Beth Leavel Talks Sondheim, Stage Cracks & 15 Broadway Shows

In the latest episode of Broadway Time at Carmine’s, we sit down with Tony Award winner Beth Leavel, who’s currently bringing the house down in Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends on Broadway. Over heaping plates of pasta in the heart of Times Square, we reflect on Leavel’s remarkable 40-year career, her deep connection to Sondheim’s work, and the joy of sharing a dressing room with some of the theater’s most legendary women.

Leavel, now celebrating her 15th Broadway show, made her debut in 42nd Street and has since originated roles in The Drowsy Chaperone, The Prom, Elf, and more. “If you had told 16-year-old Beth she’d be here today, she wouldn’t have believed you,” she shares. “I sometimes have to pinch myself.”

Though this marks her first time performing Sondheim on Broadway, her admiration for his work runs deep starting with Sweeney Todd in grad school. “Once you understand the musicality and the internal rhymes, it’s like you’re in school again,” she says. Now, in Old Friends, she finds herself front and center for “Ladies Who Lunch,” one of Sondheim’s most iconic songs. “I can only do what Beth Leavel finds truthful,” she says of the number. “And I love doing it every single night.”

Leavel also reflects on playing Mama Rose at The Muny alongside her husband Adam Heller, and the beautiful chaos of live theater—like cracking up mid-performance during The Prom with castmates Brooks Ashmanskas and Christopher Sieber. “Some nights, the show would literally stop because we were laughing so hard,” she recalls.

The conversation also touches on life beyond the stage. As a mom, Leavel credits her children for keeping her grounded. “Show business is fantastic, but it’s not my whole life,” she says. “My family gave me the balance I needed.”

From heartfelt advice (“Your singularity is your gift”) to hilarious backstage memories, Leavel reminds us why she’s one of Broadway’s most beloved talents.

Watch the full episode now on Broadway Time at Carmine’s on YouTube and the Broadway Podcast Network.