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# REVIEW: ‘Summoning Sondheim’ at Bar Broadway (Brighton Fringe)
- URL: https://www.scenemag.co.uk/review-summoning-sondheim-at-bar-broadway-brighton-fringe/
- Published: 2024-05-27T09:56:28.000Z
- Updated: 2024-05-27T09:56:28.000Z
- Description: Grace O’ Keefe and I have something in common. We both wrote to the musical theatre giant Stephen Sondheim – and we both got replies. But Grace, along with Jordana Belaiche, decided to put that incident at the heart of their hour-long tongue-in-cheek tribute to the late maestro. Feeling his loss as
- Author: Brian Butler
- Tags: Brighton Fringe, Bar Broadway, Brighton, LGBT, LGBTQ

**Grace O’ Keefe** and I have something in common. We both wrote to the musical theatre giant **Stephen Sondheim** – and we both got replies.

But Grace, along with **Jordana Belaiche**, decided to put that incident at the heart of their hour-long tongue-in-cheek tribute to the late maestro.

Feeling his loss as we all do, they decided to summon him back via a seance. And it just so happens that West End star Jordana knows the very person.

Scurrying off stage she quickly reappears as Chanelle Marie, a clairvoyant, with a high-pitched irritating voice and where every other word is “ok?”.  

Try as she might, and with audience participation, she fails totally – managing however to summon a Demi-God of MT, Lin Manuel Miranda instead. But he’s quickly sent packing.

In between narration about Sondheim and his shows, we get snatches of his songs, parodies of them and a full-on rendition of Broadway Baby.

Grace has the stronger voice and personality, but Jordana corners the comic wit. The chemistry between them is brilliantly timed, not missing a laugh, or an obscure reference to Sondheim’s lyrics – it really helps if you know his works backwards- and the audience clearly did.

In the end it’s clear that these two aspiring writers don’t need the presence of the great man to inspire them – they can create their own art, to quote SS, and “they are not alone”.

Most touching moment is the playback of a Sondheim interview, where he’s asked if he regrets not having children.

His reply? “Art is the other way of having children.” And to prove it they sing his wonderful song *Children And Art*.

Wow what an evening – the show is still under development en route for **Edinburgh Fringe**, and they can tighten it slightly, not talking over each other and being more aware where bits of improv start and finish – but these are little things.

I predict this show will be knocking the socks off audiences for some time to come.

***Summoning Sondheim* was part of Brighton Fringe at Bar Broadway.**