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.