Arkansas Rep's "Side By Side By Sondheim" Reviewed

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Experience the brilliance that is Sondheim through September 20

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To finish out the 2026 season, Arkansas Repertory Theatre is celebrating one of musical theatre’s most legendary composers and lyricists with SIDE BY SIDE BY SONDHEIM, running now through September 20 in Little Rock.

Directed and choreographed by Christopher Campbell , SIDE BY SIDE BY SONDHEIM is a musical revue that allows the songs themselves to take center stage. Brought to life with cast members David Hughey , Jennifer Jackson , Juwon Tyrel Perry, and Marina Kondo , the production travels through Stephen Sondheim ’s remarkable body of work, bringing together numbers from throughout his career while showcasing just how clever, complicated, funny, romantic, and wonderfully theatrical his writing can be.

For me, this was also an educational evening. I haven’t seen a majority of the musicals represented in SIDE BY SIDE BY SONDHEIM, so instead of revisiting a collection of familiar favorites, I was discovering much of this music for the first time. I enjoyed learning where the songs came from and getting a taste of shows that I now want to know more about.

And apparently, I still have a lot to learn about Sondheim! I had no idea he was the lyricist for WEST SIDE STORY. Of course, I know WEST SIDE STORY, but I had never connected those famous lyrics with Sondheim. That little revelation alone had me looking at songs I already knew with a completely different appreciation.

What immediately pulled me into the evening was the playful chemistry among Hughey, Jackson, Perry, and Kondo. There is an ease between the four of them that makes it feel as though they are having just as much fun performing these songs as we are watching them. Whether they are teasing one another, pairing off for a duet, or coming together as an ensemble, that chemistry gives the revue a personality beyond simply moving from one Sondheim number to the next.

And wow! Their singing and musicality brought me completely into their world, even while introducing me to all of this new-to-me music. I didn’t need to know the musical, the character, or what happened before or after a particular song to become invested in it. Through their voices, expressions, and storytelling, each number becomes its own little theatrical experience.

In fact, I walked out with a whole new list of favorite songs.

“Getting Married Today” from COMPANY, performed by Jackson, Perry, and Kondo, is now firmly on that list. The frantic pace, comedy, and sheer musical precision of the number are impressive enough, but I also felt personally connected to its message. There was something about the panic, uncertainty, and humor wrapped around the idea of marriage that spoke directly to me. Jackson threw herself into the controlled chaos of the number, and I was completely caught up in it.

Jackson and Perry also won me over with “Everybody Ought to Have a Maid” from A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM. Their playful chemistry makes the number even more fun, and it was another one of those moments where I found myself thinking, “How have I never heard this song before?”

Then there is “You Must Meet My Wife” from A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC with Hughey and Jackson. Their back-and-forth delivery allows the humor of the lyrics to build beautifully. Even without knowing the full musical, I understood the relationship and the joke because they sold every bit of it.

And then Marina Kondo gave me “Broadway Baby” from FOLLIES.

Kondo has a special connection to the material that I didn’t realize until reading her biography in the Playbill. She previously appeared in New York City Center’s production of Sondheim’s ROAD SHOW, where she had the opportunity to work with Sondheim himself. Her “Broadway Baby” was one of my favorite moments of the night. Kondo has the personality and musical instincts to make the number more than just a song. She tells its story, and I was completely charmed. By the time she finished, Sondheim had gained another fan of “Broadway Baby.”

Of course, these performers have some pretty fabulous musical support, and for me, the real rockstar of this production may very well be Music Director and pianist Jason Yarcho.

Sitting onstage with violinist Tarrah Reynolds and cellist Miguel Pereira, Yarcho (and his string section) is at that piano for the entire journey through Sondheim’s demanding music. His resume is stacked with Broadway and touring productions, and watching him work makes it easy to understand why.

But it wasn’t just his musicianship that caught my attention. Yarcho was so much fun to watch! He is incredibly expressive at the piano, reacting to the music and performers with his whole being. There were times when I found myself watching him just to see how engaged he is in every number.

Campbell keeps the focus where it belongs—on the performers, the musicians, and those incredible lyrics. SIDE BY SIDE BY SONDHEIM isn’t simply a concert. One moment can be sophisticated and sentimental, while the next is deliciously silly. The cast continually shifts characters, relationships, and moods, yet the evening flows naturally from one number to another.

That format also gives Hughey, Jackson, Perry, and Kondo a chance to show off their versatility. Without the luxury of an entire musical to develop a character, they have only a few moments to establish who they are, what they want, and why we should care. Then the song ends, and they have to turn around and become somebody completely different. They make those transitions seem easy.

I came in not knowing a majority of these musicals and left wanting to see the shows these songs came from. I want to know these characters. I want to hear these songs within their original stories. And I definitely have a much better understanding of why Sondheim’s name carries so much weight in the theatre world. For a revue celebrating the work of one of musical theatre’s most influential artists, I can’t think of a better way to get to know his work, than through this show. Whether you are already a devoted Sondheim fan or, like me, still discovering just how much of his work you have yet to explore, SIDE BY SIDE BY SONDHEIM is a fitting way for Arkansas Repertory Theatre to finish its 2026 season. Go see the show!

SIDE BY SIDE BY SONDHEIM runs at Arkansas Repertory Theatre in Little Rock through September 20.

The production is generously sponsored by the Stella Boyle Smith Trust (Cathy & Mike Mayton, Trustees), ACC Capital, Dorothy Morris , Leadership Fund, Mary & Paul Berry, and Cranford Co.

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_Originally reported by [BroadwayWorld](https://www.broadwayworld.com/little-rock/article/Review-SIDE-BY-SIDE-BY-SONDHEIM-at-Arkansas-Repertory-Theatre-in-Little-Rock-20260912)._