Ron Squeri and Michael Miyazaki
Together… Through the Years
Mr. Henry’s, Washington, DC, January 9, 2025
Reviewed by Heather Frank

The chill of a polar vortex was no match for the warm and welcoming feeling in Mr. Henry’s storied Capitol Hill performance space as Ron Squeri and Michael Miyazaki, dynamic and beloved fixtures of the D.C. cabaret scene, took the stage for Together Through the Years. Both retrospective and reflective, the well-structured (if a bit lengthy) show gave each performer (including guests Maureen Kerrigan, Barbara Papendorp, and Tony Gudell) an opportunity to highlight their strengths as they bid farewell to Washington to move to sunnier skies out West.
And what highlights! There is no performer in the mid-Atlantic who can match Miyazaki for finding lesser-traveled material to delight and surprise an audience, such as the evocative and timeless “The Ghost at the Bijou” (Beckie Menzie) and the strange and hilarious tune about Tijuana divorce, “The Animal in the Pit” (Ellen Fitzhugh/Larry Grossman). Perhaps the highlight of his set was his stunningly spare rendition of “Meadowlark” (Stephen Schwartz) and a refreshingly restrained (some might even say sexy) version of “Surrey with a Fringe on Top” (Richard Rodgers/Oscar Hammerstein II). Neither are exactly “lesser traveled,” but they were presented in a way that made the stories fresh and the songs just as surprising.
Squeri’s vocals were compellingly sincere, and he wove songs and patter together with tender threads. Simplicity can be deceptively hard to deliver, and Squeri was at his strongest with earnest but never sentimental ballads such as “Feed the Birds (Tuppence a Bag)” (Richard Sherman/Robert Sherman) and “Country Roads” (John Denver). He reflected on his many roles in DC-area theater and tied in themes of longing and hope. His clear vocals and emotional connection brought the audience along with him in “The Impossible Dream (The Quest)” (Mitch Leigh/Joe Darion) and “Bring Him Home” (Alain Albert Boublil/Claude Michel Schönberg/Herbert Kretzmer).
When the main performers are married to each other, you expect a certain amount of chemistry, and Squeri and Miyazaki certainly delivered as they joined forces in “Alone in the Universe” (Lynn Ahrens/Stephen Flaherty) and created memorable medleys or mashups using “Leaving on a Jet Plane” (Denver) and “Get Here” (Brenda Russell).
Guest performer Maureen Kerrigan gave a commanding performance of “You Go to My Head” (J. Fred Coots/Haven Gillespie), Barbara Papendorp gave the audience a conspiratorial laugh with “Googling My Ex” (Jill Leger), and Tony Gudell paid tribute to a long friendship with a heartfelt “On My Way to You” (Alan and Marilyn Bergman/Michel Legrand).
Music director/pianist Howard Breitbart’s extraordinary instinct for knowing how and when to place each beat makes him an invaluable partner and a compelling part of any performance; he is one of the finest music directors in the region. In a rare treat, performed “See You in C-U-B-A” (Irving Berlin) in a fine baritone to the delight of the crowd, in addition to his piano solos at the start of each act.
At two hours and 22 minutes long, the show could have benefited from some additional curating, and at times it was evident that preparation may have occasionally been overshadowed by packing for the big move. But the audience was hanging onto every note, and as the final song faded to the hum of a happy crowd, it was clear that this wasn’t just a performance. It was a love letter to Washington, D.C. and a reminder of the power of music to bring people together through the years and across the miles.