• Contact
  • Log In

Everything Sondheim

  • Features
  • About
    • About Stephen Sondheim
    • Sondheim Bibliography
    • About Everything Sondheim
  • Sondheim Fun
    • Puzzles
    • Sondheim Valentine’s Day Cards
  • Sondheim Shows
    • Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
    • Pacific Overtures
    • A Little Night Music
    • Follies
    • Company
    • Do I Hear A Waltz?
    • Anyone Can Whistle
    • A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
    • Gypsy
    • West Side Story
    • Saturday Night
  • Contact

Concert Recording: WHEN EVERYTHING WAS POSSIBLE, performed by Victoria Mallory and Kurt Peterson

June 7, 2016

June 6, 2016
REVIEW BY RICK PENDER

 

WEWP_Kurt Peterson_Vicotia Mallory_cover by Kenn Duncan

Mallory and Peterson in 1968 (photo by Kenn Duncan)

When Kurt Peterson and Victoria Mallory walked onstage at New York City Center on Sunday, April 29, 2012, it was a joyous reconnection to present a concert they called When Everything Was Possible. After more than four decades they were together again, singing and reminiscing about the early years of their careers when they intersected for a pair of noteworthy productions: the Lincoln Center 1968 revival of West Side Story in which they played Tony and Maria and the original 1971 production of Follies (he was Young Ben and she was Young Heidi). In 1969 Peterson had originated the role of Julian in Jerry Herman’s Dear World, opposite Angela Lansbury. The premiere of A Little Night Music in 1973 featured Mallory as the original, virginal Anne Egerman.

The 2012 evening at City Center was envisioned as the first step of a late-in-life series of events for Peterson and Mallory, including a studio recording and a tour. Their purposeful reconnection was a chance to celebrate the magical chemistry they had experienced early in their careers.

Their concert was a success, but the further plans didn’t happen: In fact, the concert was Mallory’s final stage appearance. Just two years later, following a brief battle with pancreatic cancer, she died at age 65 on Aug. 30, 2014.

Luckily, their 2012 performance was recorded. It’s not the tour they had planned, but the recording, released in May by Ghostlight Records, vividly recreates their chemistry and good humor before a live audience, boisterously cheering and applauding their recollections and performances. The 70-minute recording puts listeners squarely in the audience enjoying the work of these two happy singers. Own this recording and you can plug into their good-natured banter — Peterson more than once admits he was jealous of Mallory’s success — and easy performances.

Between songs the duo reminisce about the chronology of their careers from being kids arriving in New York for a summer 1966 session at the American Musical and Drama Academy (AMDA) to humorous moments along the way (such as when Peterson partied with the cast of Company when they performed in London in 1972 and ended up with an unusual memento from Elaine Stritch’s hotel room).

Mallory is the more accomplished singer, whether performing songs she originated (the operatic “One More Kiss” from Follies) or those written for others, including “Send in the Clowns” from Night Music. She introduces the latter recalling how she watched from backstage night after night as Glynis Johns sang Sondheim’s most iconic number.

Both offer moving interpretations of several numbers not their own, especially “Too Many Mornings” from Follies, recreating the song first sung by John McMartin and Dorothy Collins with deep feeling.

After singing Follies’ “You’re Gonna Love Tomorrow,” the frequently modest Peterson breathlessly admits, “This number winded me when I was 23.” He performs ardently in each song and usually sounds great. They tell tales about their early stage roles in New York — Peterson played a frog in a children’s musical, Mallory got her New York start in a production of Little Mary Sunshine — and it’s apparent he had to work harder both as a singer and a dancer. At one point he issues a thank-you to Michael Bennett “who made me look like I could dance.”

They recall West Side Story via a heartfelt rendition of “Tonight,” in which Mallory shows off her still-gorgeous soprano (she taught voice after retiring from the stage and television, where she was known for roles on The Young and the Restless and Santa Barbara) and Peterson displayed his energetic tenor. She’s the more polished performer, but there’s a genuinely sincere magic when they sing together.

Their reconnection came about through an alignment of theater stars. Mallory married Mark Lambert, who played nervous Henrik in the original production of Night Music. Their daughter Ramona became a musical theater performer in her own right, and when she came to New York City to seek her fortunes on the stage there, Mallory asked Peterson to keep an eye on her. He did (“That’s what friends are for,” he says), and eventually saw Ramona cast in the role her mother originated, playing Anne Egerman in the 2009 Broadway revival of Night Music.

WEWP_Kurt Peterson_Victoria Mallory by Luke Szczygielski

Peterson and Mallory in 2012 (photo by Luke Szczygielski)

The recording wraps up with Mallory and Peterson offering numerous thank-yous, including one to Sondheim, whose music played a big part in their careers. Peterson’s diverse talents led him to produce the magnificent star-studded March 1973 concert, Sondheim: A Musical Tribute at the Shubert Theatre on the set of A Little Night Music. In a note to Peterson, Sondheim wrote, “What can I say except thank you and, now that the last few weeks have aged you so, you’d never have to play another juvenile again.”

