Catherine Fries Vaughn & Steven Jay
Journeys … Through Sondheim
Don’t Tell Mama, NYC, August 16, 2026
Reviewed by Bart Greenberg
Catherine Fries Vaughn and Steven Jay, two musical-theater veterans, assembled an evening of personal and show-biz related stories and associated them with Stephen Sondheim’s songs. Vaughn had the more immediate connection with the iconic songwriter having been a finalist for the role of Mary in the original production of Merrily We Roll Along. Unfortunately, their stories were far more interesting than their performances of the very well-known works they included. It was not that the show was bad; it was simply bland.
One of the major issues was the unimaginative choice of songs. Instead of going for lesser-known Sondheim material, they offered a parade of his greatest hits, from “I’m Still Here” to “Send in the Clowns” to “Being Alive.” Every audience member has heard all of these multiple times, sung by performers with much bigger personalities and much more interesting approaches. Vaughn and Jay competed with the memories of Mandy Patinkin and Glynis Johns, Yvonne De Carlo and Patti LuPone. There were no surprises, and little passion.
Perhaps they should have worked with a director who might have help them bring more to their choices. They did have a fine music director/pianist in Tom Jennings, but another pair of eyes would probably have increased the enjoyment of the evening. Vaughn brought a certain attitude to an abridged “Liaisons,” and Joy managed to dig into “Good Thing Going,” but there was too much perfunctory delivery. This came off as the sort of entertainment one might find in one of the smaller cocktail lounges on an ocean liner rather than a New York City cabaret room.
