James Beaman

Lived Experience, a Cabaret

Triad Theater, NYC, October 26, 2023

Reviewed by Bart Greenberg

James Beaman
Photo: Stephen Mosher

James Beaman has had a varied a career in cabaret and theater as a performer, as a drag tribute artist, and more recently as a director. He has returned to performing after a 20-year absence. His history with the space in which he performed (the Triad Theater back when it was Steve McGraw’s) added to the sweet mix of nostalgia and contemporary attitude that imbued the evening and made it something very special. He named the program Lived Experience, a Cabaret, and a more accurate title couldn’t have been imagined. It also happened to be his birthday and his first time appearing live as himself, rather than as one of the fantastic ladies he often presented such as Marlene and Lauren. That made it an emotionally charged night.

Launching the show with a cute trigger announcement that served as fair warning and campy send-up at the same time made for a perfect opening.

Throughout the show, Beaman often seemed to be funneling being the son of Peter Alan and John Mahoney; that was both highly theatrical and highly sensible. Several times during the evening, he sat down and changed his shoes referencing Fred Rogers, which also seemed a part of his personality. The first change came after a dazzling display of tap dancing (choreography by Ann Cooley) to a medley of “Stepping Out” and “A Terrific Band and a Real Nice Crowd,” which showed off his terpsichorean skills and his major acting abilities as well. That was just in the first minutes of the show. Next up was a witty and impressively enunciated version of “I’ve Got a Little List” that had his own lyrics dealing with gym rats, gun nuts, and divorcing stars, among many others.

Beaman surrounded himself with a top-notch team.

Music director and long-time collaborator David Maiocco provided fine support at the piano and often joined in for fun vocal duets, that included a delicious version of “It’s Never Too Late to Fall in Love.” Matt Scharfglass, whom the singer had fun flirting with, was on bass, and David Silliman was on drums. Beaman also had backup vocalists—“Beaman’s Beauties” (Goldie Dver, Sierra Rein, and Alexandra De Suze)—who were splendid and might have been used more. All of them contributed to the joy of the evening.

Other highlights included a well-edited video of his career as a tribute artist that Beaman backed up with the appropriate “This Was Me” (Dan Gillespie Sells/John MacRae) from the musical Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, a heartfelt “You and Me Against the World” dedicated to his mother, and a clever pairing of Noël Coward’s “Why Must the Show Go On?” and Stephen Sondheim’s “Loving You” (presented as a passionate tribute to his relationship with the theater). This was a wise and varied program of songs that clearly reflected the gentleman in charge. Hopefully, he won’t stay away so long this time.