Peterson feels both gratitude and affection for Sondheim. “I always direct people to ‘Being Alive’ when someone says Sondheim is a cold writer and Company is anti-marriage,” he says before launching into an ardent rendition of that show’s culminating song of emotional awakening.

The composer was out of town for the 2012 event but sent a note: “I wish I could be there to hum along, but I fear that would ruin the enjoyment of the rest of the audience. Good luck, congratulations and welcome back!”

Peterson charmingly admits, “If I hadn’t been so damned jealous of you, I would never have had a career.” Mallory’s answer: “We are lucky to be here right now.” No one, of course knew this was her farewell performance, but we are all lucky to have this lovely recording of two fine performers who recreate the moment “when everything was possible.”

RICK PENDER is the publisher and executive editor of Everything Sondheim. He previously served as the managing editor of The Sondheim Review.

Facebooktwittermail

Filed Under: Review, Sample Contents Tagged With: A Little Night Music, Anne Egerman, Follies, Hal Prince, Kurt Peterson, Mark Lambert, Ramona Mallory, Stephen Sondheim, Victoria Mallory

Trackbacks

  1. naughty sex games says:
    December 7, 2021 at 11:02 am

    dildo sex games https://cybersexgames.net/

    Reply
  2. instant withdrawal online casino usa 2020 says:
    December 10, 2021 at 4:03 pm

    no deposit bonus online casino https://casinoonlinek.com/

    Reply
  3. online casino promo codes says:
    December 11, 2021 at 5:43 am

    real casino online for real money https://onlinecasinoad.com/

    Reply
  4. online casino dealer says:
    December 12, 2021 at 1:52 pm

    online casino hosting sanjeev beemidi https://casinogamesmachines.com/

    Reply
  5. best online casino real money usa says:
    December 12, 2021 at 6:16 pm

    bovada casino online https://conline-casinos-hub.com/

    Reply
  6. online casino stocks says:
    December 13, 2021 at 7:40 am

    san manuel online casino https://onlinecasinos4me.com/

    Reply
  7. harrahs casino online says:
    December 13, 2021 at 10:08 am

    jackpot city online casino https://online2casino.com/

    Reply
  8. wild online casino says:
    December 13, 2021 at 4:17 pm

    nj online casino free slots https://casinoonlinet.com/

    Reply
  9. online casino real money no deposit california says:
    December 13, 2021 at 7:44 pm

    ohio online casino https://casinosonlinex.com/

    Reply
  10. keto carb calculator says:
    December 14, 2021 at 9:04 am

    keto restaurant near me https://ketogenicdiets.net/

    Reply
  11. keto pumpkin cookies says:
    December 15, 2021 at 7:17 am

    are tomatoes keto https://ketogenicdietinfo.com/

    Reply
  12. splenda keto says:
    December 15, 2021 at 12:02 pm

    keto enchiladas https://ketogendiets.com/

    Reply
  13. write an essay for me says:
    December 15, 2021 at 4:53 pm

    creative writing essays https://anenglishessay.com/

    Reply
  14. website that writes essays for you says:
    December 16, 2021 at 2:44 pm

    top write my essay https://yoursuperessay.com/

    Reply
  15. writing a reflection essay says:
    December 17, 2021 at 3:07 am

    writing college admission essays https://howtowriteessaytips.com/

    Reply
  16. gay asian dating san francisco says:
    December 17, 2021 at 10:10 am

    gay speed dating baltimore https://gayprideusa.com/

    Reply
  17. sniffles gay dating site says:
    December 17, 2021 at 12:47 pm

    gay executive dating https://gayfade.com/

    Reply
  18. examples of critical thinking in nursing says:
    December 19, 2021 at 10:58 am

    critical thinking scenarios https://criticalthinkingbasics.com/

    Reply
  19. introduction to critical thinking says:
    December 19, 2021 at 12:35 pm

    definition critical thinking https://criticalthinkinginstitute.com/

    Reply
  20. critical thinking skills test says:
    December 19, 2021 at 2:42 pm

    critical thinking simple definition https://criticalthinking2020.net/

    Reply
  21. bloom's taxonomy critical thinking says:
    December 19, 2021 at 4:18 pm

    critical thinking question https://uncriticalthinking.com/

    Reply
  22. how to write a quote in an essay says:
    December 19, 2021 at 6:50 pm

    essay editing service https://choosevpn.net/

    Reply
  23. proper heading for essay says:
    December 19, 2021 at 8:40 pm

    rhetorical analysis essay example https://topvpndeals.net/

    Reply
  24. why marijuanas should be legal essay says:
    December 19, 2021 at 9:16 pm

    essay format template https://tjvpn.net/

    Reply
  25. school uniform argumentative essay says:
    December 20, 2021 at 1:42 am

