theatres in the city, revered for its unique configuration and legacy of groundbreaking productions. The theatre boasts a thrust stage, meaning the stage extends into the audience on three sides, providing an intimate and immersive experience that feels both inclusive and dynamic. It offers 776 seats, all of which provide excellent sightlines due to the unique stage setup and the circular layout of the theatre. This venue is famed for its productions of plays and musicals in both Broadway and Off-Broadway categories, enhancing its reputation as a versatile and inclusive space for all types of theatrical performances. Over the years, it has hosted countless award-winning shows like 'Oklahoma!', 'Once on This Island', and 'The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee'. 

 **How to get there:** The Circle in the Square Theatre is conveniently located at 235 West 50th Street, in between Broadway and 8th Avenue. It is easily accessible by public transportation. If travelling by subway, take the C, E, or 1 train to 50th Street and Broadway, or the N, R, or W train to 49th Street and 7th Avenue. Numerous buses also stop near the theatre. If you’re driving, there are several paid parking garages in the vicinity.

Circle in the Square Theatre - NY

Circle in the Square Theatre

New York's Circle in the Square Theatre is a distinctive, intimate venue known for its unique seating and world-class performances.

Recommended for ages 14+. Children under 4 are not permitted in the theater.

Here Lies Love on Broadway - NYC

Here Lies Love on Broadway

Here Lies Love on Broadway - NYC Product Media

For [*Here Lies Love*](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/27415-here-lies-love-on-broadway), the storied [Broadway Theatre](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/theatres/broadway-theatre) has transformed into Club Millennium, a bright, pulsating discotheque sans orchestra seats. A disc jockey (Moses Villarama) pumps up the incoming crowd as energetic ushers, clad in pink jumpsuits, play air traffic control for patrons on the dance floor. A fitting setting for a musical about the rise of a dictatorship, no? 

[David Byrne](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/stars-on-stage/david-byrne) and Fatboy Slim’s musical, which began as a concept album, chronicles the ascent of Imelda Marcos’s power, fame, and fortune — and subsequent fall. Director Alex Timbers zeros in on Imelda’s lavish spending of ill-gotten money. And its narrative framework hangs on a fun historical fact: Imelda had a mirrored disco ball inside her New York townhouse and was a famously large presence in the city's disco scene. 

The show’s timeline spans from Imelda’s childhood in the 1930s to the People Power Revolution in 1986, telling her rags-to-riches story through disco-pop beats. A local beauty pageant deems Imelda the “Rose of Tacloban,” a title that inspires her to move to Manila, where she meets Congressman Ferdinand Marcos and helps him clinch the presidential election. The rest is a painful history of corruption, repression, and violence.

The immersive musical first bowed off Broadway at The Public Theater in 2013 before making waves in London, Australia, and stateside in Seattle. Now, *Here Lies Love* brings the [first all-Filipino cast on Broadway](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/theatre-news/news/meet-the-all-filipino-here-lies-love-broadway-cast), with a company including Jose Llana (Ferdinand Marcos) and Conrad Ricaroma (Ninoy Aquino), who originated their roles downtown. 

[Arielle Jacobs](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/theatre-news/interviews/arielle-jacobs-seizes-the-starring-role-of-imelda-marcos-in-here-lies-love-broadway) glitters as Imelda Marcos with her dulcet vocals and ability to transform from a “young girl from Leyte” to the stony “Steel Butterfly,” as the dictator came to be known. (Costume designer Clint Ramos’s pleated, butterfly-sleeve dresses help the metamorphosis.) Jacobs is disarming in the role.

As Ferdinand, Llana energizes supporters with friendly handshakes, and later, he asserts dominance with a simple glare. Ricamora's Ninoy, as the opposition leader, riles the crowd with his charming confidence and shines with solo numbers like “The Fabulous One.” Another standout is the incomparable [Lea Salonga](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/stars-on-stage/lea-salonga) as Aurora Aquino. Her number, “Just Ask the Flowers,” is a showstopper. (Salonga will play the role through August 13.)

The show's real star is the glitzy, all-encompassing set by David Korins. As the action unfolds, stage platforms shift, audience members shuffle, and video projections display live-action crowd shots and historical documents on large screens throughout the auditorium. A giant disco ball spins, reflecting light across the space. Annie-B Parson’s electrifying choreography, which includes a Filipino line dance with the audience, furthers the nightclub scene. 

Audience members whose knowledge of Imelda Marcos is limited to the fact that she owned 3,000 pairs of shoes will only leave with a partial understanding of this violent period. The musical has no book, and the punchy songs paint broad strokes of the 60-year history. (The program, given to the stage floor patrons upon exiting the theatre, includes an insert with a more detailed historical timeline that fills in the show’s gaps.)

Still, this rollicking, form-breaking musical party is well worth an RSVP. 

[*Here Lies Love* is at the Broadway Theatre. Get tickets for *Here Lies Love* on New York Theatre Guide.](https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/show/27415-here-lies-love-on-broadway)

*Photo credit: Arielle Jacobs and the cast of Here Lies Love on Broadway. (Photo by Billy Bustamante, Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman)*

'Here Lies Love' review — disco-pop musical brings the party

Read our four-star review of *Here Lies Love* on Broadway, an immersive disco-pop musical featuring songs by David Byrne and Fatboy Slim. 

The Broadway Theatre is one of the most iconic and popular theatre venues in New York. Located at 1681 Broadway, the theatre is home to multitude of critically acclaimed Broadway musicals and plays. Since its inception in 1924, the Broadway theatre has been a pillar of the New York theatre industry, consistently presenting audiences with captivating performances and a wide variety of shows. The theatre boasts a large seating capacity of 1765, setting it apart from other Broadway theatres. Its key defining feature, the exceptional stage size, allows for large-scale musical productions. Notable performances that graced the theatre include 'South Pacific', 'The Color Purple', 'Miss Saigon', the revival of 'Evita' and 'Cinderella'. With a unique blend of classic architecture and modern technology, the Broadway Theatre not only delivers magnificent visual appeal but also excellent acoustics and comfortable seating. This combination creates an immersive viewing experience few other venues can rival.


##How to Get Here
The Broadway Theatre is easily accessible via public transportation. It’s easy to reach by subway. You can take the C, E, or 1 train to 50th Street or the N, R, or Q train to 57th Street. Alternatively, the theatre is served by buses M104, M10, M27/M50. If you prefer to drive, there are numerous public parking lots within a short walk. Bicycle parking is also available nearby.

Broadway Theatre - NY

Broadway Theatre

The Broadway Theatre, an iconic New York venue, hosts a plethora of captivating performances and is easily accessible via various transport.

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