''Stephen Sondheim's Old Friends'' is a tribute

revue A revue is a type of multi-act popular theatre, theatrical entertainment that combines music, dance, and sketch comedy, sketches. The revue has its roots in 19th century popular entertainment and melodrama but grew into a substantial cultural pre ...

honoring

musical theatre Musical theatre is a form of theatre, theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, ...

composer and lyricist

Stephen Sondheim Stephen Joshua Sondheim (; March22, 1930November26, 2021) was an American composer and lyricist. Regarded as one of the most important figures in 20th-century musical theater, he is credited with reinventing the American musical. He received Lis ...

devised and produced by

Cameron Mackintosh Sir Cameron Anthony Mackintosh (born 17 October 1946) is a British theatrical producer and theatre owner notable for his association with many commercially successful musicals. At the height of his success in 1990, he was described as being "t ...

. Originally designed as a one-night performance, the revue premiered at the

Sondheim Theatre The Sondheim Theatre (formerly the Queen's Theatre) is a West End theatre located in Shaftesbury Avenue on the corner of Wardour Street in the City of Westminster, London. It opened as the Queen's Theatre on 8 October 1907, as a twin to the ...

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

on 3 May 2022. Over a year later, Mackintosh began producing a limited West End run. This run began previews on 21 September 2023 and opened on 3 October at the

Gielgud Theatre The Gielgud Theatre is a West End theatre, located on Shaftesbury Avenue, at the corner of Rupert Street, in the City of Westminster, London. The house currently has 994 seats on three levels. The theatre was designed by W. G. R. Sprague and ...

Background

The idea for the concert came about during the

COVID-19 pandemic lockdown During the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, a number of non-pharmaceutical interventions, particularly lockdowns (encompassing stay-at-home orders, curfews, quarantines, and similar societal restrictions), were implemented in numerou ...

where Sondheim suggested to Mackintosh a follow-up of their revue productions ''

Side by Side by Sondheim ''Side by Side by Sondheim'' is a musical revue featuring the songs of composer Stephen Sondheim. Its title is derived from the song "Side by Side by Side" from ''Company''. History The musical had its origins when David Kernan was asked by Cle ...

'' and ''

Putting It Together ''Putting it Together'' is a musical revue showcasing the songs of Stephen Sondheim. Drawing its title from a song in ''Sunday in the Park with George'', it was devised by Sondheim and Julia McKenzie. The revue has received several productions, b ...

''. During the development of the concert, Sondheim died in November 2021.

Productions

Gala Performance (2022)

The concert was announced to be performed for one night only on 3 May 2022 at the

's West End. It was staged by

Matthew Bourne Sir Matthew Christopher Bourne (born 13 January 1960) is a British choreographer. His productions contain many classic cinema and popular culture references and draw thematic inspiration from musicals, film noir and popular culture. Popular ...

and

Maria Friedman Maria Friedman ( Freedman; born 19 March 1960) is a British actress and director, best known for her work in musical theatre. She is an eight-time Laurence Olivier Award nominee, winning three. Her first win was for her 1994 one-woman show, ' ...

with a 26-piece orchestra conducted by Alfonso Casado Trigo. The line-up included

Michael Ball Michael Ashley Ball (born 27 June 1962) is an English singer, presenter and actor. In 1985, he made his West End debut as Marius Pontmercy in the original production of ''Les Misérables''. In 1989, he reached number two in the UK Singles C ...

Petula Clark Sally "Petula" Clark (born 15 November 1932) is a British singer, actress, and songwriter. She started her professional career as a child actor, child performer and has had the longest career of any British entertainer, spanning more than 85 y ...

Judi Dench Dame Judith Olivia Dench (born 9 December 1934) is an English actress. Widely considered one of Britain's greatest actors, she is noted for her versatility, having appeared in films and television, as well as for her numerous roles on the stage ...

, Daniel Evans,

Bonnie Langford Bonita Melody Lysette Langford (born 22 July 1964) is an English actress, dancer and singer. She came to prominence as a child star in the 1970s, when she had a notable role in the TV series '' Just William''. In the 1980s, she played companio ...

Damian Lewis Damian Watcyn Lewis (born 11 February 1971) is a British actor, musician and producer. He rose to prominence portraying U.S. Army Major Richard Winters in the HBO miniseries ''Band of Brothers (miniseries), Band of Brothers''. Lewis won a Prime ...

Julia McKenzie Julia Kathleen Nancy McKenzie (born 17 February 1941) is an English actress, singer, presenter, and theatre director. She has premièred leading roles written by both Alan Ayckbourn and Stephen Sondheim. On television, she is known for her BAFT ...

Bernadette Peters Bernadette Peters ( ''née'' Lazzara; born February 28, 1948) is an American actress and singer. Over a career spanning more than six decades, she has starred in musical theatre, television and film, performed in solo concerts and released reco ...

Clive Rowe Clive Mark Rowe (born 27 March 1964) is a British actor. He began his career in theatre, winning a Laurence Olivier Award. On television, he is known for his roles as in the CBBC series '' The Story of Tracy Beaker'' (2002–2005) and '' So A ...

and

Imelda Staunton Dame Imelda Mary Philomena Bernadette Staunton (born 9 January 1956) is an English actress and singer. After training at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, Staunton began her career in repertory theatre in 1976 and appeared in various theatre pr ...

. The concert sold out immediately and was simultaneously live screened at the

Prince Edward Theatre The Prince Edward Theatre is a West End theatre situated on Old Compton Street, just north of Leicester Square, in the City of Westminster, London. History The theatre was designed in 1930 by Edward A. Stone, with an interior designed by Mar ...

and later broadcast on

BBC Two BBC Two is a British free-to-air Public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom, public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's second flagship channel, and it covers a wide range of subject matte ...

on 31 December 2022. On 12 February 2023, the concert won the

WhatsOnStage Award The WhatsOnStage Awards (WOS Awards), formerly known as the Theatregoers' Choice Awards, are organised by the theatre website WhatsOnStage.com. The awards celebrate outstanding achievements in UK theatre, with categories covering both regional p ...

for Best Theatre Event.

West End (2023)

At the

2023 WhatsOnStage Awards The WhatsOnStage Awards, founded in 2001 as the Theatregoers' Choice Awards, are a fan-driven set of awards organised by the theatre website WhatsOnStage.com, based on a popular vote recognising performers and productions of English theatre, with ...

, Mackintosh announced that the revue would return for a 16-week run at the

from 16 September 2023 until 6 January 2024, starring

and

Lea Salonga Maria Lea Carmen Imutan Salonga, ( ; born February 22, 1971) is a Filipino singer and actress. Known primarily for her work in theatre, she has starred in musicals on Broadway and in the West End. Her accolades include a Tony Award and a L ...

. In addition to Peters,

Janie Dee Janie Dee (born 20 June 1962) is a British actress. She won the Olivier Award for Best Actress, Evening Standard Award and Critics' Circle Theatre Award for Best Actress in a Play, and in New York the Obie and Theatre World Award for Best N ...

, and Jeremy Secomb returned and were joined by Salonga,

Joanna Riding Joanna Riding (born Joanne Riding; 9 November 1967) is an English actress. For her work in West End musicals, she has won two Laurence Olivier Awards, and has been nominated for three others. Early life Riding was born in Preston, Lancashire ...

, Jac Yarrow,

Gavin Lee Gavin Lee is an English actor who has appeared on the stage in musical theatre, playing Bert in the musical ''Mary Poppins'', in both the West End and on Broadway, and Squidward Tentacles in the original Broadway cast of ''SpongeBob SquareP ...

, and

Christine Allado Christine Marie Allado (born July 15, 1995) is a Filipina-British actress and singer. She is best known for her performance in the role of Peggy Schuyler and Maria Reynolds in the multi Tony Award, Tony and Olivier Award, Olivier award-winning W ...

. On 7 September 2023, it was announced that the show's first preview had been postponed due to the withdrawal of

Haydn Gwynne Haydn Gwynne (; 21 March 195720 October 2023) was an English actress. She was nominated for the 1992 BAFTA TV Award for Best Light Entertainment Performance for the comedy series '' Drop the Dead Donkey'' (1990–1991), and won the 2009 Drama ...

, who later passed away in October. On 12 September 2023, it was announced that

Clare Burt Clare Burt is an English actress and singer. Her theatre work includes '' Coram Boy'' (2006), ''Cats'', '' Aspects of Love'', '' Sunday in the Park with George'', '' Closer Than Ever'', '' Cat on a Hot Tin Roof'', '' Big Fish'', and '' Pal Joey ...

had joined the production as Gwynne's replacement. The production, staged and directed by

and

, choreographed by

Stephen Mear Stephen Leonard Mear (born 1964) is an English dancer, choreographer and director best known for his award-winning work in musical theatre. In the 1990s, Mear taught dance at the London Studio Centre. In 2005 he and co-choreographer Sir Matthe ...

, conducted by Alfonso Casado Trigo, musical supervision by Stephen Brooker, musical arrangements by Stephen Metcalfe, set design by Matt Kinley, projection design by George Reeve, lighting design by Warren Letton, and sound design by Mick Potter, began previews on 21 September and officially opened on 3 October.

Los Angeles (2025)

The show had its North American premiere in Los Angeles. The show began performances on 8 February 2025 at the

Ahmanson Theatre The Ahmanson Theatre is one of the four main venues that compose the Los Angeles Music Center. Shows at this theater are produced by Center Theatre Group. History The theatre was built as a result of a donation from Howard F. Ahmanson Sr, the ...

with an official opening on 13 February. The engagement ran through 9 March."''Stephen Sondheim's Old Friends'' – Los Angeles"
''Playbill''. Retrieved 25 March 2025

and

reprise their performances from London. The rest of the cast was announced in October 2024 and will also include

Beth Leavel Beth Leavel (born November 1, 1955) is an American stage and screen actress and singer. She is best known for her performances in Broadway musicals such as ''The Drowsy Chaperone'', '' Baby It's You!'' and '' The Prom'', receiving Tony Award no ...

Ryan McCartan Ryan Jerome McCartan (born June 14, 1993) is an American actor and singer. He is known for portraying the role of Jason "J.D." Dean in the original Off-Broadway cast of '' Heathers: The Musical''. His Broadway credits include playing Fiyero Tig ...

, Jasmine Forsberg,

Kate Jennings Grant Kate Jennings Grant (born March 23, 1970) is an American actress. She has appeared in a number of Broadway productions during her career, including ''Proof'', ''An American Daughter'', and ''Guys and Dolls''. She also has appeared in films such as ...

, David Harris,

Jason Pennycooke Jason Pennycooke is a British actor and choreographer best known for his work in musical theatre. He won a WhatsOnStage Award and received Laurence Olivier Award nominations. Career Brought up in Leeds, Pennycooke trained for a dance career at ...

, Jeremy Secomb, Maria Wirries, Daniel Yearwood,

Kevin Earley Kevin Earley is an American actor and singer. Biography Earley was born in Chicago, Illinois, one of four brothers, and attended Mundelein High School in Mundelein, Illinois. He trained at the Webster Conservatory of Webster University in the ...

, Paige Faure, Alexa Lopez, and Peter Neureuther. In November 2024, it was announced McCartan would no longer be performing in the production and would instead replace Jeremy Jordan in ''

The Great Gatsby ''The Great Gatsby'' () is a 1925 novel by American writer F. Scott Fitzgerald. Set in the Jazz Age on Long Island, near New York City, the novel depicts first-person narrator Nick Carraway's interactions with Jay Gatsby, a mysterious mi ...

'' on Broadway. On 16 January, it was announced Kyle Selig and Jacob Dickey joined the cast.

Broadway (2025)

Following the run in Los Angeles, the show transferred to

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street ** Broadway Theatre (53rd Stre ...

in 2025 with Bernadette Peters and Lea Salonga and the rest of the Los Angeles cast reprising their performances. The show began performances on 25 March 2025 at the

Samuel J. Friedman Theatre The Samuel J. Friedman Theatre, formerly the Biltmore Theatre, is a Broadway theater at 261 West 47th Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City, New York, U.S. Opened in 1925, it was designed by Herbert J. Krapp i ...

with an opening night on 8 April and closed 29 June.

Cast

Musical numbers

2022 Gala Performance

; Act I * Opening: "Sunday in the Park with George" – Daniel Evans / "Side by Side" – Ashley Campbell,

Rosalie Craig Rosalie Mae Craig (born May 30, 1980) is an English actress, noted for her performances in musical theatre. In 2013, she received her first major award, a London Evening Standard Award for Best Performance in a Musical. Life and career Craig ...

Josefina Gabrielle Josefina Gabrielle Holmes, professionally known as Josefina Gabrielle (born October 1963), is a British actress and ballet dancer, best known for her performances in West End musicals and plays. Theatrical career Gabrielle was born in London ...

, Amy Griffiths,

Bradley Jaden Bradley Jaden (born Bradley Wilson) is an English actor. His West End credits include the leading roles of Javert and Enjolras in ''Les Misérables'', Fiyero in ''Wicked'', and Lancelot in ''Camelot''. In addition to his leading West End cre ...

and

Jenna Russell Jenna Russell (born 5 October 1967) is an English actress and singer. She has appeared on the stage in London in both musicals and dramas, as well as appearing with the Royal Shakespeare Company The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) is a maj ...

* "Introduction" –

* "Comedy Tonight"–

Rob Brydon Robert Brydon Jones (; born 3 May 1965) is a Welsh actor, comedian, impressionist, presenter, singer and writer. He gained prominence for his roles in film, television and radio. He was appointed Order of the British Empire, Member of the Order ...

