In keeping with their dedication to championing the works of great American composers, internationally acclaimed duo Opus Two (violinist William Terwilliger and pianist Andrew Cooperstock) will pay tribute to the music of legendary artists Stephen Sondheim and Leonard Bernstein with a one-night-only chamber concert on Tuesday, November 23, at Feinstein’s/54 Below. The evening will also celebrate last week’s release of their world-premiere recording of A Little Night Music: Suite for Violin and Piano on Bridge Records (now available across all major streaming platforms), with arrangements by award-winning Broadway conductor, arranger, and music supervisor Eric Stern (Follies; Parade; Candide), who will serve as the concert’s host.
Based on Sondheim’s eponymous 1973 Tony-winning musical inspired by Ingmar Bergman’s 1955 film Smiles of a Summer Night, the four-movement suite of Opus Two’s new album, comprising a “Night Waltz,” “You Must Meet My Wife,” “A Weekend In The Country,” and the iconic “Send In The Clowns,” will be performed live on stage by the duo. The program will also include “I Remember” from Sondheim’s TV musical Evening Primrose, plus a selection of songs from Leonard Bernstein’s West Side Story, Candide, Peter Pan, and 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
According to Stern, “I couldn’t have imagined that a Broadway score could be capable of such lyric and musical sophistication and subtlety. In A Little Night Music, Sondheim blends American musical-theater tradition with European operetta sensibilities to create a unique and memorable musical world. I am extremely grateful for Sondheim’s permission to arrange this suite and I hope that, stripped of his poignant unparalleled lyrics, the brilliance of this music shines through all the more.”
Opus Nine and Stern will be joined in concert by special guest Elena Shaddow. The Broadway luminary, with such notable credits as The Visit, La Cage Aux Folles, The Woman in White, Fiddler on the Roof, Nine, and Les Misérables, has also performed at the Tony Awards and had a featured role in the TV presentation of The Sound of Music Live!
Opus Two Celebrates Sondheim & Bernstein plays on Tuesday, November 23, 7 pm (doors open at 5:30 pm), at Feinstein’s/54 Below, 254 West 54th Street, cellar, NYC. For tickets (priced from $40-80, plus a $25 per person food and beverage minimum), call (646) 476-3551, or go online. Please note that everyone is required to show proof of vaccination and a valid photo ID before entering the club.
