freeFall’s ‘Night Before’ is a tribute to Sondheim and runs through Christmas Eve in St. Pete

Before Stephen Sondheim passed on Nov. 26, St. Pete’s FreeFall Theatre already had tributes to the musical theatre icon included in it’s newest seasonal production “The Night Before.”

“It’s a real love letter to the late composer. It’s also wildly funny,” director Matthew McGee told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay. “Think Andy Williams meets Pee-Wee’s Playhouse set in St. Petersburg.”

Besides the parody song “Very Sondheim Christmas,” among the cast of the musical-comedy—written by McGee and Michael Raabe—is a cat with the same name as the beloved composer. The feline Sondheim (one of three puppets) shares the stage with FreeFall regulars Hillary Lewis, Sara DelBeato, and Raabe plus newcomer James David Larson. The performers play friends around a piano on a snowy—yes, snowy—Florida holiday night sharing the tasks of singing, puppeteering, and playing instruments.

The family-friendly production kicked off its world-premiere run last weekend and tickets to see the show—which runs through Dec. 24—start at $25.

All guests must wear a mask and the venue strongly suggests only fully vaccinated people attend. For more information and a full list of COVID-19 protocols, visit freefalltheatre.com.

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This article appears in Dec 2-8, 2021.