54 Sings Broadway’s Greatest Hits
Feinstein’s/54 Below, NYC, December 29, 2018
Reviewed by Ron Forman for Cabaret Scenes
The 35th edition of Scott Siegel’s monthly series, 54 Sings Broadway’s Greatest Hits, proved that Siegel continues to be able to gather a different cast of wonderful vocalists to sing the very best songs Broadway has to offer each month as he has for almost three years. His introductory comments to each number were especially informative, interesting, and amusing for this edition.
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Music director Mark Hartman’s arrangements and work on piano melded beautifully with the performers and their songs.
William Michals opened the show with the booming voice necessary to sing “They Call the Wind Maria” effectively. He performed a dynamic and kinetic “All I Care About,” ending by holding the final note on the word “love” beyond any expectation, earning a standing ovation. The first Asian-American to play the role of Christine in The Phantom of the Opera, Ali Ewolt, displayed the wonderful soprano voice that won her the role with “Think of Me.” She also performed “Love Look Away” beautifully.
Tom Wopat (pictured), accompanied by pianist Tedd Firth, performed “A New Town Is a Blue Town” which I learned was by Frank Loesser and used in the score of The Pajama Game. Wopat then did a lively, animated “Jet’s Song,” featuring a remarkable piano solo by Firth.
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Jerome Kern originally wrote the melody for “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes” as a tap-dance number and as a march. Hartman amusingly played it as a march before Cooper Grodin’s very effective stylized performance of the song. The beautiful Francesca Capetta sang a very sexy version of “I Love Paris.” Scott Coulter gave us a moving and effective “I’ll Be Seeing You,” including the seldom-heard verse. Oakley Boycott stopped the show with her very dramatic “Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down).
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” Jillian Louis was particularly passionate in two dramatic songs—“Maybe This Time” and “Time Heals Everything.” Coulter closed the show very appropriately with “Can You Feel the Love Tonight.”
