Bea Arthur at the Savoy

It’s impossible to recall a more comfortable and cosy evening at the theatre... Bea does the whole show barefoot and quickly invites the audience to kick off their shoes also. (In spite of the giggles, several do.) It’s like spending an evening with an old friend; an old friend who has led a wildly entertaining life and who tells wonderfully poignant and funny stories and occasionally breaks out in song.

If the evening at moments seems a bit superficial, that’s because Bea is smart enough to keep things light and breezy. There’s not an ounce of angst on the stage, just enough personal history to keep things interesting and moving along and all those signature zingers which have identified her characters for the last four decades. Like any good hostess, she doesn’t want to surprise you. She wants to make you laugh and let you have a good time.

A big part of the good time is song and Bea breaks out the top notch material - the songs range from “Let's Face the Music and Dance” all the way to “Pirate Jenny” from The Threepenny Opera - with the able help of composer Billy Goldenberg at the piano.

Thomas Burke, Talkin' Broadway