Lea Salonga returns to US stage in ‘Old Friends’ with Bernadette Peters
Lea Salonga / Photo from leasalonga/Instagram
Returning to the North American theater scene, Tony Award-winning actress Lea Salonga is set to take center stage in Stephen Sondheim’s “Old Friends.”
Following a successful West End run in September 2023, the musical will play at the Center Theatre Group’s Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles from Feb. 8 to March 9 this year before heading to Broadway’s Manhattan Theatre Club for its official premiere on March 25.
A tribute to the legendary Stephen Sondheim, the production will showcase Salonga’s unparalleled vocal prowess, stage presence and comedic chops.
She will be joined by fellow Tony winner Bernadette Peters. The Times previously hailed the show as “unmissable musical theatre.”
In an interview with the Times, the Filipina Broadway star said that this production is a return to familiar ground. She last performed at the Center Theatre Group in the 2001 revival of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “Flower Drum Song,” directed by David Henry Hwang.
Now, under the direction of acclaimed director Matthew Bourne, she steps into a new role that allows her to display not just her musical brilliance, but also her comedic talents.
In an Instagram post, she wrote, “London above, LA below. Same numbers, which coincide with my birthday! @sondheimfriends.”
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Salonga posted their final run-through, saying: “Final run through, done and dusted! LA, here we come! Missing from the photo is @davidharrisoz. Feel better, love, and see you in a few days!”
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Meanwhile, Peters, a Broadway icon known for her work in numerous Sondheim productions, will make her long-awaited debut at the Center Theatre Group.
In a statement, producer Cameron Mackintosh, who has previously collaborated with Salonga on Miss Saigon and Les Misérables, praised her versatility.
While her exceptional performance abilities were never in doubt, he admitted he was taken aback by her comedic side, which had not been as evident in her past dramatic roles.
