Broadway Unplugged: Third Time's The Charmingest

There is a special sort of stillness that descends over an auditorium when a singer performs without a microphone. It's more than just the expected quiet of a polite audience watching a regular amplified show; it's more than the silence of an enraptured crowd watching an intensely thrilling moment on any given stage. It is a stillness that announces a paradigm shift in expectations. The quiet of a normal audience watching a miked performance is almost a challenge: "Entertain me!" it says defiantly. The stillness of an audience watching singers without a microphone is deeper, sharper and more focused. "I am listening," it says.

And for the third year in a row, people came to Town Hall and listened. Their favorite singers from Broadway and cabaret came out to prove their mettle, and sang with no amplification. Scott and Barbara Siegel's third annual Broadway Unplugged concert celebrated the pure human voice last night by putting it on display in its natural state. This concert may well have been the best of the three: every song and singer were perfectly matched and beautifully performed, and almost no singers were able to leave the stage without being called back for an extra bow.

Many of the evening's performers were veterans of the two prior Broadway Unplugged  concerts. Marc Kudisch, who stopped last year's concert cold with his rendition of  "Anything You Can Do" with Sutton Foster, sang both "Softly as in a Morning Sunrise" from The New Moon, and a hilariously lusty "The First Time" from Kander & Ebb's Zorba. Euan Morton, who has had difficulty finding an appropriate song to show off his voice in the previous two Unplugged concerts, finally struck gold and brought a quiet new intensity to Stephen Sondheim's "Not While I'm Around," singing the song with as much bravery as tenderness. (Tim Burton, may I humbly recommend Mr. Morton for your upcoming movie?) Nancy Anderson, a classic song's best friend, sang a dizzyingly silly and soaring title song from 1904's "Naughty Marietta."

The Drowsy Chaperone's Eddie Korbich sang a hilariously rousing "Love in a New Tempo" from New Faces of 1952, Mary Bond Davis, who could be called the godmother of the Unplugged tradition (she sang the first unamplified number in the 1933 edition of Broadway by the Year) ripped up the stage with a rousing "Down With Love" from Hooray for What. William Michaels sang a quietly soaring "The Impossible Dream" from Man of La Mancha, proving himself a worthy successor to Kiley, and Bill Daugherty and Connie Pachl jazzed it up with "Pack Up Your Sins and Go To The Devil." Norm Lewis, currently in Les Miserables, sang a fierce and rousing "I've Got Rhythm" that could still be heard over the cheers of the audience, and Tony-winner Chuck Cooper sang a rich and sweetly devilish "All I Care About" from Chicago that must have made Jerry Orbach look down and smile proudly.

Several of the other singers were veterans of other Siegel concerts. Jeffry Denman once again proved himself the heir of both James Cagney and George M. Cohan with his fast-footed "Yankee Doodle Dandy." Lisa Howard of Spelling Bee belted a moving "I Dreamed a Dream" from Les Miserables, but later showed off her stunning soprano voice to gorgeous dramatic effect in the evening's finale. Roosevelt Andre Credit, who stepped in to save last month's Jerome Kern tribute at the last possible minute, joined forces with Bruce Johnson to sing "Muddy Water" from Big River. (No sign-language necessary; these voices could have been heard in the Henry Miller Theatre, were it still standing.)

Of course, much of the fun of the Unplugged concerts and segments from Broadway by the Year is seeing how well established fare without microphones for the first time. Beth Leavel Brought down the house with a hilariously over-the-top "Surabaya Santa" from Jason Robert Brown's Songs for a New World. (Yes, it was off-Broadway, but it still counts!) Sarah Uriarte Berry sang a soaring "Somebody Somewhere" from The Most Happy Fella, Barg Jungr sang a "When You're Good to Mama" that evoked more Cabaret than Chicago (and still worked brilliantly), and Liz McCartney evoked Fanny Brice at her best with a bawdy "Cornet Man" from Funny Girl. Douglas Ladiner sang a powerful "You'll Never Walk Alone" from Carousel with haunting intensity, and Jersey Boy John Lloyd Young escaped Frankie Valli for a moment to belt out a wonderful "Never Will I Marry" from Greenwillow. (Anthony Perkins must have looked down with envy.)

To end the evening, Scott Coulter honored the memory of Edythe Kenner, whose generosity and dedication to music made the Broadway by the Year and Broadway Unplugged series possible, by singing what may well have been the most emotional rendition of Stephen Schwartz's "For Good" yet. As the rest of the ensemble slowly gathered behind him, Lisa Howard stepped forward to lead the company in a lovely "Goodnight, My Someone" that perfectly bade a loving farewell to the enraptured audience and to the patroness of the arts. As the concert came to a close, Mr. Siegel announced that the following Broadway by the Year season will be dedicated to Ms. Kenner's memory. There is probably no more fitting tribute for the lady who helped to bring many wonderful songs, both amplified and not, to many audiences. 

Post-show party photos by Linda Lenzi
1) Euan Morton and Liz McCartney
2) Scott Siegel, John Lloyd Young and Barbara Siegel

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