Review: TO STEVE WITH LOVE: LIZ CALLAWAY CELEBRATES SONDHEIM at Studebaker Theater

In a show that was part memoir, part love letter, and part stand-up comedy special, Liz Callaway paid tribute to the genius of the late Stephen Sondheim in an intimate performance that truly felt like a homecoming celebration for this Chicago native. Throughout the 90-minute concert, Callaway took the audience on a very personal journey throughout her Sondheim-heavy career.  This one night only event at the stunning Studebaker Theater within Chicago’s Fine Arts Building was a truly magical celebration of the most legendary name in musical theatre history.

Callaway and her trio of musicians (Alex Rybeck, Daniel Kristan, Jeff Handley) kicked off the evening with a creative medley featuring works from Merrily We Roll Along, Into the Woods, and Pacific Overtures. As she began to regale the audience about the early days of her career and working with Sondheim in particular, it became clear that this seemingly effortless storytelling was the result of countless hours of careful preparation and planning. Early in the setlist, she paid tribute to her Broadway debut Merrily with the numbers Old Friends and Like it Was. Despite a short original run for this beloved show, it is obvious that it made a deep impression on Callaway and set the trajectory for the rest of her career.

Treating us to anecdotes from her family life, Callaway performed the iconic Not While I’m Around from Sweeny Todd, explaining the significance it had in her son’s early life. And although Liz Callaway has performed this show in many cities across the globe, none of them could have been a special as her Chicago rendition where her own son, Nicholas Callaway Foster, joined her on stage for a powerful duet of Move On from Sunday in the Park with George. The moment the song ended, the audience was on its feet- each individual in awe of what they just witnessed.

Callaway’s incredible vocal clarity and strength gave the impression of a voice painstakingly well trained and preserved.  Sondheim’s often complicated melodies and tongue-twisting lyrics proved to be no match for this star performer. Singing each song in its original key, it is astounding to consider Callaway has been singing professionally for 40 years! What is perhaps the most impressive aspect of this salute to Sondheim, however, is the humility with which Callaway put on her show. Never mentioning her numerous film and TV credits or the awards for which she has been nominated (and won), she kept the performance solely focused on honoring this greatest of American composers and lyricist.

Sondheim’s lyrics have a way of pulling out unspoken truths from the human heart and putting them perfectly into words.  His shows are always deliberately thought-provoking, undoubtedly a great part of the reason why he still has so many devotees to this day.  Whether you are a longtime fan or are part of the uninitiated, you owe it to yourself to listen to Liz Callaway’s album To Steve with Love – you’ll find out what this music does for the soul.