Brian Stokes Mitchell
Songs and Stories
Feinstein’s/54 Below, NYC, June 21, 2022
Reviewed by Bart Greenberg
For nearly two hours Brian Stokes Mitchell held forth on the
Feinstein’s/54 Below stage as part of its Diamond Series. Actually, there were three
Brian Stokes Mitchells on stage: the eager (almost over-eager) host who wanted
everyone to have a good time, the flashy tenor jazz vocalist, and the baritenor
Broadway icon. Occasionally, the latter two merged, and that was pure magic.
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Throughout the evening he received superb musical support from music director
and virtuoso pianist Tedd Firth, Bob Magnuson on a wide range of woodwinds,
Jordan Davis on bass, and Mark McLean on drums. The program was a treat for the
ears.
Although Mitchell began with a hard-driving “I’ve Got You Under My Skin,” he was clearly aware that much of the audience was there because of his theatrical history. In fact, he had intentionally left open slots in his songlist to take suggestions from the audience of the stage songs they wanted to hear. Not only did this make the viewers a part of the evening’s activities, but it guaranteed a different show at every performance. None of the suggestions were particularly surprising, but they were all very welcome. The audience demanded and received two songs from Ragtime: the stirring “Make Them Hear You” and the passionate “Wheels of a Dream.” The singer got a laugh when Magnuson slipped in a flute line and he pointed out “that’s Audra,” referring to his co-star in the original production, Audra McDonald. He also thrilled the audience with an unmiked “This Nearly Was Mine,” filling the room with his resonant voice and subtle passion.
The jazz singer offered an unusually clear and coherent “Waters of March” and a less effective “Love for Sale,” where the swing feel obscured the tragic lyrics. But when he settled by the piano and with just the participation of Firth on piano delivered a heart-rending “Lush Life,” exploring every lyric in that twisting roller coaster of emotions, it was sheer magic. There was also great fun in a combination of two of Mitchell’s worlds with a blending of “Another Hundred People” and “Take the A Train,” and in a dazzling “Pick Yourself Up” that set McLean’s drums on fire as he substituted the rhythms for tap dancing.
But it was the show tunes that soared, from a sizzling “Man of La Mancha (I, Don Quixote),” delivered in both English and Spanish, to a throbbing “So In Love” that built and built with pure desire. Inevitably, the evening climaxed with both his warm and very funny tales about his daily singing of “The Impossible Dream” during the pandemic, followed by his powerful rendition of that song that found the truth in the oft-performed lyrics. This was a Broadway icon at his very best.
