BWW Reviews: Patti LuPone Burns Bright in THE LADY WITH THE TORCH Encore at 54 Below

Patti LuPone, living Broadway legend and Two-time Tony winner, returns to 54 Below with an encore of her acclaimed solo show The Lady with the Torch. Showcasing her breathy alto and stunning belt, Patti LuPone "belly ache[s]" (her words) her way through an inspired evening of well-known torch songs. And once the diva takes the stage, there is simply no denying that LuPone's grace, poise, and power are pure magic.

Being my first time to see LuPone perform live, I thought I knew the treat I was in for; yet, she exceeded my expectations. While minimal, her banter shows off a sharp wit. Following her opening number "By Myself" (Arthur Schwartz and Howard Dietz), she greets the audience by introducing herself as "Patti Alone." Also, the audience roared with laughter as she claimed that torch must be short for torture because all of the songs in her show are about tortured people. Yet, the most wonderful non-signing aspect of the evening was how graciously she defers applause to the band each time a member has a solo.

Tackling approximately 24 tunes in the 75 minute set, LuPone truly gives audiences every penny's worth of their money spent. Sharing her instrument with us, she takes each performance above and beyond by imbuing each number with narrative and character. LuPone allows the voice of the lyrics to resonate through her body, heart, and soul. She doesn't simply sing the tunes, she becomes them. This is made all the more apparent as LuPone emotes through richly evocative facial expressions that range from appropriately serious to hysterically deadpan.

Holding the room enchanted for the entirety of the concert, every performance emanated a life of its own. Standout numbers include her character driven approach on the mellow but jazzy "Something Cool" (Billy Barnes). With a glorious bitter edge and pristinely utilized staccato she soars on "I Wanna Be Around" (Sadie Vimmerstedt and Johnny Mercer), which she jokingly refers to as the "Sicilian National Anthem." With her patented boisterous belt, LuPone owns the stage and blows the house down with a rousing rendition of "Frankie and Johnny" (traditional/Hughie Cannon). With tunes like "Body and Soul" (Edward Heyman, Robert Sour, Frank Eyton, Johnny Green) and "So in Love" (Cole Porter) LuPone allows audiences to marvel at the lushly opulent and dusky qualities of her voice, showcasing the beauty behind the power.

Music director Joseph Thalken leads the band from the piano, spinning out radiant melodies that pair nicely with LuPone's voice. John Redsecker on drums and Dick Sarpola on bass give the music swinging, jazzy rhythms. On reeds Laurence Feldman, on trumpet Glenn Drewes, and on trombone Scott Ninmer have their share of solos, making the music come to life with charismatic charm and appeal by adding their own hearts and souls into the mix.

Patti LuPone continues to perform The Lady with the Torch through April 14, 2015 at 54 Below (254 West 54th Street, Between Broadway and 8th Avenue). For reservations and more information, please visit http://54below.com or call (646) 476-3551.

Photo Credit: Jennifer Broski

To post a comment, you must register and login.