This Diva’s Doing Her Leavel Best in ‘Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends’

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TDF Stages chatted with Leavel about ad-libbing with a musical theatre icon, the “geniusness” of Sondheim and the upside of singing these songs outside of their shows.

Gushue: Speaking of “The Ladies Who Lunch,” that Company showstopper, originally crooned by Elaine Stritch and most recently delivered by Patti LuPone, has attained mythic status. Did you feel any anxiety about performing it?

Leavel: No. Isn’t that odd? I probably should have been terrified! I had learned the song for a concert I did at 54 Below and at different venues across the country, and I just loved singing it. In Old Friends, they let me do my own thing, because I am not gonna try to imitate Elaine Stritch or Patti LuPone or any of the other fabulous people who have sung it before me. The only thing I could do authentically was discover my own journey with it. I’m not playing Joanne in Company; I’m singing the song in a Sondheim revue, so it gives me a little more freedom to do my interpretation. It’s really one of the most fun things I’ve ever done in my career. And I’ve done a lot of fun things!

Gushue: That’s an interesting point about not playing a character. In Old Friends, you’re skipping around shows and emotional states. How do you ground yourself from number to number?

Leavel: It’s Sondheim, so it’s actually really easy. All you have to do is sing the words and sing them truthfully through your storytelling. Many songs, like “The Ladies Who Lunch,” stand just fine all alone by themselves. There’s a beginning, a middle and an end, and there’s a relationship with the audience. You just have to open your mouth and say the words and Sondheim takes care of the rest.

Gushue: You’ve played Mama Rose in Gypsy three different times, and you cast a spell as the Witch in Into the Woods at Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera. What does Sondheim mean to you as an artist?

Leavel: I was late to the game. I’m married to Adam Heller, who is a Sondheim fanatic, so being with him has opened my eyes. I grew up in Raleigh, North Carolina. My parents didn’t know anything about theatre or music. It just took me a while, but once I started majoring in theatre in college and Sondheim’s work came into my life, I was like, “What is this geniusness?” I never had the opportunity to meet him, and his work is intimidating because you never want to do it not well. I feel such a responsibility to bring all I can to his songs. It is such a challenge artistically and creatively, but the most satisfying thing you can do once it’s in your muscles. Every time I sing one of his songs again, I find something new to explore. And I think it’s the same thing with our audiences. That’s one thing Old Friends does so well: It gives you the opportunity to listen to songs outside of the shows and celebrate them that way.

Gushue: Every time I listen to “Getting Married Today” or “The Little Things You Do Together,” I’m struck by how lyrically tricky these songs are. I’m amazed that anyone can ever get them right!

Leavel: I know! When I found out I was singing the songs that I am singing, I wanted to drop to my knees to praise the Lord that I didn’t have to sing “Getting Married Today” because I’m not sure I’d be alive. And “The Little Things You Do Together,” I thought that was gonna be such an easy duet. But no! It’s Sondheim! It’s interesting and it’s fascinating and I find that Gavin Lee and I don’t really do it the same way every show.

Gushue: You perform a hilarious rendition of “You Gotta Get a Gimmick” from Gypsy with Bernadette Peters and Joanna Riding. What’s that like?

Gushue: Old Friends is the first Sondheim revue since his death. How does that impact the show?

Leavel: I find that the audience is brought to tears a lot more. There’s a montage of photos of him, and it’s so emotional. And in tech, I was standing right next to Bernadette, and I could see little tears going down her cheeks. It resonates with all of us that we have this privilege—anytime, but particularly now—to continue letting his work be heard and felt and seen. And that’s an honor.

Gushue: Are there any numbers you aren’t in that you make a point to watch from the wings each night?

Gushue: Old Friends is a limited run that closes in June. What else are you working on?

Leavel: I have a couple of other things in the ether that hopefully Bob Martin, Casey Nicholaw, Matthew Sklar and Chad Beguelin [the creative team behind The Prom] and I will bake. I have so many readings coming up. That’s the good news and bad news about what I do. The bad news is I just never know what tomorrow’s gonna bring. But the good news is I never know what tomorrow’s gonna bring.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

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