Bernardo Bermudez, Angelina Réaux, and Michael Sokol (Photo by Cooper Bates)
Reviewed by Socks Whitmore
Odyssey Theatre Ensemble
Through September 29
Since Stephen Sondheim’s passing in 2021, many figures in the theater industry have been moved to honor his memory through tribute concerts & revues. Soprano Angelina Réaux has designed & directed one such homage for the Odyssey Theatre — 3 Faces of Steve: Sondheim in Concert. The show features more than 25 musical numbers from 14 of Sondheim’s works for the stage performed by Réaux, her baritone husband Michael Sokol, and bari-tenor Bernardo Bermudez.
The set is simple: a piano, three stools, and a portrait of Sondheim on either side of the stage. Throughout the show, the three performers take turns reminiscing about their schooldays in the 70’s and recounting stories that reflect their personal affinities for the composer and his music. Réaux’s connection to the ‘god’ of musical theatre runs deeper than most; before touring in Side by Side by Sondheim, she began her career in New York as the Beggar Woman in the First National Tour of Sweeney Todd directed by Harold Prince — a role that placed her in the room with Sondheim himself. In Act II, Réaux offers a particularly involving anecdote about the onstage injury she experienced in Sweeney’s barber chair, breaking both her ankles and ending her tenancy in the role.
The other anecdotes are brief and often stilted, without any obvious through line established from song to song. The presentation generally lacks energy, though glimmers of humor come through in numbers like “A Little Priest” (Sweeney Todd) and “Can That Boy Foxtrot” (cut from Follies). A few fan-favorite numbers rouse cheers from the audience, but the performance generally leaves much to be desired — between messy musical entrances, fumbled lines, and lackluster choreography, the revue appears under-rehearsed. The trio’s operatic vibratos are characteristic of Sondheim’s classical flavor but do not blend together well; Sokol and Bermudez offer rich, darker timbres that shine in solos but also highlight the strained pitch of Réaux’s thinning soprano register. Réaux in particular seems to almost dissociate through the performance. For what it’s worth, musical director William Ah Sing gives his all on the keys, playing passionately through almost two hours of Sondheim piano accompaniments.
The repertoire heavily favors Follies and Company, pulling only one or two songs at a time from Sondheim’s other works. The pattern behind curation is unclear, perhaps rooted solely in personal taste. A few gender-bending moments add interest, including the queering of “Not Getting Married Today” (Company) with a gay male couple. Réaux displays her expertise with Sondheim’s work with the inclusion of lesser-known works such as “The Boy From” (The Mad Show) — a parody of “The Girl from Ipanema” that Sondheim penned lyrics for under a nom de plume. There are more missed opportunities than gems, however, and the lack of physical props and set changes does the work little favor. In comparison to other Sondheim tributes, 3 Faces of Steve unfortunately comes across as unimaginative and meandering.
Odyssey Theatre Ensemble, 2055 S. Sepulveda Blvd., West LA. Thurs.-Sat., 8 pm, Sun., 2 pm except Sept 29, 5 pm; thru Sept. 29. OdysseyTheatre.com. Runtime: one hour and 50 minutes with one 15-minute intermission
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