Norm Lewis
Naughty and Nice
Feinstein’s/54 Below, NYC, December 20, 2019
Reviewed by Marilyn Lester
Broadway leading man and Tony Award nominee Norm Lewis considers his now annual holiday gig (it’s his fifth year at Feinstein’s/54 Below) a party. And that it is! The man himself donned two sets of festive attire, dispensed gifts at intervals during Naughty and Nice, encouraged consumption of the special Naughty and Nice cocktail, and generally meted out abundant good cheer with easygoing warmth. Making a dazzling entrance from the bar and singing his way through an already rapt audience to the stage, Lewis proved he’s mastered jazz with a swinging version of “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town” (Haven Gillespie/J. Fred Coots). From there on it was a merry musical sleigh ride through a fast-paced rendering of varying styles and emotions—all finely curated and crafted to provide maximum entertainment and thorough audience satisfaction. Indeed, Lewis is a master at audience relations; like a shepherd with a prize flock, he delivered the demanding quasi-patter song “Trouble” from Meredith Willson’s The Music Man, proudly watching over and encouraging audience members to sing along with the chorus parts.
Several times during the set, Lewis paid homage to those who’d moved on to the larger life. He dedicated a moving “I Wonder as I Wander” (John Jacob Niles) to one of his mentors—Jessye Norman—and from his turn in The Phantom of the Opera, a soaring “Music of the Night” (Andrew Lloyd Webber/Charles Hart) to the (yes) legendary Hal Prince. It was on this number that Lewis seemed most to show some vocal strain, as if battling laryngitis, but training prevailed and his command of his instrument, especially in its range and flexibility, won the day. He also possesses an innate sense of authority, which translates into a kind of inbuilt authenticity in lyric interpretation. This attribute was acutely apparent in two numbers that delved into the political, with cross references to the troubled Vietnam War era and yo our own fraught times. These works were “I Want to Be Home for Christmas” (Marvin Gaye/Forest Hairston) and “What’s Going On”/“Peace on Earth” (Marvin Gaye, Al Cleveland, Renaldo Benson/Rachelle Ferrell), each delivered with feeling and intensity.
In this set of shows at Feinstein’s/54 Below, Lewis hosted a variety of guests over the run. On this occasion, while Lewis changed attire, Tony nominee-Joshua Henry, accompanying himself on guitar, wowed with a stunning “O Holy Night” (Adolphe Charles Adam/John Sullivan Dwight). In duet, Alexis Hightower and Lewis emulated the David Bowie/Bing Crosby arrangement of “The Little Drummer Boy”/“Peace on Earth” (Henry Onorati/Katherine Davis/Larry Grossman, Ian Fraser, Alan Kohan). Many of the songs in the Naughty and Nice set list are on Lewis’ 2018 release, The Norm Lewis Christmas Album, but many were not, including the gem “Who Would Imagine a King” (Mervin Warren/Hallerin Hilton Hill). Going out on a high and energetic note, Lewis wrapped up the party with a rocking “Why Couldn’t It Be Christmas Every Day” (Walter Afanasleff/Jay Landers) synced to a music video shot for the album. On a quieter note, he delivered an encore of “People” (Jule Styne/Bob Merrill), which was his Christmas message to all.
Naughty and Nice, mostly the latter, was directed by Richard Jay-Alexander. Music director, arranger, and pianist Joseph Joubert, with George Farmer on bass and Perry Cavari on drums, provided A-one musical support.
