Musical theater fans gather together this Friday, May 17, 2024 evening at Morristown, NJ’s MPAC for a live concert by one of Broadway’s brightest stars, Bernadette Peters. Peters is a Tony, Drama Desk, Golden Globe, and Grammy-award winning Broadway, television, film, and recording star.
Considered one of the foremost interpreters of composer Stephen Sondheim’s music, Peters is known for her roles in productions including Sunday in the Park with George, Into the Woods, A Little Night Music, and Follies. Her film appearances include Silent Movie, The Jerk, and Pennies from Heaven, and she’s appeared on television on The Carol Burnett Show, Ally McBeal, and Mozart in the Jungle. Peters has also recorded six solo albums, in addition to numerous cast albums including her latest project, Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends: A Celebration Live at the Sondheim Theatre, which was released in 2023.
Outside MPAC, Lynn from Farmingdale recalls, “I’ve known Bernadette since 1967 and I’ve seen every Broadway show she’s ever been in. She’s my favorite Broadway performer! I’m looking forward to her doing some upbeat songs tonight, and I’m also looking forward to seeing her again on Broadway in March when she stars in Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends, the show she just did in London.”
Inside the MPAC auditorium, Bruce from Parsippany acknowledges, “I’m a long-time fan of Bernadette Peters. I’ve seen her several times in concert, and I’m here because she’s a true artist I want to continue to support.” Helen from Spring Lake asserts, “I love Bernadette Peters and I’ve seen her in many Broadway shows. I saw her in Annie Get Your Gun four times and also saw her in Gypsy, but I’ve never experienced her live in concert so I’m looking forward to seeing what she does here tonight at MPAC.”
The auditorium lights dim and pianist Ted Firth, bassist Kevin Axt, and drummer Cubby O’Brien take the stage to play an instrumental overture before Bernadette Peters, 76, makes her entrance in a glittering lavender gown, graciously bowing as the crowd stands and applauds.
Opening with “Old Friends,” Peters sings with power and style, “Hey, old friend/Are you okay, old friend?” on this snappy number from Steven Sondheim’s Merrily We Roll Along.
The crowd cheers, and Peters exclaims, “It’s great to be back at the Mayo Performing Arts Center!” She reveals that her next song comes from a show she was in — Sondheim’s Into the Woods — but was sung by another character, explaining, “I fell in love with it so I try to sing it as often as possible.” Here, Peters captivates the audience with her fluid and legato vocal performance of “No One is Alone,” a ballad which features rich, orchestral piano playing by Ted Firth.
Dramatic lighting enhances Peters’ novel take on South Pacific’s “There is Nothing Like a Dame,” where she freely sashays across the stage as she performs the Rodgers and Hammerstein classic. She follows up by climbing a set of stairs and laying across a raised platform while performing a sultry rendition of Peggy Lee’s “Fever,” deftly accompanied by bassist Kevin Axt.
The audience applauds, and Peters recalls, “I grew up listening to Rodgers and Hammerstein,” prior to launching into her interpretation of “(When I Marry) Mister Snow” from Carousel. Singing lyrics like “The first time he kissed me the whiff from his clothes knocked me flat on the floor of the room/But now that I love him my heart’s in my nose and fish is my favorite perfume,” Peters gets musical theater lovers smiling and applauding.
After announcing, “This next Rodgers and Hammerstein song comes from the movie, State Fair,” Peters delivers on a gentle swing arrangement of “It Might as Well Be Spring.” Then, before acting out an emotional rendition of “In Buddy’s Eyes” from Sondheim’s Follies, Peters introduces her band members, pointing out that bassist Kevin Axt performed with Luciano Pavarotti, pianist Ted Firth accompanied Liza Minnelli, and drummer Cubby O’Brien was an original Mouseketeer on TV’s The Mickey Mouse Club.
Firth’s fluid piano orchestration and O’Brien’s tasteful percussion enhance Peters’ intimate interpretation of “Losing My Mind.” Incorporating dramatic pauses as the arrangement builds with emotion and intensity, Peters cries, “I dim the lights and think about you/Spend sleepless nights to think about you,” on this dramatic Sondheim number from Follies.
Following a soft, plaintive rendition of Sondheim’s love theme from the movie Reds, “Goodbye for Now,” Peters announces, “The next two songs are also by Stephen Sondheim — the first is from Anyone Can Whistle and the second is from Into the Woods.” Cascading piano supports Peters’ voice on the lovely ballad, “With So Little to be Sure Of,” and music lovers cheer when they recognize Peters’ signature song, “Children Will Listen,” where she cries, “Careful the tale you tell,” and elicits animated cheers and applause from the crowd.
Exclaiming, “I was in Hello Dolly!” Peters briefly explains the musical’s plot prior to singing with gusto on a high-stepping version of Jerry Herman’s “Before the Parade Passes By,” and dancing while singing with style on Herman’s delightful Dolly two-step, “So Long Dearie.”
The lights dim as Firth plays a single note melody on the piano to introduce Sondheim’s “Send in the Clowns” from A Little Night Music. As Peters stands center stage and poignantly croons, “Isn’t it rich/Are we a pair?” she’s accompanied by chordal piano arpeggios from Firth and fluttering wind chimes from percussionist O’Brien.
Music lovers cheer, and a fan shouts out, “Mack and Mabel!” to which Peters responds with a smile, “We don’t have requests tonight,” before acknowledging, “But I’ve enjoyed spending this evening with all of you, and I couldn’t leave before singing this Sondheim song.” Launching into a powerful rendition of “Being Alive” from Company, Peters cries, “Somebody sit in my chair/And ruin my sleep/And make me aware/Of being alive.” Concertgoers react by leaping to their feet and cheering as Peters takes a bow prior to exiting the stage.
Returning for an encore, Peters tells audience members about Broadway Barks, her charity for animals, and closes her performance with “Kramer’s Song,” an original lullaby she wrote for her own furry friend, Kramer. After crooning, “Goodnight old soul, goodnight my dear/I am smiling now from ear to ear,” Peters exclaims, “Kiss your animals, kiss your children, kiss your grandchildren! Thank you for coming!” as she graciously bows and exits the stage.
As concertgoers make their way out of the MPAC auditorium, several comment on tonight’s performance. Remarks April from Lambertville, “It was a lovely evening with Bernadette! She brought us in with ‘Old Friends’ and closed with ‘Being Alive’ and did songs you wouldn’t expect from a woman, like ‘There is Nothing Like a Dame,’” before concluding, “The whole show was lovely and Bernadette was so comfortable on stage, I was right there with her every step of the way.”
Jeneane from Rockaway declares, “Bernadette Peters is a fabulous performer! I’ve always enjoyed her — her voice is still as great as ever, and her personality is so bubbly, too.” Her husband, Nick, concurs, adding, “She was great — she always is; she’s always herself,” prior to insisting, “And she looks damn good, too!”
Stephanie from Long Valley remarks, “Until tonight, I’d never seen Bernadette perform live and I thought she was fantastic! She has an amazing, amazing voice, and she’s funny, too; her personality is fantastic!” Lastly, Joe from Morristown exclaims, “I loved Bernadette! She captivated me from the moment she walked out on stage to the moment she left it. Every note was amazing, and to finally see her live in person was beyond my wildest dreams!”
To learn more about Bernadette Peters, please go to officialbernadettepeters.com. For info on great future MPAC shows — including Paul Anka’s Seven Decades Tour on June 8 and A Bronx Tale: A One Man Show Starring Chase Palminteri on June 15 — please click on mayoarts.org.
Photos by Katharine Boyle Photography
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