by Scott Moore
Contributing Writer
In every musical career, every entertainer eventually releases the album they were destined to record. For Judy Garland, it was the now-classic Judy Live at Carnegie Hall. For Janis Joplin, it was the eclectic, grass-rooted rocker Pearl.
Though it may not receive quite the commercial recognition of those two earlier albums, Bernadette Peters has finally found her voice in the new live album Sondheim, Etc. Freed from the constraints of a run-of-the-mill, pop cover album and not relegated to the secondary status of original cast recordings of her '80s Broadway hits, Peters truly demonstrates what she can do.
Beginning with a seductive take on Sondheim's "Broadway Baby" from the musical Follies, Peters does the reassuring diva ("No One Is Alone"), the jilted lover ("Time Heals Everything") and comedienne ("Making Love Alone" - yes, it's about that). She nails every song in her bubbly, but sexy, prepubescent style.
Somewhere toward the middle of the 15-song set, however, something happens. Peters tears into a defiant, show-stopping rendition of the Gypsy belter "Some People" and, lo and behold, she grows up! She commands the song like a steamroller, headstrong and over-the-edge. It was a delicious, indulgent choice that reveals not only her excellent vocals, but a sufficient amount of balls to pull it off.
From there, the album is dedicated to Broadway composer Stephen Sondheim. And that's where Peters' bid to be taken seriously as a performer is consummated. Sondheim's music is usually a dark, emotional monologue sung by complex, realistic characters. Peters not only sings these songs, but she acts them as well, finding in each one a personality, a meaning and a connection with the listener.
True standouts in this section of the album are the desperate and angry "Not a Day Goes By," the yearning and confused "Being Alive," and the bruised but triumphant "There Won't Be Trumpets."
This album is also notable as a tribute to Sondheim himself. Scores of cast albums from Broadway shows exist, including a couple of compilations from revues featuring the work of Sondheim, but they don't offer the variety Peters does. After all, Peters was Sondheim's pet through the fat years of the '80s. She, in turn, does justice to his compositions.
While this offering may not be at the top of the average music-lover's list, Sondheim, Etc. is a prize that should, if there be any equity, keep both Peters' and Sondheim's respective names from being a footnote on the pages of some history book.