Theater magic, sheer theater magic, from start to finish.
First of all, Natasha Richardson. She WAS Desiree, SO Desiree. It was uncanny. She did what Glynis Johns did: She was a delicious confection, filled with longing and rue, she was tart in her clever quips and she broke our hearts in "Send in the Clowns."
She must play this part in a full production. She MUST.
Victor Garber is a musical-theater treasure--it is so much fun to watch him act and sing. When he smiles, he makes me happy, and I love to watch him think. He was a perfect Frederik.
Christine Baranski COMPLETELY redeemed herself for her missteps in Follies (and Mame, WAT, yes, Mame too). Her every note was perfect, her every punch line landed--and created a brilliant characterization. And she also broke our hearts--twice! Once in "Everyday a Little Death" and again, in her final scene.
After the comments some posters here made about her, Jill Paice surprised me. She was delightful in Ann's flitting about, and "Soon" sounded beautiful in her voice. She was fun to watch the whole night.
Steven Paquale was appealing as Henrik, but he lacked the exciting high notes in "Later," on "How can I wait around for later, I'll be 90 on my death bed, and the late or rather later Henrik Egerman."
Kendra Kassebaum was very good as Petra, but her "Miller's Son" didn't soar as much as I thought it would. She hit all the notes, but she didn't hit them out of the park, and that song is meant to be a knockout. (Sorry to mix metaphors.)
And Marc Kudisch has played Count Malcolm before, but his every word and note were perfect. In many ways he was the comic backbone of the evening. I really wish someone would write a really good original starring part. He really IS that good.
Props to Alexandra Socha from Spring Awakening. She played Petra and she held her own with the whole cast, including the actress who played her grandmother...
Vanessa Redgrave. Wow. A thrill to see her perform--anything! Let alone Sondheim. Let alone "Liaisons." But somehow, she didn't connect, either with the reading format or with the character. And I found myself wondering during her song, "Too bad they didn't get Maggie Smith..." (I know. That's terrible of me.)
And Paul Gemignani conducting 27 pieces of strings and woodwinds. Just gorgeous. Those melodies! Those Jonathan Tunick orchestrations!
And at the curtain call, Natasha brought Sondheim out and he silenced the applause and asked us all to give a hand for the late Hugh Wheeler.
What a great evening.
Updated On: 1/13/09 at 12:12 AM
), Barbara Cook, Nathan Lane, Andrea Martin, Debra Monk, Bernadette Peters, Mario Cantone, Alexander Gemignani, and Alec Baldwin, who introduced the show. 
