Hey Old Friends! Sondheim Tribute at Wilfs at Union Station

They're back and they're ready to entertain you! Presented by local artists Merideth Kaye Clark, Susannah Mars, and Stephanie Lynne Smith, this tribute to Stephen Sondheim is coming to Wilfs after a sold out premiere in October at Resound NW. Audiences marveled at the fun selection of music and the rare chemistry between performers. They've expanded the show to two acts and have added some extra elements, including a VIP Ticket that allows you access to sound check, a complimentary gift bag and a few other surprises.

Come enjoy a fantastic dinner and drinks at one of Portland's music treasures, Wilfs Restaurant and Jazz Bar at Union Station. Don't miss this breathtaking night of some of the best music ever written for Broadway performed by some of the best artists in the business!

Hey Old Friends! The Music of Stephen Sondheim

Starring Merideth Kaye Clark and Susannah Mars

with Stephanie Lynne Smith, piano

Saturday, February 25, 2023

Wilfs Restaurant and Jazz Bar at Union Station

800 NW 6th Avenue

Portland, Oregon 97209

Table service begins at 5pm. Show at 7:30pm.

$35 General Admission

$50 VIP Access includes access to sound check and a complimentary gift bag...and maybe a few other surprises!

$45 Food and Drink Minimum for Wilfs

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Merideth Kaye Clark

Merideth’s first performance in a Sondheim musical was in 10th grade when she was a “wood nymph,” an imagined chorus meant to help include more students, in Into the Woods! She has since performed in many Sondheim musicals and sung his music as part of numerous concerts.

Merideth has played definitive leading theatrical roles nationwide, such as Elphaba in the First National Tour of Wicked, Eva Perón in Evita (Northern Stage), Nancy in Oliver! (5th Ave), Alice Murphy in Bright Star (Arvada Center), Cathy in The Last Five Years (Portland Center Stage), Clara in The Light in the Piazza (Portland Playhouse) and has originated roles in two off-Broadway musicals. Clark is a sought-after concert artist described as "plain astonishing" and "a masterful performer" with "powerhouse pipes." She co-created the original concerts Winter Song (Portland Center Stage), Joni Mitchell’s BLUE and Happy Days Are Here Again: The Music of Judy Garland and Barbra Streisand, with Susannah Mars, which are now touring internationally. Merideth is a multi-instrumentalist and half of the acclaimed folk-Americana duo Siren Songs which released their debut album in spring of 2020. Merideth is also a teaching artist at ReSound NW in Portland, OR and has taught masterclasses nationwide. TV credits include Portlandia and Emmy-nominated Documentary Now! Original Cast Album: Co-op.

Susannah Mars

Hey old friends! Susannah is so happy to be back singing with Merideth Kaye Clark and her new friend Stephanie Lynne Smith. Susannah’s love for Sondheim came early on, when she was brought to the first national tours of Follies and Company in Los Angeles. As a little girl, many of the lyrics and narratives were over her head, but she loved the costumes, especially the showgirls in Follies! Her first bona fide Sondheim performance was at Portland’s beloved Sylvia’s Dinner Theatre where she appeared in Side by Side by Sondheim with Sylvia herself as narrator.She’s also played Mama Rose in Portland Center Stage’s Gypsy, and has appeared in Seattle’s 5th Avenue Theatre in their productions of Company and Sunday in the Park With George. Most recently she was Mrs. Lovett in Portland Opera’s Sweeney Todd, where she also sang in an all-Sondheim concert with maestro Nicholas Fox. Susannah’s first MAC nominated recording, “Take Me To The World” featured Sondheim favorites including the title track; “Take Me to The World,” “Not a Day Goes By,” “Loving You,” and “The Gun Song.” Based in Portland, Oregon, for the past thirty years, she has appeared in over one hundred productions, concerts, and recordings around the country. She is a resident artist at Artists Repertory Theatre, a member of the board at Portland Center Stage, and a U.S. State Department arts envoy to Cairo, Egypt. Susannah was recently awarded a Regional Arts and Culture Council grant for the short documentary animated film; “Mourning Has Broken,” following four grieving artists making art together. The film is currently in post-production. Sign up for her newsletter and learn more at www.susannahmars.com.

Stephanie Lynne Smith

Born and raised in Wichita Falls, Texas, Stephanie holds a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance (1998) from University of Colorado at Boulder and a Master of Music in Chamber Music Performance (2001) from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. In the Bay Area, she served as Artistic Director for the Lesbian/Gay Chorus of San Francisco, commissioning “Halloween in the Castro: A Horror Opera” by Jack Curtis Dubowsky and the musical “Group Therapy” by June Bonacich, along with countless pieces for choir and solo voice. She has accompanied luminaries such as Alan Cumming, B.D. Wong, Sharon McNight, and toured with Bugs Bunny at the Symphony as pianist/slide guitarist, performing with the New York Philharmonic in Avery Fisher Hall and the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl. In 2013, Stephanie was Artist in Residence at the Shari Carlson Studio and wrote, directed and starred in her original play titled “High Anxiety: One Woman’s Journey” that chronicled her performance anxiety. For the last 10 years, she has toured with Broadway veteran Franc D’Ambrosio (The Godfather III/Phantom of the Opera) and had the privilege of witnessing and playing for the ceremony knighting him “Cavaliere” by the Italian government. Stephanie aka “Miss Smith” loves to encourage and support local, living composers and has produced “The Music of Paul James Frantz,” “The Journey So Far: Music of Jeff Becker,” and “My Magically Talented Friends” showcase of composers in the Miss Smith studios. In October 2021, she accepted a staff teaching position in Portland at Resound NW: A Place to Sing and maintains her performance studios in Salem, Portland, and San Francisco.

For questions, email [email protected]

Host or Publisher Miss Smith Presents