The hits of Stephen Sondheim are finally back on Broadway — kind of, anyway.
A week after moving back to live audiences for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic, Stephen Colbert welcomed “The Good Fight” star Christine Baranski as a guest on “The Late Show” on Wednesday, and acknowledged that while they chatted during lockdown, video calls just aren’t the same in plenty of ways.
“One of the problems with talking over Zoom,” Colbert opened, “is that you can’t sing over Zoom, because you can’t get the rhythm together.”
Colbert says that they had thought about singing some Sondheim over Zoom, but decided to revisit the idea now that they’re back in person.
“This could be a historic moment,” Baranski responds. “We could be the first two performers since Broadway went down who are going to sing Sondheim [on Broadway].”
The two then launched into a rousing rendition of “Side by Side” from Sondheim’s “Company.”
Baranski is correct about the duet making post-COVID history. After all, the Ed Sullivan Theater, where “The Late Show” is shot, is the first theater in the Broadway district to reopen for a full 400-plus-seat audience.
“The Late Show” officially welcomed back a fully vaccinated live audience last Monday night after producing 211 episodes remotely during the pandemic. While other late-night shows have also reopened to live audiences, the Ed Sullivan theater holds the largest capacity of any of them.
“We are the first show back up on Broadway,” Colbert pointed out during his return episode. “Suck it, ‘Lion King’!”
Watch Colbert and Baranski’s performance below.
TONIGHT! Watch history in the making as Christine Baranski and @StephenAtHome bring Sondheim back to Broadway. #LSSC pic.twitter.com/tHx3lmDOF8
— The Late Show (@colbertlateshow) June 24, 2021