Remembering the fine songs of Peter Foley, an award-winning writer Sondheim praised and mentored

[Wayman_Wong]

Posted: 2/21/25 at 7:02pm

Peter Foley, the wonderful composer/lyricist of ''The Hidden Sky'' and who was hailed by Stephen Sondheim, was born Feb. 21, 1967 in Berkeley, Calif., and he would've turned 58 today. Alas, Peter passed away in 2021, after surviving ocular melanoma, a rare cancer, for 10 years. He was 54.

Sondheim called Peter ''among the best of his generation at setting lyrics and writing music that evokes character and mood.'' And Kate Chisholm, Peter's beautiful widow and book writer for ''The Hidden Sky,'' is seeing to it that his musical legacy, which includes 5 full-length musicals and an operetta, continues through the charitable Peter Foley Music Project. This winter, it will be releasing ''Out of Myself - Songs of Peter Foley,'' a live concert album, with musical supervision by Rob Berman, on Center Stage Records. Among the vocalists: Kate Baldwin, Eisa Davis, Melissa Errico, Manoel Felciano, Jason Gotay and Michael Winther. Clips of some of Peter's songs are on YouTube, including one of my faves, the charming ''You Captured My Heart,'' beautifully sung by Max Chernin (now leading the tour of ''Parade'' ). Video link below. At PeterFoleyMusic.org, you can donate to help the album's release (and read Peter's profile in The New Yorker).

On a personal note, I knew Peter ever since he was a teenage musical whiz kid who played the piano at showtune singalong parties for Bonnie Weiss' Musical Theatre Lovers United in the Bay Area. We bonded as fast friends over our love of Sondheim; we had each written letters to the Broadway legend. And Sondheim once arranged tickets for the two of us to catch ''Follies in Concert'' and the Broadway opening of ''Into the Woods.'' Through the years, Peter and I caught a number of Broadway shows together, the last one being ''Hadestown.'' I had stood in line all-day to nab standing-room tickets, so we watched Act I from the back of the Walter Kerr. At intermission, a staffer graciously ushered us to empty seats in the 2nd row of center orchestra. Wow.

Though Peter's gone, I'm sure his remarkable music & lyrics will live on with the new album and capture more hearts.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5J2PYrD1rM

Updated On: 2/21/25 at 07:02 PM

[Hest88]

Posted: 2/22/25 at 12:03pm

Thank you! I'm not sure I've ever heard his music and now I"m sorry I didn't discover him while he was alive.