Review: Amy Jo Jackson Raises The Bar With THE BRASS MENAGERIE at 54 Below

"We've had this date from the beginning." That was me, as the 54 Below announcer kicked off THE BRASS MENAGERIE, Amy Jo Jackson's award-winning cabaret play that has been taking Manhattan by storm these last few years. This most original and fascinating piece of theater was first reviewed by Broadway World Cabaret in 2020 (read Bobby Patrick's write-up HERE) and the only reason Bobby got the sweet gig is because this Tennessee Williams devotee was not free to go, but as I edited the article, I was gnashing my teeth with jealousy. As more and more cabaret aficionados attended performances that I was unavailable for, reports kept rolling in about how amazing the show was. Then, the Bistro Awards committee gave the show an award for excellence in the art form of cabaret, and it appeared that I was the only person in New York City who had not seen the revolutionary performance piece.

That time is no more.

It is always exciting to see an artist who is like no other, because originality is the one commodity that each of us has in life. That is particularly true in the arts, especially in the performing arts. The world worships the original. But when a person who is an original takes that unique quality that is most authentically themself and uses it to create something completely different, it is a sign of greatness. Amy Jo Jackson, as seen in a variety of group shows in any given cabaret season, is an original, but their musical cabaret THE BRASS MENAGERIE is that rare thing that artists dream of creating: the new thing. Like Picasso or Chanel, Munro or Mozart revolutionized the fields in which they were creating, Jackson has created something completely new and all her own. Combining their passion for the legitimate theater, their devotion to the musical stage, their obsession with one playwright, and their dedication to the cabaret art form, Amy Jo Jackson has developed a program that explores all of Tennessee Williams' plays and (mostly) heroines, through only his dialogue, the compositions of (mostly) musical theater composers, and all the magic inside of their Wonderland of a mind. And what the audience is left with is one eye-popping, jaw-dropping, gay gasping moment after another.

Alongside Musical Director Brian Nash (who really is one of the best in the business, as this Olympic Cabaret event demonstrates), Jackson acts as Mistress of Ceremonies, instructor, and actor, delivering a true Tour-de-Force performance - indeed, this is the kind of performance for which the term Tour-de-Force was invented. There are segments of THE BRASS MENAGERIE focusing on Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (it's beyond brilliant), Sweet Bird of Youth (very creative), The Rose Tattoo (hilarious), Suddenly Last Summer (blistering), and The Glass Menagerie (epic), all of which touch upon the tragedy of Tennessee, employing ample amounts of side-splitting comedy, as well as formidable vocals, using the works of Andrew Lloyd Webber, Ahrens & Flaherty, Stephen Sondheim, and some other legends of Broadway, although to go into detail would require a major spoiler alert for future audiences, and that would not be fair. Indeed, future patrons of The Brass Menagerie would be greatly advised to do no research, to read no further than this article, which will remain spoiler-free to the very end. Having Amy Jo Jackson's ingenious parody play out in real-time will guarantee the authenticity of the laughter created from without and enjoyed from within. And before anyone gets the notion that Tennessee Williams plus Stephen Sondheim buys a person eighty minutes of campery, let this writer assure everyone that YES, there is a lot of camp in this show (it's sort of built in, de rigueur, if you will)... but it is also incredibly touching at times. The Streetcar Named Desire segment is completely gorgeous and lovely (and for those with a knowledge of the history of The Great American Songbook, a delivery on a promise expected, walking in the door), and this writer's personal favorite throughout the entire evening was a devastating presentation based upon Summer and Smoke. Although some audience members began the Alma monologue from the play that later became Eccentricities of a Nightengale with cackles of laughter, the giggles gave way to sentimental sniffles and awestruck silence.

Even with all the ardor felt for every moment of the play (magnificently directed by Andrew Neisler), and even with the Blanche Dubois and Alma Winemiller explorations resonating most ardently in this heart, there was nothing to prepare this writer for the BRASS MENAGERIE finale, which, if there is any justice in the world, will never land on YouTube. This moment, alone, is worth the trip and the ticket price. This number, alone, is worth all the awards and accolades. This performance, alone, is worth raising a hand, pointing a finger, and saying, "This woman is special. This play is ingenious. This experience is what quality cabaret can be, in the hands of an artist."

Dear reader, take my advice and don't wait too long like I did. Brush up on your Tennessee Williams, and hie thee to the next performance of THE BRASS MENAGERIE and find out what all the fuss is about. Trust me when I say that you can always depend on the kindness of Amy Jo Jackson to give you a true night out to remember.

Find great shows to see on the 54 Below website HERE.

THIS is the Amy Jo Jackson website.

Photos by Stephen Mosher; Visit the Stephen Mosher website https://stephenmosher.com/HERE.

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