Christine Andreas: ‘S Wonderful

Post author:Jacqueline Parker
Post published: October 29, 2025
Reading time:3 mins read

Christine Andreas

‘S Wonderful

54 Below, NYC, October 17, 2025

Reviewed by Jacqueline Parker

Christine Andreas
Photo by Stacy Sullivan

The exquisite Christine Andreas was in top form at 54 Below; she glided onto the stage with a grace that belied the rousing opening of her show. She delivered “On a Clear Day (You Can See Forever)” (Alan Jay Lerner/Burton Lane) forcefully, making it nearly impossible to ignore the message she was trying to convey. Her delivery of the line “You’ll be impressed with you” was delivered with authority and urgency. She was accompanied by her music director/pianist—and husband—Martin Silvestri, who composed the melodies of some of the included numbers.

Her upbeat, optimistic tone continued, making the show at times feel like a pep rally. When she sang “A Wonderful Guy” (Rodgers & Hammerstein) her exuberance was manifest not only in her delivery but in her skipping across the stage like a teenager who has fallen in love for the first time. Andreas is a beautiful woman and has remained so since I first saw her several decades ago in Oklahoma! at the Palace Theatre. The youthful sass and innocence she displayed then as Laurey remains as well, qualities that make her even more endearing now. In a full-length black dress accented with sequins and a hot pink jacket, she was a timeless lady, exuding all the sweet innocence of an ingénue. This was quite a powerful combination for a convincing cabaret performer.

She reflected on being descended from members of that Great Generation of World War II survivors and imbued “A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square” (Eric Maschwitz/Manning Sherwin) and “I’ll Be Seeing You” (Sammy Fain/Irving Kahal) with all the pathos that marked that era. She then encouraged the audience to “regress yourself” and remember a time when we were young, beautiful, and free. This led into a moving number composed by her husband and her Oklahoma! co-star, Joel Higgins, “Learn to Dream.” She maintained that dreamy mood with two Henry Mancini numbers: the perennial favorite “Moon River” (Johnny Mercer) and “Two for the Road” (Leslie Bricusse).

A Gershwin medley is always welcome, and Andreas delivered a power-packed one beginning with the title of her show “’S Wonderful.” She went into the audience to sing “I’ve Got a Crush on You” and installed herself on the lap of one lucky fellow to finish the song and then rubbed noses with him. Another Silvestri/Higgins tune, “Cover Me,” followed, which Andreas conveyed by bringing out the song’s heartbreaking vulnerability and heartache.

It is always a joy to see and hear this performer. We left with a touch of joy in our hearts, and I’m sure Andreas would have it no other way. While most of us can agree that we live in difficult times, one of the ways we might choose to escape is by attending an evening of cabaret. Being reminded of the divisiveness during this precious hour does a disservice to the audience.

Tags: Christine Andrea, Leslie Bricusse, On a Clear Day You Can See Forever, Cabaret Reviews, CD Reviews, Two for the Road, Clubs, 'S Wonderful, composer, A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square, A Wonderful Guy, Eric Maschwitz, Manning Sherwin, Irving Kahal, American Songbook Association, ASA, Joel Higgins, Oklahoma!, Music Director, Jacqueline Parker, Learn to Dream, oon River, ’ve Got a Crush on You, Cover Me, Sammy Fain, Cabaret Scenes, Stacy Sullivan, 54 Below, Broadway, Cabaret, Broadway Musicals, Rodgers & Hammerstein, Johnny Mercer, Burton Lane, Gershwin, Alan Jay Lerner, American Songbook, I’ll Be Seeing You, World War II, Martin Silvestri, NYC, Pianist, Henry Mancini, CD

Jacqueline Parker

Like Ethel Merman, lifelong New Yorker Jacqueline Parker began her career as a stenographer. She spent more than two decades at the city's premier public agency, progressing through positions of increased responsibility after earning her BA in English from New York University (3.5 GPA/Dean’s List). She won national awards for her work in public relations and communication and had the privilege of working in the House of Commons for Stephen Ross, later Lord Ross of Newport. In the second half of her career, Jacqueline brought her innate organizational skills and creative talents to a variety of positions. While distinguishing herself in executive search, she also gave her talents to publishing, politics, writing, radio broadcasting and Delmonico's Restaurant. Most recently, she hosted Anything Goes! a radio show that paid homage to Cole Porter and by extension the world of Broadway musicals and the Great American Songbook. Other features of the show were New York living, classical music, books, restaurants, architecture and politics. This show highlighted the current Broadway scene, both in New York and around the country through performances and interviews with luminaries including Len Cariou, Charles Strouse, Laura Osnes, Steve Ross and Joan Copeland. Her pandemic project was immersion into the life, times and work of Alfred Hitchcock, about whom she has written a soon-to-be-published article. Jacqueline has been involved in a myriad of charitable causes, most notably the Walt Frazier Youth Foundation, St. Patrick's Cathedral, Sisters of Life, York Theatre, and the New Jersey Shakespeare Festival. She is a proud Founder of Hidden Water. Her greatest accomplishment is the parenting of her son, a lawyer specializing in mediation. She has many pretend grandchildren, nieces and nephews, on whom she dotes shamelessly, as well as a large circle of friends to whom she is devoted. Her interests in addition to theater and cabaret are cooking, entertaining, reading, and spending time on Queen Mary 2.