Old friendsLuPone and Patinkin entertain Philadelphians he City of Brotherly Love continued its love affair with Stephen Sondheim during the fall of 2007. Along with a first-rate production of Assassins at the Arden Theatre and Billy Porter's Being Alive re\-ue opening the Suzanne Roberts Theatre (see related features on pages 19 and 23), two Sondheim vets came to Philadelphia's Prince Music Theater in a limited-engagement production on Oct. 23-29, 2007, showcasing more than a dozen of Sondheim's best songs. Mandy Patinkin and Patti LuPone came to national prominence with the original Broadway production of Evita in 1979, and that show was represented with a four-song medley to start the second^act. But the lion's share of the remaining songs were composed cither by Sondheim or Richard Rodgers, and the two composers were frequently juxtaposed against one another for amusing and emotional effect. The production opened with the two ducting on "Another Hundred People" (Company), a Sondheim song about urban alienation, and "'When" (Evening Primrose), about two people seeking to meet each other. Next they segued into the opening scene of South Pacific, with Nellie and Emile describing their backgrounds, climaxing with Patinkin's booming "Some Enchanted Evening." The clinch PHOTO BY JOAN MARCUS scene instantly shifted as LuPone, who only moments before had confidently sung "f\ Cockeyed Optimist," launched into Sondheim's frenetic "Getting Married Today." (LuPone retained Heather Laws' approach during the 2006 Company Broadway revival of silently mouthing the final "Don't tell Paul'' in the refrain). Patinkin followed with "Loving You" (Passion). Another high point was a medley from Merrily We Roll Along, beginning with "The Hills of Tomorrow" (set at a high school graduation, with Patinkin mimicking accepting a diploma and moving the tassel of his cap). LuPone offered a plaintive "Like It Was," and Patinkin followed with an energetic "Franklin Shepard. Inc." (At the media matinee, he went up on the lyrics to one of the verses and calmly I one of his "I need to start this over" rou- REVIEW BY ANDREW MILNER T :>ugh these were "book" songs from al references not easily reeogtamiliar \\ith that show, sut the larger mean- ings of friendship and betrayal, making these show-specific numbers universal. The production closed with a second Rodgers and Ilammcrstein sequence, this time the famous "bench scene" from Carousel — a synthesis of dialogue, recitative and song ("If I Loved You") that Sondheim has often pointed to as the inspiration for much of his own composing style — and concluding with "You'll Never Walk Alone," featuring Patinkin's graduation speech (subtly connecting this number with "The Hills of Tomorrow"). Other singers often deliver emotionally overwrought renditions of "You'll Never Walk Alone," but Patinkin and LuPone's interpretation was quieter, more understated and thoroughly satisfying. As an encore, Patinkin and LuPone sang a spirited version of Irving Berlin's contrapuntal standard "You're Just in Love." The pair also sparkled in solo Sondheim numbers. After they performed the rarely-heard duet "Old Folks" (from the Kander and Ebb show 70 Girls 70), the audience instantly came to life when LuPone delivered the fabled spoken lead-in ("Anyone that stays home is dead ...") to Mama Rose's "Some People" from Gypsy. Fans hoping for a medley of numbers from this show were disappointed, but LuPoiic's kinetic tour dc force illustrated why her City Center production of Gypsy was one of the hottest New York theatre tickets of 2007. Patinkin reprised his classic 1985 Follies in Concert performance of "Buddy's Blues," allowing him to portray several characters simultaneously; in the middle of the number, he walked to the apron of the stage and told the audience, "I'm doing two people now — cfos!" The two were simply accompanied by piano and bass, but with longtime Patinkin collaborator Paul Ford at the keyboards and bassist John Beal, the accompaniment was thoroughly firstrate. During "I Won't Dance," the musicians interpolated several measures from The King and /'s "Shall We Dance?" Veteran choreographer Ann Reinking was responsible for the ingenious dance moments punctuating the show, including an inspired dance \\ith swivel chairs (to "April in Fairbanks," a song from New Faces of 1956) closing the first act. LuPone and Patinkin arc in the first rank of Broadway talent, performers who can move an audience by singing the proverbial telephone directory. By singing these high-caliber songs, however, they put Philadelphia listeners in musical theatre paradise. |TSR| ANDREW MILNER reviews books and CDs for the Philadelphia City Paper.