You might go just to see legendary Tony Award-winning performers  Bernadette Peters and Lea Salonga on stage  in this tribute revue of Stephen Sondheim’s incredible body of work.  Yet in its pre-Broadway engagement and North American premiere  at the Ahmanson,  all of the voices and actors in this production are top notch.

Originally developed during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, the revue was suggested by Sondheim to Cameron Mackintosh as a follow-up to the previous revue productions “Side by Side by Sondheim” (which was nominated for three Tony Awards in 1977) and “Putting It Together” (which was nominated for one Tony Award in 2000).

Sondheim died during the development of the concert but the original performance was a one-night only production at the Sondheim Theatre in London’s West End (3 May 2022) directed by Matthew Bourne and Maria Friedman. Peters was part of the sold-out production where she performed “I Know Things Now,” “Hello Little Girl” (with Damian Lewis), “Children Will Listen,”  “Sunday” with Daniel Evans, “Broadway Baby” with other cast members, “You Gotta Get a Gimmick,” “Losing My Mind” and “Not a Day Goes By” with the other cast members.

Mackintosh then brought back the revue for a 16-week run at the Gielgud Theatre, this time starring Bernadette Peters and Lea Salonga.  Directed by  Tony Award winning (“Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake”) Matthew Bourne and Olivier Award winning (“Sweeney Todd”) Julia McKenzie and choreographed by Stephen Mear.

McKenzie has been in the original Broadway cast of “Side by Side” in 1977. She was also the Witch in the original West End production of “Into the Woods” in 1990. She portrayed Mrs. Lovett in the first West End revival of “Sweeney Todd.”

Mear and Bourne won a Laurence Oliver Award for Best Choreography in 2005 for the West End “Mary Poppins,” which was also nominated for a Tony Award when it transferred to Broadway in 2006. In 2010, Mear was an Olivier for “Hello Dolly” in 2010.

Peters was nominated for a Tony (Leading Actress in a Musical) for “Sunday in the Park with George”  in 1984 and for the revival of “Gypsy” in 2003. She won her Tonys for non-Sondheim works: “Song and Dance” (1986) and “Annie Get Your Gun” (1999).

Peters originated the role of the Witch for the Broadway production of “Into the Woods” (1987) as well as Dot/Marie in the Broadway production of “Sunday in the Park with George” in 1984 (opposite Mandy Patinkin’s George).

“Old Friends” is Peters Center Theatre Group debut, but Salonga was last seen at the Mark Taper Forum in “Flower Drum Song.”

In this pre-Broadway production “Old Friends,” Peters also performs “Send in the Clowns” which Judi Dench performed at the gala one-night event, as well as performing her gala roles.

Salonga has performed on Broadway and the West End, winning Tony and Olivier awards for “Miss Saigon,” and has performed Sondheim, playing the Witch (“Into the Woods”) in Singapore (Victoria Theatre) and Mrs. Lovett (“Sweeney Todd”) in Singapore (Sands Theatre). For “Old Friends,” she assumes the role of Mrs. Lovett for two songs (“Worst Pies in London” and “A Little Priest”) opposite Jeremy Secomb’s Sweeney Todd. She also sings “Loving You” from “Passion,” “Somewhere” from “West Side Story” and “Everything’s Coming Up Roses” from “Gypsy.”

Together, Peters and Salonga sing the opening song, “Side by Side” from “Company” as well as “Children Will Listen” (“Into the Woods”).

The audience erupted into applause when the two came out on stage for the opening number, drowning out the vocals and orchestra (original orchestrations by Jonathan Tunick and musical direction by Annbritt DuChateau). There is only so long one can pause before carrying on with the show. The audience also audibly showed appreciation for favorite musicals such as “Sweeney Todd,” “West Side Story” and “Gypsy.”

There are songs that seem best relegated to revues like this: “Comedy Tonight” and “Everybody Ought to Have a Maid.” I rewatched 1966 movie adaptation (by Melvin Frank and Michael Pertwee) of “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” and, despite a cast that includes the original Broadway stars, Zero Mostel and Jack Gilford, and features Buster Keaton in his final film role, the movie seems dated and cringey.  For this “Old Friends,” however, Gavin Lee, Jason Dickey and Kyle Selig were hilarious in their renditions of “Everybody Ought to Have a Maid.”

Other standouts were Beth Leavel for her solo “The Ladies Who Lunch” from “Company”and Bonnie Langford for “I’m Still Here” from “Follies,” which at the one-night gala was performed by Petula Clark.  Leavel is also one of the singers featured with Peters in “You Gotta Get a Gimmick” along with Joanna Riding.

“Old Friends” is more than a concert, with some costuming (by Jill Parker and hair and make-up design by Stefan Musch) and scenic design (Matt Kinley), particularly for “Into the Woods” and “Sweeney Todd.”

With so much talent, this is really a must-see for fans of musicals and Sondheim. And for anyone heading toward their 70s, Peters is inspirational. “Sondheim’s Old Friends” continues until 9 March 2025 at the Ahmanson. If you’re not familiar with Sondheim, I’ve given a short rundown of his live and honors below. For more information and tickets, visit CenterTheatreGroup.org. The production will premiere on Broadway at the Manhattan Theatre Club on 25 March 2025.  Running time: 2 hours 30 minutes (with one 15-minute intermission).

The New York City-born Sondheim passed away in 2021 at the age of 91 in Roxbury, Connecticut. Mentored by Oscar Hammerstein II, he began by writing the lyrics for “West Side Story” (1957) with Leonard Bernstein (music) and then “Gypsy” with Jule Stein (1959) before he began writing both music and lyrics for musicals such as “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” (1962), “Company” (1970), “Follies (1971), “A Little Night Music” (1973), “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” (1979), “Merrily We Roll Along” (1981), “Sunday in the Park with George” (1984),  “Into the Woods” (1987) and “Assassins” (1990).

Sondheim won an Academy Award in 1990 for Best Original Song (“Sooner or Later (I Always Get My Man)” from “Dick Tracy.”  He won Grammys for:

• Best Score from an Original Cast (“Company” 1971)
• Best Score from the Original Cast Show Album (“A Little Night Music” 1974)
• Song of the Year (“Send in the Clowns” 1976)
• Best Cast Show Album (“Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” 1980)
• Best Cast Show Album (“Sunday in the Park with George” 1985)
• Best Musical Cast Show Album (“Into the Woods” 1989)
• Best Musical Theater Album (“Passion” 1995).

Sondheim also won Tony Awards:

• Best Original Musical Score and Best Lyricist of a Musical (“Company” 1971)
• Best Original Score (“Follies” 1972)
• Best Original Score (“A Little Night Music” 1973)
• Best Original Score (“Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” 1979)
• Best Original Score (“Into the Woods” 1988)
• Best Original Score (“Passion” 1994)

Sondheim was given Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre and a Grammy Trustee Award in 2008.  In 1985, he was given a Pulitzer Prize for Drama (“Sunday in the Park with George”).