Bernadette Peters – Photo by Tom Alvarez.
Bernadette Peters transformed the imposing Palladium at the Allied Solutions Center for the Performing Arts into an intimate room Friday with “An Evening with Bernadette Peters.” The 90-minute concert drew on Broadway standards and centered on the songs of Stephen Sondheim, with whom she has long been associated. She treats each song as a short scene, acting the lyric as much as singing it.
The focus follows her recent work in “in Sondheim’s Old Friends,” Cameron Mackintosh’s revue of his songs. Peters starred in it with Lea Salonga in London’s West End, in Los Angeles and on Broadway, where it opened in April 2025.
The evening was more than a string of songs, and much of that came from Peters’ stage presence. She carries old-school glamour, in a polished look and easy, confident poise, but wears it lightly. Her movement is economical, and a gesture or a glance does the work of a big flourish. She has a dry, self-aware sense of humor and a warm rapport with the audience. Between numbers, she chatted, mentioned colleagues and collaborators where they connected to the material, and shared anecdotes that set up what came next. The pacing was well judged, and the room stayed with her throughout.
Bernadette Peters – Photo by Tom Alvarez.
Her voice remains distinctive. It is bright and instantly recognizable, with a touch of vulnerability, and she uses it as an acting tool rather than a showcase. She bends phrases toward speech, softens a line for effect and lets a lyric land without forcing it. It is not a big, polished sound, but it suits the material.
Peters was backed by a 10-piece band led by her longtime musical director, pianist Tedd Firth, with Kevin Axt on bass and Patrick “Cubby” O’Brien on drums. Firth, whose credits include work with Michael Feinstein, Betty Buckley and Liza Minnelli, was the standout. He gave her room on quiet, speech-like songs such as “Send in the Clowns” and “Losing My Mind,” then filled out the sound when the program turned brassy. He followed the lyric as closely as the tune, without ever drawing attention to himself.
The early songs were light. “Old Friends” and “No One Is Alone” set an intimate tone, and “There Is Nothing Like a Dame,” “Fever” and “Mr. Snow” showed her comic timing. “It Might as Well Be Spring” and “In Buddy’s Eyes” slowed the pace.
The strongest moment was “Losing My Mind.” She kept the difficult song about longing understated rather than reaching for big effects. The room was noticeably quiet.
Bernadette Peters – Photo by Tom Alvarez.
“Johanna” changed the mood. I expected something darker, but she emphasized its tenderness and sang the long phrases with control. “Send in the Clowns,” the song many in the audience were waiting for, was quiet and almost conversational. The restraint suited it.
The second half was more theatrical. “Goodbye for Now,” “With So Little to Be Sure Of,” “Children Will Listen,” “Before the Parade Passes By,” “So Long, Dearie” and “Being Alive” closed the main set and showed her range from tender to brassy.
The encore, “Anyone Can Whistle,” was gentle and a little wry. The audience responded with sustained applause.
Overall, it was a well-paced, thoughtfully assembled concert. The songs hold up, and Peters still knows how to make an audience lean in and listen; by the final notes of “Anyone Can Whistle,” the room had heard every lyric as a scene. For anyone who loves Sondheim or the Broadway repertoire, it was an evening to savor.
