Review by Daz Gale
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The stage at Theatre Royal Drury Lane has played host to some legendary musical theatre stars in its years and they don’t come much more legendary than Bernadette Peters. Returning to the West End for her own concert, following a run in Old Friends last year, West End audiences have been waiting years for Bernadette to bring her own show here, following the cancellation of her 2019 tour. With hopes high, could this one-night-only return be a fitting tribute to an illustrious career and celebrated performer?
For anyone who isn’t immediately familiar with Bernadette Peters, she has been a star of stage and screen for many a decade now, winning multiple Tony awards for her work on Broadway. Through her career, she has become synonymous with the works of Stephen Sondheim, appearing in shows such as Sunday In The Park With George, Into The Woods and Follies. Aside from the odd London concert over the years, West End audiences had been largely deprived of Peters presence until the 2022 Stephen Sondheim celebration concert Old Friends or, as she hilariously referred to it at the concert, “Old Folks” – initially a one-night-only concert, it ended up receiving a full run in the West End last year, concluding its sensational run in January this year.
With a career as rich and lengthy as Bernadette Peters, how do you even begin to curate a setlist for a concert like this? While it may not have been the easiest of choices, the end result was exquisite, packing no punches as it revisited some of Peters’ most acclaimed roles, paying tribute to shows she was in with songs she didn’t get to perform herself, and even squeezing in numbers from shows she hadn’t appeared in. The result was a non-stop 1 hour and 40 minutes (with no interval) of musical theatre heaven.
At 76 years old, Bernadette shows no signs of slowing down, filling the stage with her incredible star power, stage presence and charisma. Her effortless ability to charm audiences was at its best from the moment she sauntered on to the stage, captivating us all with her stories, getting a few name-drops in and surprising us all with, what she referred to as the “jokes section”, ensuring some big laughs. Her personality and sense of allure had us hanging on her every word, making the moments where she wasn’t singing every bit as entertaining. Her infectious personality allowed hilarity to prevail throughout, with a fantastic ‘There Is Nothin’ Like A Dame’ swiftly followed by clarifying “that’s not how they did in the show”.
We were all there for one reason, however, and that was to experience Bernadette’s distinct voice taking on some of the greatest musical theatre songs ever written. Still very much in fine form, her voice carries with it a weight of emotion that heightens every lyric she sings. A master when it comes to interpreting these numbers, every performance demanded attention as she acted and lived each song in a way very few can manage. Highlights of the evening included a bit of Rodgers & Hammerstein with ‘(When I Marry) Mister Snow’ and two numbers from Hello, Dolly! – a show she starred in during its most recent Broadway revival. As well as the numbers, her embodiment of the character Dolly Levi led to an extended piece of dialogue from the show as she effortlessly transitioned from character to herself and giving us a taste of why she is such a well-renowned award-winning actress.
Of course it was her interpretations of Sondheim numbers we were all itching for, and these came thick and fast in a show heavily dominated by the legendary composer. The evening fittingly kicked off with a nod to her most recent show and one she is soon to return to on Broadway - a sped-up ‘Old Friends’. Bernadette followed this by taking the bold approach of launching into a spine-tinglingly intimate ‘No One Is Alone’ from Into The Woods. This sort of performance is one you would usually expect to see towards the climax of a show so the fact she had the audacity to perform it so early in the night was a sign of things to come and the spectacular evening that awaited us all.
To single out highlights on a show as consistently stunning as this is no easy job, as the regular mid-show standing ovations vouched for, but it was her beautiful rendition of ‘Losing My Mind’ from Follies that did it for me personally with every word sung with raw emotion and authenticity that ended up reducing this cold-hearted reviewer to tears. A poignant performance of ‘Send In the Clowns’ from A Little Night Music showcased Bernadette at her very best in an understated masterclass of a performance, while an urgent, rapid and rousing ‘Being Alive’ once again demonstrated why she is often regarded as one of the very best there is. Her stamina to do all of this in a lengthy, singular act without an interval would be impressive for anyone, let alone a 76 year old woman who had more energy than me, who just had to sit there and take in this marvel of a performance. Perhaps an interval would have allowed me to catch my breath to take in what I had just seen, but this never arriving only heightened each subsequent number.
She may have sung no one is alone and Bernadette was right as she shared the stage with a glorious orchestra, making the place come alive with their brilliant musicianship and starting the evening off on a high with a gorgeous overture. Bernadette was also joined by her Old Friends co-stars Joanna Riding and the truly iconic Bonnie Langford (who got in her obligatory high kick and split during her brief stage time, of course. I’m sure that must be in her contract) to recreate the hilarious ‘You Gotta Get A Gimmick’ from Gypsy, as seen in Old Friends. Absolutely amazing from start to finish, Bernadette was very clearly born to bump it with a trumpet and was at her comic best alongside her two fellow phenomenal performers in a performance so completely joyous, it should be prescribed on the NHS.
No gimmicks are required when it comes to Bernadette Peters – her talent, stage presence and personality is more than enough to create an incredible night in the theatre. With a loving audience so in awe, you could hear a pin drop during her performances (not something you get to say often these days), this really was a magnificent night in the theatre and a fitting showcase for Bernadette Peters’ sensational talents and credits to date. To quote ‘Send In the Clowns’, there was no danger of her losing her timing this late in her career. Instead, this was a meticulous masterclass in how to perform these classics emotionally and exceptionally. One of the greatest talents there is in musical theatre performing an incredibly curated setlist, the West End was blessed to have her tread the boards here once more in an evening of pure joy and allure.
Setlist:
Overture
Old Friends (from Merrily We Roll Along)
No One Is Alone (from Into The Woods)
There is Nothing Like A Dame (from South Pacific)
Fever
(When I Marry) Mister Snow (from Carousel)
It Might As Well Be Spring (from State Fair)
In Buddy’s Eyes (from Follies)
Losing My Mind (from Follies)
Goodbye For Now (from Reds)
Johanna (from Sweeney Todd)
With So Little To be Sure Of (from Anyone Can Whistle)
Children Will Listen (from Into The Woods)
Before The Parade Passes By (from Hello, Dolly!)
So Long Dearie (from Hello, Dolly!)
You Gotta Get A Gimmick (from Gypsy) (with Bonnie Langford and Joanna Riding)
Send In The Clowns (from A Little Night Music)
Being Alive (from Company)
Move On (from Sunday In The Park With George)
Kramer’s Song
Bernadette Peters played at Theatre Royal Drury Lane on 12th August produced by Lambert Jackson productions. To see their upcoming musical theatre concerts, visit www.lambertjackson.co.uk
Photos by Danny Kaan
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