Sonia Friedman

Sonia Friedman has spent her whole life in the theater. She has managed stages and stood in wings to hand people props. She understands the logistics, the nuts and bolts, of putting on a show. And she knows what audiences want to see, even before they do. Over the past two decades, she has produced blockbuster hits, from an all-male Twelfth Night (starring Mark Rylance as Olivia) to Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, which she has brought from the West End to Broadway.

Once, I remember I was talking to her about potentially doing a musical comedy, and she looked at me, put her hand on the side of my face and said, “But don’t you want to make people cry as well as make them laugh?” That’s her in the truest sense. She understands people, what makes them tick. She has an ability to cut through. As we spend more time on great digital experiences— endlessly absorbing content on various screens—we will start to crave great live experiences too. There is no one better to deliver them than Sonia Friedman.

Corden is the host of The Late Late Show With James Corden