    persuasive essay topics https://vpn4home.com/

    Reply
  26. write a essay for me says:
    December 20, 2021 at 4:00 am

    self reflection essay https://vpnshroud.com/

    Reply
  27. how to start a persuasive essay says:
    December 20, 2021 at 6:04 am

    best college essay https://vpnsrank.com/

    Reply
  28. wls essay file says:
    December 20, 2021 at 8:37 am

    apa essay heading https://vpn4torrents.com/

    Reply
  29. how to write an expository essay says:
    December 20, 2021 at 9:48 am

    how to start a rhetorical analysis essay https://windowsvpns.com/

    Reply
  30. 3ambuscade says:
    January 12, 2022 at 5:43 pm

    1stephanie

    Reply
  31. hairy gay men chat free says:
    January 14, 2022 at 7:26 am

    men 4 you gay chat https://bjsgaychatroom.info/

    Reply
  32. macrosonic dating sim gay says:
    January 14, 2022 at 10:40 am

    international gay dating websites https://gaypridee.com/

    Reply
  33. gay cumshot chat says:
    January 14, 2022 at 1:43 pm

    gay sex chat free https://gaytgpost.com/

    Reply
  34. free iowa gay chat rooms says:
    January 14, 2022 at 4:19 pm

    gay chat rooms no registration needed https://gay-buddies.com/

    Reply
  35. gay mature men dating site in california says:
    January 15, 2022 at 3:59 pm

    gay internet dating https://speedgaydate.com/

    Reply
  36. hit it rich casino slots says:
    January 28, 2022 at 1:51 pm

    spooky slots https://2-free-slots.com/

    Reply
  37. super lucky casino slots says:
    January 28, 2022 at 3:50 pm

    old vegas slots games https://freeonlneslotmachine.com/

    Reply
  38. quick hit slots facebook says:
    January 28, 2022 at 8:28 pm

    hit it rich casino slots https://candylandslotmachine.com/

    Reply
  39. free slots win real money says:
    January 28, 2022 at 10:38 pm

    free slots for fun https://pennyslotmachines.org/

    Reply
  40. central vally slots says:
    January 29, 2022 at 3:28 am

    triple seven slots free https://slotmachinesworld.com/

    Reply
  41. igt slots says:
    February 3, 2022 at 12:28 pm

    all free slots https://slotmachinesforum.net/

    Reply
  42. free slots machines says:
    February 3, 2022 at 3:46 pm

    super high limit slots https://slot-machine-sale.com/

    Reply
  43. slim slots says:
    February 3, 2022 at 8:59 pm

    youtube slots casino https://beat-slot-machines.com/

    Reply
  44. obama slots says:
    February 3, 2022 at 11:34 pm

    best free slots with bonus https://download-slot-machines.com/

    Reply
  45. slots capital says:
    February 4, 2022 at 1:57 am

    spooky slots https://411slotmachine.com/

    Reply
  46. old vegas slots games says:
    February 4, 2022 at 4:42 am

    buffalo slots https://www-slotmachines.com/

    Reply
  47. vegas free slots says:
    February 4, 2022 at 10:12 am

    free slots online https://slotmachinegameinfo.com/

    Reply
  48. dissertation structure says:
    February 10, 2022 at 11:39 am

    what is a dissertation proposal https://buydissertationhelp.com/

    Reply
  49. how long is a dissertation paper says:
    February 11, 2022 at 11:29 am

    18 month doctorate without dissertation https://dissertationwriting-service.com/

    Reply
  50. online dissertation help buy says:
    February 11, 2022 at 1:17 pm

    proposal and dissertation help geography https://help-with-dissertations.com/

    Reply
  51. what is a doctoral dissertation says:
    February 11, 2022 at 7:27 pm

    writing dissertation abstracts https://mydissertationwritinghelp.com/

    Reply
  52. writing dissertation aims and objectives says:
    February 11, 2022 at 9:24 pm

    chicago illinois dissertation help https://dissertations-writing.org/

    Reply
  53. best dissertation writing services uk says:
    February 12, 2022 at 2:26 am

    how to cite dissertation apa https://helpon-doctoral-dissertations.net/

    Reply

Latest Features

The Stephen Sondheim Encyclopedia

Rick Pender, founding editor of Everything Sondheim, has created a brand new, … [more]

Keeping Good Company: The Prince-Sondheim Partnership

“We had the same priorities.  We wanted to take the audience where we wanted to … [more]

Interviewing Sondheim

In 1997, Stephen Sondheim sat down with Library of Congress Senior Music … [more]

Everything We Know (and Don’t Know) about Sondheim’s Surrealist Collaboration with David Ives

Editor's note: Since the printing of this article, Sondheim is reportedly no … [more]

The Ups and Downs of ‘Send in the Clowns’

Isn’t it rich? His career arc stretches from writing the lyrics for West Side … [more]

A Gender-Bending Company

Stephen Sondheim and Company director Marianne Elliott discuss the new … [more]

Copyright © 2023 · Everything Sondheim. All rights reserved. · Log in | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Accept Reject Read More
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT