Leslee Warren

Light Dark & Stormy—Lena Horne

Chelsea Table + Stage, NYC, October 8, 2026

Reviewed by Bart Greenberg

Making a highly dramatic entrance on the theatrical staircase at Chelsea Table + Stage, Leslee Warren immediately grabbed the audience’s attention with her wit and her powerful voice. She was polished and assured as she descended into the room with a terrific mashup of “From This Moment On” (Cole Porter) and “The Lady Is a Tramp” (Richard Rodgers/Lorenz Hart), she brought the assembled into the world of Lena Horne in Light Dark & Stormy. Undulating into “Honeysuckle Rose” (Thomas “Fats” Waller/Andy Razaf), she evoked the iconic diva without ever stooping to do an imitation, using her own flexible vocals. Oh, and did we mention how sexy she is?

Warren did highlight how different she and Horne were in their life experiences, which made her deep understanding of the complicated life of the superstar even more impressive and demonstrated her great skill as a storyteller. She also approached some of the musical material differently, as in her slow, sultry take on “Love” (Hugh Martin/Ralph Blane) that was different from Lena’s more fiery interpretation. Her “Can’t Help Lovin’ Dat Man” (Jerome Kern/Oscar Hammerstein II), was positively erotic. Warren clearly understands how much can be achieved by a sudden smile; a small gesture can convey so much.

Of course, some of the credit must go to the exceptional direction of Lina Koutrakos and the musical support of music director, arranger, and pianist Gregory Torroian; bassist Skip Ward; and drummer David Silliman. Unfortunately, the biggest flaw of the evening was the lighting; it was often inconsistent and sometimes totally missing, leaving Warren a lady in the dark. It was only the strength of her performance and the brilliance of such concepts as the mashup of “Over the Rainbow” (Harold Arlen/E.Y. Harburg) and “If You Believe” (Charlie Smalls) that kept the show going strong. Hopefully, it will return in a more supportive atmosphere.