All-Star Free Virtual Sondheim Concert This Sunday!
Tuesday, April 21, 2020 at 11:20AM by Nathaniel R
Meryl & Bernadette both played "The Witch" in productions of Into the Woods. But which songs will they sing at this concert?
Please place this in the "silver linings" bin of the horrific coronavirus pandemic. There will be a virtual concert this Sunday April 26th at 8 PM EST celebrating Stephen Sondheim's 90th birthday. You will NOT believe the performer's list. It's jaw-dropping in its starpower...
Here is just a sampling of the incredible divas who will be singing: Meryl Streep, Bernadette Peters, Kristin Chenoweth, Patti Lupone, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Audra McDonald, Sutton Foster, Mandy Patinkin, Aaron Tveit, Donna Murphy... (the list goes on) Our favourite perennial Tony losing male Rául Esparza (seriously how does he not have a Tony?!?!) will be the host. We're not sure how they're earning money for this benefit concert (it's free to watch on Broadway.com's YouTube channel) but the proceeds are going to ASTEP (Artists Striving to End Poverty).
Bernadette Peters, Mandy Patinkin, Audra McDonald and Elaine Stritch performing at Sondheim's 80th Birthday Concert, 10 years back
Here in NYC, concerts celebrating Stephen Sondheim's birthday are pretty much annual events. I'll never forget attending a concert for his 75th birthday shortly after moving to NYC. The concert lasted all day but you had to agree to leave after 45 minutes or so once you were seated to give other people in the long lines a chance to see some of the performances.
Sondheim turned 90 a few weeks ago. The tradition of celebrating him annually with star-studded concerts is a great excuse to plead with your higher power to help him stay alive forever. This is a big year for Sondheim, turning 90, and having a new film version of West Side Story premiering late in the year. (Not that Sondheim loves West Side Story but he did write those iconic lyrics and gets 1% royalties on the show so that's surely delivered a hefty pile of treasure over the past 63 years.) It was meant to be an even bigger year with revivals of West Side Story and Company on Broadway this season but both shows were shuttered in March (Company hadn't even made it out of previews) due to the pandemic.
Reader Comments (14)
This is great. As for how they'll monetize this, it'll probably be like all the other virtual concerts that's been happening the past couple weeks for various things... people go to a link and donate as they see fit.
Well, I think I know what I’ll be doing on Sunday.
Fabulous! I've been bingeing The Good Fight - chock full of Broadway stars plus Sondheim divas - so yay for more Peters, Baranaski, McDonald, etc.
Love that you included Mandy Patinkin, Brian Stokes Mitchell, and Aaron Tveit in your list of divas!
I thought you've been living in New York a lot longer then since '05! You just sound like someone who's been there for over 20 years...
If Meryl doesn’t sing Me from Death Becomes Her then I’m not interested.
I would have loved to live in a world in which there was a big film starring Elaine Stritch every year!
But, this is Earth.
In the Heights moved to 2021. Good news last seconds these days!
Chris -- oops. I think i got the dates wrong. Was thinking of a different thing. Yeah, I had already been here 5 years. They have a lot of those concerts!!!
@Nathaniel. Can you do a comment post where we can all share tips/tricks/ideas of how to stay sane right now? I know it's not exactly on topic, but I would love to get some new ideas from this crew about things to try to keep me engaged, etc.
Amory -- did one of those last week --> http://thefilmexperience.net/blog/2020/4/11/how-you-holding-up-out-there.html
bernadette >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> meryl
Great news!!! and they choose a very special date, because April 26 was the opening night of the wonderful "Company", 50 years ago!!!
Not only is April 26th the 50th Anniversary of Company, it is our 50th Wedding Anniversary and our "kids" had surprised us with tickets months ago to the now cancelled revival. What a disappointment, but this virtual Sondheim concert, on that same day, is a welcome surprise. https://tinyurl.com/y8w8q2gy