Sondheim Tribute Revue

Note: this writer is friends with most of this cast and with the production team. Therefore, this show is not eligible for a PreviewNight.com Critic’s Pick designation.

While it is of course incredible to experience top talent like Bernadette Peters and Lea Salonga performing Stephen Sondheim’s music on Broadway in New York City, as they did earlier this year, it is also very satisfying and enjoyable to watch local talent and Old Friends in Kitsap County perform Sondheim on Bainbridge Island. Tonight was Opening Night for the Sondheim Tribute Revue, a concert produced by Ovation! Performing Arts Northwest. The show runs through Sunday, July 27, at Side Quest Stage at Rolling Bay Hall.

A difference between tonight’s show and the recent Sondheim’s Old Friends on Broadway is the performers singing their hearts out on stage this weekend are doing so as volunteers and for the pure joy and passion they have for the music. I saw performances tonight that brought just as much passion and emotion as did the big stars on Broadway.

In comparing the two programs, there is more overlap in songs than I remembered. This makes sense, since the Broadway show was nearly three hours long and covered so many shows. The Ovation show is a bit over two hours long and also includes fascinating facts about Stephen Sondheim and his songs and shows. Producer and director Margaret Johnston kept the story telling to just the right amount of time, as she acknowledged she could talk for days about Stephen Sondheim! Margaret also did a really nice job organizing the order of the songs and of the performers; the show flowed very nicely.

Out of all of the songs that occurred in both shows, there are two I want to call out. First is “Losing My Mind,” which was performed by Bernadette Peters earlier this year on Broadway, and tonight it was performed by Barbi-Jo Smith to close out Act 1. Barbi-Jo’s performance was a stand out performance of the evening and such a great way to close Act 1. I absolutely loved Barbi-Jo’s energy and presence during this performance. Similarly, Kendra Truett had a stand out performance with “The Worst Pies in London,” which was sung earlier this year on Broadway by Lea Salonga. I see no reason why Kendra could not be the one on that Broadway stage. Her performances tonight were outstanding.

Matt Alder, Christy Alligood, Lee Gunby, Diane Hoeft, Margaret Johnston, Tina Kirkpatrick, Wendy LaVoy, Mallory McCollum, Misty Munro, Angela Reyes, Beau Ross, Kestrel Rundle, Vicente Velasco, and Don Warkentin also did Sondheim proud with their excellent performances tonight. Wendi Olinger is always fantastic as music director, and Avery Wong was great on keys. As previously mentioned, Margaret Johnston produced and directed the show, and Wendy LaVoy co-produced.

I also love this small, intimate venue, where microphones are not needed. The piano was at just the right volume, so the sound quality was excellent.

This entire cast and production team should be proud of putting together and executing a quality tribute to Stephen Sondheim. There are only two more chances to see this show: Saturday 7/26 at 7 PM and Sunday 7/27 at 3 PM. Tickets are available at https://www.ovationmtb.com/mainstage/sondheim-tribute-revue.

Bonus video coverage: go backstage and meet some of the performers ahead of the Opening Night performance.

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