Review: Carmen Cusack Shares Her Remarkable Story with Feinstein's/54 Below, Showcasing the Unmatched Versatility Which Brought Her to Broadway

"At last, at last, at long last."

These are the lyrics which ushered in the emotional climax of Broadway's Bright Star, the North Carolina-set musical which burned fast and, well, bright this past season on Broadway. So, too, did these lyrics close out the solo concert debut of the musical's incandescent star, Carmen Cusack, at Feinstein's/54 Below on August 9.

Fittingly so. This time last year, Cusack was little known in New York, having established herself as a bona fide star in the West End, as well as regionally in touring productions of Wicked and South Pacific. Cut to the summer of 2016, though, and Cusack has made one of the most celebrated Broadway debuts in memory and was Tony-nominated in this year's Actress in a Leading Role category (that same one deemed too full for Audra McDonald). It is no wonder, then, Cusack wasted no time capitalizing on her newfound cachet, booking three concerts at Broadway's supper club, before swiftly adding a fourth due to demand.

Though new in town, Cusack is no ingénue. Having taken the circuitous road to Broadway, her journey has been marred in both triumph and strife, stories about which permeated her show to emotional effect. Cusack's voice, matched in richness by its ability to transcend genre, is unprecedented in its versatility. It is that talent in conjunction with her story, though, which has rendered her one of Broadway's most riveting leading ladies, seemingly overnight.

Were the evening to be designated a theme, in fact, it would be just that: Cusack's remarkable and refreshing story. Accordingly, she kicked off her set with "If You Knew My Story," the Steve Martin/Edie Brickell-penned tune which also opened Bright Star. The number was actually one of a three-song Bright Star medley, the other two of which were ultimately cut from the musical. Revisiting the show's Americana score, it's plainly evident why Cusack nabbed the coveted part of the heroine, Alice Murphy. In what seems to be the most natural inclination of her voice, the chesty southern inflection she brings to the folk-infused score at once modernizes and authenticates the unusual ilk of song which breezes through the musical.

And that twang is not contrived. Having grown up in the American South, prior to skipping across the pond where she'd spend much of her adult life, Cusack's speaking voice oscillates between a warm drawl and pointedly British. Similarly, in performing gospel throughout her childhood before receiving training in opera, her singing voice traverses chameleon-like through musical styles. As in all art, though, it is more effective to show than tell, and Cusack duly crafted a medley consisting of the many roles which have brought her to this point. Phantom of the Opera's "Think of Me" was followed by "I Dreamed a Dream" from Les Misérables, before concluding with Wicked's soaring "The Wizard and I" and "Back to Before" from Ragtime. Each of the roles---and corresponding songs---are so variant in their form and necessitated range that, were an audience not to actually witness Cusack transitioning erudite one to the next, it may not be believable that a single vocalist could even portray them all.

One role which Cusack has not yet played, however, is that of Lucille in Jason Robert Brown's ominous Parade. Having reached out on social media prior to her concerts, Cusack crowdsourced as to a show from which her fans would like to see her perform a song, resulting in the musical's "You Don't Know this Man." It speaks to Cusack's ineffable abilities as an actor that, in performing a single song from a role which she has never actually played, she was able to tell what was essentially an entire story. It speaks louder, then, to the necessity for a full-scale Parade revival, with Cusack in the role, of course.

Continuing to confound with her distinction, Cusack transitioned back from the realm of musical theatre towards a more purely folk segment, which included two original songs and several covers. Her originals, which not only demonstrated her gusto as a songwriter but also her somehow sweetly sardonic sense of humor, were both based upon bygone periods: "Shane," about her first crush, and "Middle Lane," a melancholic tribute to three of Cusack's closest friends made during her time in England. The selected covers were James Shelton's "Lilac Wine," "Stop" by Sam Brown, and Traditional's "Wayfaring Stranger," which, Cusack divulged, landed her the Bright Star gig. The cluster of songs was played without shoes, with a guitar, or a combination of the two, further showcasing Cusack's indefatigable and down-home charm.

Under the musical direction of Anthony De Angeles (also on piano), it must be noted, the band never struggled to keep up with the genre jumping dictated by Cusack's versatility, and was rounded out by Dean Sharenow (drums), Joe Jung (guitar), Alex Eckhardt (bass), and Martha McDonnell (fiddle).

The show concluded on a note of sentimentality but not saccharinely so. To the contrary, the evening's final songs were in keeping with Cusack's intent to both reflect upon her past while exulting at her present. Inviting her "first Glinda" to join her onstage, Cusack with Katie Rose Clarke sang Wicked's anthem of friendship and forgiveness, "For Good," proving true that the song remains poignant through its oft-performed lifespan. From one tune of enduring strength to another, Cusack encouraged the audience to join her in singing Bright Star's anthemic "Sun is Gonna Shine," before concluding with the musical's "At Long Last," containing those aforementioned lyrics uncanny in their resonance with what is surely a new precipice in Cusack's career.

Efforts to pinpoint Cusack as a performer are as elusive as efforts to pinpoint her as a human being. In amassing her identity, she has come to embody a swirl of disparities, and yet, she is profoundly in touch with each component and is able to exude a calmness and cohesion in the presentation of herself. As evidenced by her show, that tranquility was not easily gained, and Cusack wears her battle wounds with the poise of one who has treaded through darkness, knowing that it can coexist with resolution and levity.

Before exiting, Cusack thanked the crowd for selling out the show and, in so doing, one couldn't help to think the purpose was as much for the audience as it was for her to hear herself utter the words. But Cusack---and her audiences---can rejoice and agree: At long last she has arrived and, make no mistake, she is here to stay.

Carmen Cusack continues her Feinstein's/54 Below run on August 14 and 16.

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