Undeniably Broadway royalty, Bernadette Peters is a charismatic, idiosyncratic performer who has had notable success in New York, giving acclaimed performance in hit productions including ANNIE GET YOUR GUN, Jerry Herman’s MACK & MABEL, Bernstein’s ON THE TOWN, THE GOODBYE GIRL and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s SONG AND DANCE but she’s most celebrated for her interpretation of the work of Stephen Sondheim and lead roles in FOLLIES, A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC, GYPSY, SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE and INTO THE WOODS. She’s also enjoyed a parallel TV and Film career and has written children’s books inspired by her love of dogs.It must be the original cast recordings which have brought her fame and adoration over here because she’s never done a West End Show. On Friday night she stopped off in London to give a concert at the Royal Festival Hall and it felt more like a temple of worship than a music venue, as an adoring congregation of the gay and stage-struck roared approval at her every utterance.
If you don’t listen to cast albums it is a bit bewildering and I spoke to a number of plus ones who’d been dragged along by their partners and who really didn't get it. Don’t tell anyone, or I may have to surrender my gay and stage-struck membership card, but for a long time I didn't get the appeal either.
We seem to like our divas to sing from the back of the nose and to swoop and slide around the phrasing, often illogically, in between belting the big notes and Peters is definitely a queen of this technique alongside Barbara Streisand and the bizarre phenomenon which is Patti LuPone. Those voices just don’t speak to me.
However I recently became a convert when I saw our star in the last Broadway revival of FOLLIES and the charisma and detail she brought to the oft heard score rendered it completely fresh and very moving, a talent she displayed in spades on Friday night.
The evening didn't start well, as if they hadn't sound checked properly the drum drowned out the other instruments in the overture and for the first ten minutes our star had so much reverb on her mic that it sounded like we were listening to her in a tunnel. Fortunately things settled down and we were treated to sparkling renditions of some of her Sondheim hits.
The extraordinary thing is that although the faithful have heard this repertoire a million times before she managed to make us feel like we was experiencing them for the first time – even SEND IN THE CLOWNS and LOOSING MY MIND. I did indeed lose myself in the glorious and rare connection she made with Sondheim’s tricksy lyrics and sophisticated melodies and was wowed afresh by the genius of the writing.
Highlights included the beautiful WITH SO LITTLE TO BE SURE OF from ANYONE CAN WHISTLE and the majestic simplicity of NO ONE IS ALONE from INTO THE WOODS.
In between there was lots of comedy too. There’s no denying, with her alabaster skin, which makes her look half her age and her generous cleavage she can still ooze sex appeal and we were treated to vampy renditions of THERE IS NOTHING LIKE A DAME and FEVER which genuinely sizzled. I even enjoyed the encore, a lullaby she’d written for her dog!
All in all it was a memorable, deeply satisfying ninety minute set, a master class for performers and songwriters and the audience response was so ecstatic I think she’ll be back.
There’s a new theatrical genius in town!