Claybourne Elder
Can I Tell You Something?
54 Below, NYC, September 8, 2026
Reviewed by Bart Greenberg
Photo courtesy of 54 Below
The impossibly handsome Claybourne Elder returned to 54 Below to inquire if he could ask his adoring fans the musical question Can I Tell You Something? What he told us was the often romantic, occasionally naughty confessions of a former Mormon boy who transitioned into a gay musical-comedy star and proud daddy. He realized that he was acquainted with much of the assembled (“I know you all!”) and encouraged them to order some more beverages (“Keep drinking! It makes it all look better!”). He admitted that he had a life-long fear of being “too much” and that this was the first public performance of the material. That occasionally showed through in his intense concentration at times on his notes. But his good humor and charisma overrode the distraction.
The musical part of the show was kicked off with a surprisingly swinging version of “Something Good” (Richard Rodgers/Oscar Hammerstein II). Rodney Bush served as his ever-reliable music director/pianist, and Ted Basin jumped in on guitar for a more extensive melodic tapestry. Other gems included the very touching “Talent” (Stephen Sondheim), Elder’s first professional theater solo, in which he played the first openly gay character in a Sondheim work. Then there were his reminisces of his performance in the Encore! production of The Wild Party (particularly the staging of a sexual threesome that required a great deal of choreography and friendly co-stars). This was followed by “Breezin’ Through Another Day” (Michael John LaChiusa).
There were definitely some surprises along the way, such as a very gentle “Somewhere That’s Green” (Howard Ashman/Alan Menken) performed with no lyric changes and thankfully no camp. More of that quality came with Elder’s version of “There Are Worse Things I Could Do” (Jim Jacobs/Warren Casey). “As Long as He Needs Me” (Lionel Bart) was devoted to his adored son and was accompanied with some amusing videos of dogs and kids creating havoc.
Much of the evening was devoted to his wild and often sexy adventures involving German dance clubs, Canadian bath houses, and time spent in a Mormon Church musical revue (the cast included him and a bunch of other gay Mormon boys). It was basically one of the gayest (in both senses of the word) entertainments offered to a general audience. Presumably, Elder will do some editing and reorganizing as he continues working on the show. As long as it contains such magical moments as his beautiful rendition of “No One Is Alone” (Sondheim), he will continue to delight his audiences.
