Bells Are Ringing 70th Anniversary Concert

54 Below, NYC, October 7, 2026

Reviewed by Jacqueline Parker

One of the most coveted and difficult-to-get tickets in town on October 7 was for this glorious presentation of one of the classic musicals from the 1950s—Bells Are Ringing. It opened in 1956 when everyone wanted to see Charlton Heston part the Red Sea in The Ten Commandments and we all loved Lucy. A reminder of those times was a film clip of “What’s My Line?” that featured Judy Holliday, and the trailer for the film shown at this event.

Bells Are Ringing, which opened after Wonderful Town and before Do Re Mi, was full of that post-war exuberance that is so characteristic of Comden and Green’s work. Zany, innocent, and even hard to believe at times could be said of many of their shows, but audiences loved the jaunty melodies and music.

Who better to take us on a fantastical time travel back to those Eisenhower years than Michael Lavine? He was a friend and neighbor of Adolph Green, who provided book and lyrics for this show with his writing partner Betty Comden, while Jule Styne, less than a decade away from his two masterworks Gypsy and Funny Girl, supplied the music. Lavine was the music director and pianist and also served as the emcee; he provided clever patter that brought the entire event more to life for those unfamiliar with Bells Are Ringing. But, on with the show.

Any show that begins with Christine Pedi is setting the bar high. Clad in a gorgeous hot-pink jacket, she opened with “It’s a Perfect Relationship,” in which she describes being hopelessly in love with someone she’s only spoken to and will never meet. If she had built the intensity of her emotions any higher, we all would have burst through the ceiling.

Nicolas King was the perfect singer to convey that 1950s crooner style, as he did with “Independent,” full of Dean Martin-esque swagger. Stuart Zagnit outlined “It’s a Simple Little System” to the ensemble so convincingly that I was ready to invest a buck or two. Klea Blackhurst, who seemed born to play the role of Ella Peterson, defended herself against orders not to get involved in the lives of her customers with “Is It a Crime?” She didn’t imitate Judy Holliday, but she evoked her while remaining herself. She so naturally fit with this song, every movement and gesture was perfect and got rousing applause. Michael-Demby Cain led the ensemble in “Hello, Hello There!” and even included some tap dancing.

Nehal Joshi and Erin Davie sang the lovely counterpoint “Better Than a Dream.” All the patter and narration was provided by producers Andy Skurow and Joe Marchese. Mark Kudisch, who appeared in the show’s 2001 Broadway revival, exuded so much excitement in his delivery of “I Met a Girl” that it was contagious, and he added his own comments about Comden and Green. A true highlight was the duet between Robert Cuccioli and Karen Akers on “Long Before I Knew You.” The theme of this song is not the usual approach to a love song, yet Cuccioli slowed the tempo a bit, which provided the emphasis the lyric called for. (It seemed the precursor to the song with the same message from Two by Two “I Do Not Know a Day I Did Not Love You” by Richard Rodgers and Martin Charnin.) Alan Campbell, Penny Fuller, and ensemble had fun with “Just in Time” before Fuller returned with a haunting rendition of “The Party’s Over.” This song is familiar, yet Fuller managed to cast a spell over the audience, demanding attention and evoking every possible nuance one could squeeze out of the lyric; it was a totally mesmerizing performance.

Jenny Lee Stern delivered the 11 o’clock number “I’m Going Back” with a ferocity that surpassed what sensibilities of the last century could have enjoyed, and we loved it! Special kudos to the ensemble: David Katz, Dianne Fraser, Ethan Mathias, Eve Dillingham, Hannah Bank, and Kosta Stoychev. Special kudos to producers Joe Marchese and Andy Skurow. Thanks to everyone involved for keeping those bells ringing!