Eleri Ward, plus a host of special guests, brought folk Sondheim covers to NYC's Sony Hall December 19. Go inside the concert event featuring Donna Murphy, Samantha Pauly, Jennifer Simard, Bobby Conte, and more, below.
The evening celebrated Ward's second album, Keep a Tender Distance, which released earlier this year. Up next for Ward is a U.S. tour, with concerts planned in Boston, Massachusetts; Red Bank, New Jersey; Burlington, Vermont; Portsmouth, New Hampshire; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Cincinnati, Ohio; Nashville, Tennessee; Chicago, Illinois; Kansas City, Missouri; Davenport, Iowa; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; and Indianapolis, Indiana. For dates and ticket information, visit EleriWard.com.
Keep a Tender Distance was digitally released via Ghostlight Records September 16, with a physical recording expected to drop later this season. The release is a follow-up to her 2021 album A Perfect Little Death.
Along with the previously released singles "No One Is Alone" (from Into the Woods) and "Another Hundred People" (from Company), the album includes songs from Merrily We Roll Along, Assassins, Sweeney Todd, Evening Primrose, A Little Night Music, and Sunday in the Park With George. Keep a Tender Distance is produced by Allen Tate and Ward with string arrangements by Ellis Ludwig-Leone.
Watch Ward in an exclusive performance of Stephen Sondheim's "I Remember":
Ward's acoustic covers of Sondheim's songs have amassed a viral cult following and received approval from the late Sondheim himself before his passing. Broadway alum Josh Groban is also reportedly a fan, inviting Ward to be the opening act on his Harmony national tour, which wrapped up August 2. Ward recently made her Off-Broadway debut in MCC's Only Gold.
Buy or stream Keep a Tender Distance here.
