There is an old show business saying: "There are no small parts!" In many shows, this is not correct. When a show consists of dozens of actors, most of them are relegated to the part of "ensemble." But things were different with "Stephen Sondheim's Old Friends," which I saw Wednesday evening at Broadway's Samuel J. Friedman Theatre. In a cast of about twenty, everyone took center stage for multiple musical numbers.

The show consisted of music from at least ten shows written by Sondheim. The cast treated the audience to shortened versions of "Into the Woods," "Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street," "Company," and other musicals for which the late American composer contributed music and lyrics. The entire company recreated Georges Seurat's famous painting while singing "Sunday in the Park with George," the song and show it inspired. In addition, we heard selections from "West Side Story" and "The Mad Show" - two plays for which Sondheim was the lyricist.

Highlights of the evening included a moving version of "Send in the Clowns," the tongue-in-cheek relationship song "Little Things You Do Together," and the bawdy "Everybody Ought to Have a Maid."

Most of this run featured Bernadette Peters and Lea Salonga, but Maureen Moore replaced Peters at this evening's performance. No reason was given for Ms. Peters's absence, but Salonga hinted at it when she attempted to play the trumpet during "You Gotta Get A Gimmick." Before lifting the instrument to her lips, she painfully sighed: "Get better soon, Bernadette!" Moore joined in the tribute/fun when she pleaded with her piano accompanist to play it "like Bernadette Peters! I looooove her!!!"

I benefited from Peters' absence. Her announced vacancy from the Wednesday evening production reduced ticket demand enough that I could afford main floor seats at a reduced rate. Even better, an usher asked if we wanted to move up the fifth row, where we had a clear view of every musical and dance number.

This show was a treat for fans of Stephen Sondheim (like me) and for those just discovering his music.