Gary Wilmot Harold Owen "Gary" Wilmot, MBE (born 8 May 1954) is a British actor who rose to fame as a contestant on ''New Faces''. As a television presenter, he is best known as the host of '' You and Me'', ''So You Want To Be Top'' and ''Showstoppers''. ...

and West End All Stars * "

Company A company, abbreviated as co., is a Legal personality, legal entity representing an association of legal people, whether Natural person, natural, Juridical person, juridical or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members ...

" – West End All Stars * "The Little Things You Do Together" –

and

* "You Could Drive a Person Crazy" –

Anna-Jane Casey Anna-Jane Casey (born 15 February 1972) is an English singer, dancer and actress best known for her work in musical theatre. Personal life Casey was born in Salford, Lancashire, England. Casey married fellow actor Graham MacDuff in 1998. The ...

* "Live Alone and Like It" –

* "Loving You" –

* " Getting Married Today" –

, Holly-Anne Hull and

Jon Robyns Jon Robyns (born 8 December 1982) is a British stage actor, who is best known for playing Jean Valjean in ''Les Misérables'' and the title role in ''The Phantom of the Opera'' in London's West End. Early life Robyns was born in Manchester a ...

* "Into the Woods" – West End All Stars * "Agony" –

Julian Ovenden Julian Mark Ovenden (born 29 November 1976) is an English actor and singer. He has starred on Broadway and West End stages, in television series in both the United Kingdom and United States, in films, and performed internationally as a concert ...

and

Michael Xavier Michael D. Xavier (born Michael David Smith; 27 November 1977) is an English actor and singer. He is a two-time Laurence Olivier Award nominee and has performed on Broadway and in the West End. Early life Michael David Smith (later known as M ...

* "I Know Things Now" –

* "Hello Little Girl" –

and

* "Children Will Listen" –

* "A Weekend in the Country" – Desmonda Cathabel,

, Rob Houchen, Holly-Anne Hull,

and West End All Stars * " Send in the Clowns" –

* "The Ballad of Sweeney Todd" –

and West End All Stars * "The Worst Pies in London" –

and

* "My Friends" –

* "Pretty Women" –

and Jeremy Secomb * "A Little Priest" –

and

* " The Ladies Who Lunch" –

* "Sunday" – Daniel Evans,

and West End All Stars ; Act II * "Entr’acte" – Overture from '' Merrily We Roll Along'' – The Orchestra * "Tonight Quintet" – Shan Ako,

, Louis Gaunt, Rob Houchen and Students from the Royal Academy Musical Theatre Company and Mountview * "Broadway Baby" –

Helena Bonham Carter Helena Bonham Carter (born 26 May 1966) is an English actress. Known for her roles in Blockbuster (entertainment), blockbusters and independent films, particularly period dramas, List of awards and nominations received by Helena Bonham Carter ...

, Amy Griffiths,

and

* "Everybody Ought to Have a Maid" –

and

Siân Phillips Dame Jane Elizabeth Ailwên Phillips (born 14 May 1933), known professionally as Siân Phillips ( ), is a Welsh actress from Gwaun-Cae-Gurwen, Wales. Her early career consisted primarily of stage roles, including the title roles in Ibsen's '' ...

* " You Gotta Get A Gimmick" –

and

* "Waiting For The Girls Upstairs" – Ashley Campbell, Rob Houchen,

and Charlie Stemp * " I’m Still Here" –

* " Could I Leave You?" –

* "Buddy’s Blues" –

* " The Boy From..." –

* " Losing My Mind" –

* " Everything’s Coming Up Roses" –

* "Duelling Composers" -

and

Andrew Lloyd Webber Andrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber (born 22 March 1948) is an English composer and impresario of musical theatre. Several of his musicals have run for more than a decade both in the West End theatre, West End and on Broadway theatre, Broad ...

(video segment) * "Not A Day Goes By" –

and West End All Stars * "

Being Alive "Being Alive" is a song from the musical ''Company'' with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. The song appears at the end of act two and is sung by Robert, a 35-year-old bachelor at the center of the show, who "...realizes being a lone wolf isn ...

" –

, Jeremy Secomb,

and West End All Stars * "Old Friends" – Full Company * "Our Time" – Full Company

Awards and nominations

2025 Broadway production

External links

*
''Old Friends''
at the Sondheim Database

References

{{Stephen Sondheim Broadway musicals Concerts in the United Kingdom West End musicals 2022 musicals Musicals by Stephen Sondheim Revues