All the songs in 'Stephen Sondheim's Old Friends' on Broadway

More than 40 showtunes by the late, award-winning composer Stephen Sondheim appear in this revue starring Tony Award winners Bernadette Peters and Lea Salonga.

Adults will listen when the cast of Stephen Sondheim's Old Friends, a heartfelt revue celebrating the late musical theatre composer of the title, perform a far-reaching selection of his songs from more than a dozen of his shows.

Led by Tony Award winners Bernadette Peters, famous for originating roles in Sondheim's Into the Woods and Sunday in the Park With George, and Miss Saigon’s Lea Salonga, the tribute show from London features over 40 songs. That’s a lot of music, so the odds are good that fan favorites – like “Being Alive,” “Not a Day Goes By,” and “Loving You” – are in the mix.

Before the revue begins March 25 at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre, get to know more about the featured songs, categorized by show. Our guide is based on the 2023 London premiere of Old Friends, and songs are subject to change for Broadway. This article will be updated if so.

Get Stephen Sondheim's Old Friends tickets now.

Sunday in the Park with George

Inspired by Georges Seurat’s painting A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte, this richly textured Pulitzer Prize winner starred Peters in its 1984 Broadway premiere. Its themes of art, love, and creativity echo throughout Sondheim’s work, making it an ideal choice to open and close the tribute’s first act.

• “Sunday in the Park with George”
• “Sunday”

Merrily We Roll Along

Merrily We Roll Along tells the story of three friends’ shifting relationships in reverse chronological order. The show's 1981 Broadway premiere was short-lived, but the hit 2023 revival won four Tony Awards, including Best Musical Revival. A Merrily song gives the revue its title.

• “Not a Day Goes By”
• “Old Friends”

Company

A look at relationships and commitment through the eyes of a single New Yorker, Company has run on Broadway four times, and it's the most heavily represented in Old Friends with eight songs.

• “Side by Side”
• “Company”
• “The Little Things You Do Together”
• “You Could Drive a Person Crazy”
• “Getting Married Today”
• “The Ladies Who Lunch”
• “Being Alive”
• “Side by Side” (finale)

Into the Woods

A whimsical yet poignant fairy tale musical about what really comes after happily ever after, Into the Woods has played on Broadway four times, first in 1987 and most recently in 2023. Six songs appear in Old Friends, including one featuring original cast member Peters in a surprising role.

• “Into the Woods”
• “On the Steps of the Palace’
• “Agony”
• “I Know Things Now”
• “Hello, Little Girl”
• “Children Will Listen”

Sweeney Todd

Based on the Victorian tale of a vengeful barber who forges a murderous alliance with pie-maker Mrs. Lovett, the 1979 musical Sweeney Todd blends elements of horror and dark comedy with gorgeous music. Listen up for Salonga’s Cockney accent as Lovett.

• “The Ballad of Sweeney Todd”
• “The Worst Pies in London
• “My Friends”
• “Pretty Woman”
• “A Little Priest”

Follies

First on Broadway in 1971 (and later in 2011 starring Peters), the musical is set at a reunion of aging former showgirls and explores themes of nostalgia, regret, and lost dreams. Peters is famous for tapping deep emotion in Sondheim songs, and we can’t wait to hear her tackle “Losing My Mind.”

• “Broadway Baby”
• “Waiting for the Girls Upstairs”
• “I’m Still Here”
• “Could I Leave You?”
• “Buddy’s Blues”
• “Losing My Mind”

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum

Old Friends showcases two upbeat ditties from this rollicking 1962 Broadway show about an ancient Roman servant whose misguided plan to get ahead leads to chaos.

• “Comedy Tonight”
• “Everybody Ought to Have a Maid”

Dick Tracy

Sondheim’s musical talents weren’t reserved just for Broadway. In 1990, he wrote songs for the movie Dick Tracy, starring Warren Beatty as the hard-boiled detective. Old Friends borrows a song about single life from the film.

• “Live Alone and Like It”

Passion

Set in 19th-century Italy, the moody musical explores themes of obsessive love and emotional transformation. In 1994, the show won four Tony Awards, including Best Musical and Best Original Score. One of Sondheim’s most emphatically plain-spoken songs is showcased in Old Friends.

• “Loving You”

A Little Night Music

Set in early 1900s Sweden, the musical based on Ingmar Bergman’s film Smiles of a Summer Night follows the romantic entanglements of several couples. The show is known for its waltz-inspired score and one of Sondheim’s most famous hits.

• “A Weekend in the Country”
• “Send in the Clowns”

Gypsy

Back on Broadway this November starring Audra McDonald, the revered 1959 musical Gypsy follows the mother of all stage moms. In Old Friends, Peters (who starred in a 2003 revival) and Salonga wrap their voices around Sondheim’s bold, witty lyrics.

• “You Gotta Get a Gimmick”
• “Everything’s Coming Up Roses”

West Side Story

Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet inspired this musical about love and rivalry between New York street gangs. The show premiered on Broadway in 1957, where it’s been revived five times, and the 1961 film version won Best Picture.

• “Somewhere”
• “Tonight Quintet”

The Mad Show

Based on MAD Magazine, this 1966 Off-Broadway revue featured music by Mary Rodgers and Sondheim, who also wrote lyrics. A standout tune is a parody of the bouncy Brazilian bossa nova hit “The Girl from Ipanema.”

• “The Boy From …”

Get Stephen Sondheim's Old Friends tickets now.

Photo credit: Stephen Sondheim's Old Friends in London. (Photos by Danny Kaan)