Broadway Bridge and Tunnel Test

The Broadway Bridge and Tunnel Test is our personal and highly opinionated Commuter's Guide to New York theater and cultural events, with an emphasis on Broadway and Off-Broadway theatrical productions. The test is simple: is an event worth the always expensive, time consuming, and too often horrendous struggle to commute to New York City from New Jersey, Long Island, Upstate New York or Connecticut? Only truly great or near-great performances and productions may meet this stiff challenge!

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Location: Princeton, New Jersey, United States

James Camner is an antiquarian dealer of autographs, manuscripts and printed music and books of Opera, Classical Music, Theater, Dance, and Film, as well as a published author of more than 10 books on the performing arts including "How to Enjoy Opera" (Simon and Schuster), "The Great Opera Stars in Historic Photographs" (Dover), "Stars of American Musical Theater in Historic Photographs" (Dover - with Stanley Appelbaum); was for over 20 years a reviewer for Fanfare Magazine and has written feature articles and reviews for Opera News.

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

A Little Night Music, a musical by Stephen Sondheim at the Walter Kerr Theatre. Bernadette Peters has been a personal favorite ever since I saw her as Josie Cohan when I was 17 in 1968. She was the brightest of ingenues then, and today, she proved to be a grand Broadway diva at the height of her powers. There was a sense of greatness in every move she made as Desiree Armfelt. Her singing of "Send in the Clowns" was the finest rendition I've ever heard of it and I doubt there was a dry eye in the packed theater. Looking as ravishingly beautiful as she ever has, Peters dominated the stage and keyed this fabulous, pitch perfect revival. She was matched by an equal legend in Elanie Stritch as Madame Armfelt. The audience was riveted by her every line. Her scenes with the young beauty Katherine McNamara were very poignant. We loved the Egerman of Alexander Hanson and he played beautifully with Peters. Also outstanding as the randy maid Petra was gorgeous Lee Ann Larkin. All of the cast was just about ideal. Though critics carped about Trevor Nunn's direction, we didn't see how it could have been better. This is one of the most memorable performances we've seen in this or any season. The casting of Stritch and Peters was a great summer gift to Broadway. Do not miss this. Broadway Bridge and Tunnel Test Grade A+

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