Interview: Sondheim Staple Teri Ralston Sings Birthday Wishes in A SONDHEIM BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION LIVE! LAUGH! LOVE!

The Musical Theatre Guild will be presenting for one-night only A Sondheim Birthday Celebration Live! Laugh! Love! on Stephen Sondheim's birthday March 22nd at The El Portal Theatre. Jason Graae hosts the Celebration featuring Musical Theatre Guild members with special guest, Stephen Sondheim veteran Teri Ralston. I got to playfully rouse Teri to reminisce about her decades' history with Stephen Sondheim.

Thank you for taking the time for this interview, Teri!

You have a long history with Musical Theatre Guild (Over Here! In 1998 and The Baker's Wife in 2000) and an even loooonger one with Stephen Sondheim. How did your guest starring in A Sondheim Birthday Celebration Live! Laugh! Love! come about?

I am so grateful the Musical Theatre Guild is doing a tribute to the brilliant and loved Stephen Sondheim and am so pleased I can be a part of it. I was a founding member of Musical Theatre Guild in 1996 and was involved with the group until I moved back to New York in 2008. I have remained very supportive of the group and am so proud that they have maintained it and done such incredible work for so many years. It continues to grow and produce wonderful theatre. My longtime friend, Duane Poole, who is writing the script, (who is brilliant, by the way) called and asked me if I would be a part of it. I, of course, said yes and that I would have been very disappointed if they hadn't asked me.

Who in this cast or creatives have you worked with before?

I haven't actually seen the full cast list but have worked many times with Jason Graae who is hosting and Eileen Barnett who is producing with Glenn Rosenblum who I worked with in Palm Springs in CVRep's production of Ballroom which we did just before the shut down in 2020.

Out of the many Sondheim shows you're acted in or directed, can you pick the show closest to your heart? And why?

I, needless to say, was incredibly blessed having the opportunity to work with Stephen Sondheim and Hal Prince for so many years. As to the Sondheim show closest to my heart, each show has a special place, but I guess l would have to say Company as it was my first Broadway show and was the first collaboration of Steve Sondheim, Hal Prince, and Michael Bennett. I got to know them at a turning point in their creative lives. I had just graduated from college and although I guess I was ready, I came back to New York pretty green. At the time, I had no idea of the significance of being cast in this show or the lasting affect it would have.

A Little Night Music was, of course, very special as well. They were doing backers auditions for the record company and Hal asked me to do them with Steve. I had the amazing opportunity to be the first person to sing some of these songs and actually hear parts of some for the first time when he played them for Hal and me. I also then got to present them with Steve.

Do you have favorite Sondheim role?

Finally, I will have to say that my favorite role was Sally in Follies. Hal had the idea to see if I could look old enough to take over for Dorothy Collins when she was leaving. Mind you, I think I was 30 at the time. Well, we put me in a wig, make up, etc.... but no... I did not look 49. Anyway, when I was a little older, I did get to play Sally several times.

What's the one Sondheim song that you've sung that you never get tired of performing?

How does one get tired of singing any of Sondheim's songs? "In Buddy's Eyes" is at the top of the list and of course, "Send In the Clowns." For many years my go-to song was "Marry Me A Little." And now that I am a little older, I can never tire of singing "Broadway Baby."

What's the one Sondheim song you've never performed (in character) that you love to inhabit?

As to a song sung in character I have never sung, I have been so fortunate to have had the opportunities to do Side-By-Side many times, Putting It Together, and Moving On, I have pretty much done everything I wanted to sing... and believe me I don't take this for granted.

Your first Sondheim show was the west coast revival of Follies in 1987. You hit Broadway with Company in 1970. When did you first meet the Man himself Stephen Sondheim?

I guess I first met Steve at my audition for Company. I spent so much, of what I consider my formative years, being around him, it's hard to remember when I first met him. And let me repeat, I do not take any of this for granted. I feel so incredibly blessed for the opportunities I have had.

What words of wisdom did Stephen Sondheim pass onto you? And what were the circumstances of this exchange?

You asked what words of wisdom he gave me.

Again, my first four years in New York were spent working with him. There was so much, I don't even know where to begin. A lot of what I learned from him; I didn't even realize I was learning until later in my life. I guess one thing I can share which sounds simple but is so important. He came to see me do a cabaret show. I sang some of his songs, of course. One was Anyone Can Whistle. In the lyric, "LEARN to be free," I sang "HOW to be free." And in LOSING MY MIND - in the lyric "spend sleepless night TO think about you," I sang "spend sleepless night AND think about you." Can you imagine? Look at the huge difference those lyrics make. After the show, I am happy to say, he loved it, but his first words were..."it's LEARN to be free and TO think about you."

This is something I always relate to my students... the importance of every little word, and needless to say, you do not change one word of Mr. Sondheim.

You started your professional career as an actress. When and what factored in you starting to direct?

I actually went to college planning to be a teacher. I was a drama major with a music minor and got my teaching credentials. Without going into the whole journey of how I ended up in New York, I will say, I was extremely blessed... was cast in Your Own Thing which took me to New York right out of college and immediately got Jacques Brel Is Alive And Well. The same year got Company and then went on from there. I had always planned to teach and a few years later when I did a season at Actors Theatre of Louisville, I started teaching voice and classes at the University and I have continued to teach since then. I also started directing there. Jon Jory wanted to do Jacques Brel Is Alive And Well ... next season and asked me to be in it. I, in my young and I guess fearless years, said I would do it but wanted to direct it, which he agreed to. I was the first female director at The Actors Theatre. That got me started. The first shows I directed were shows I had been in, so I knew them well, as with Quilters which I was in originally. I had studied directing in college, but this is really how I learned. I, again, was very fortunate and was offered many opportunities in directing.

You've been on the faculty of AMDA since 2008. Do you find that your goals as a teacher resemble those as a director?

There are certainly similarities to teaching as one of the challenges is finding the best ways to communicate and draw out the best performances.

I guess one of the most important things I aim for is in making choices and finding the truth in whatever choices are made.

What's in the near future for Teri Ralston?

I recently gave up my apartment in New York and am living between the Berkshires in Massachusetts and Palm Springs. I certainly will never really leave New York. I will be coming back to New York in May to be a part of a Tribute to Stephen Schwartz. Whenever I am available, I do the wonderful Sondheim Unplugged evenings at 54 Below and am on a three-set collection of Sondheim's music recently released, called Sondheim Unplugged.

I am teaching at the Musical Theatre University in Palm Springs and will get more involved with the teaching programs in the Berkshires. I will not stop performing, but teaching is giving me much joy and is more my focus. My life is good.

Thank you again, Teri! I look forward to seeing and hearing you at the Sondheim Birthday Celebration.

For tickets to this live performance of A Sondheim Birthday Celebration Live! Laugh! Love! LAUGH! LOVE! March 22nd, log onto www.elportaltheatre.com

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