Stephen Sondheim's Old Friends begins its Broadway transfer at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre via Manhattan Theatre Club March 25 ahead of an April 8 opening night. Tony winners Bernadette Peters and Lea Salonga are both reprising their performances from the concert's London bow, leading a cast of stage notables singing songs written by the late Broadway master.
The cast also includes Jacob Dickey, Kevin Earley, Jasmine Forsberg, Kate Jennings Grant, Bonnie Langford, Tony winner Beth Leavel, Tony nominee Gavin Lee, Olivier nominee Jason Pennycooke, Olivier winner Joanna Riding, Jeremy Secomb, Kyle Selig, Maria Wirries, Daniel Yearwood, Paige Faure, Alexa Lopez, Greg Mills, and Peter Neureuther. Langford, Lee, Pennycooke, Riding, and Secomb are all reprising their work from the London bow.
As in the West End, the concert features the songs of Stephen Sondheim and is devised by producer Cameron Mackintosh. Matthew Bourne is back to provide musical staging and direction, leading a creative team that also includes artistic consultant Julia McKenzie, choreographer Stephen Mear, music supervisor Alfonso Casado Trigo, music director Annbritt duChateau, arranger Stephen Metcalfe, set designer Matt Kinley, projection designer George Reeve, costume designer Jill Parker, lighting designer Warren Letton, and sound designer Mick Potter. Orchestrations are by Jonathan Tunick, and David Lober serves as production stage manager.
The concert began as a one-night-only affair at London's Sondheim Theatre May 3, 2022, an evening that was filmed and later broadcast on BBC Two. The evening was brought back for a limited West End run at the Gielgud Theatre beginning October 3, 2023, with Peters making her official West End debut. A live album was released of the 2022 concert. The Broadway bow was preceded by a West Coast run at Los Angeles' Center Theatre Group.
READ: Old Friends and Animal Adoption: Inside Bernadette Peters' London Adventure
Manhattan Theatre Club is joining Mackintosh's CMI and Daryl Roth to present the tribute concert's Broadway bow.
Visit ManhattanTheatreClub.com.
See photos from the Los Angeles bow below:
