Review: LEGALLY BOUND: HOLIDAY EDITION WITH ORFEH AND ANDY KARL at Perelman Performing Arts Center

Broadway power couple Orfeh and Andy Karl owned the stage at the new Perelman Performing Arts Center last Saturday, December 23nd. Fans packed into the intimate theater-in-the-round venue to hear their holiday edition of Legally Bound, a semi-regular show the couple has been doing for a number of years. The pair stepped out in stunning silver glittery costumes, which Orfeh revealed had been designed in just a few days by Tyler, a former Project Runway contestant, at her request. The show was as much a spectacle as the shining clothes. At one point, someone seated in front of me kvelled, “We don’t deserve this” over and over again. I couldn’t agree more.

Equally talented, Orfeh and Karl have starred together in numerous Broadway shows, including Legally Blonde and the 1998 Saturday Night Fever, where they first met. Over a roughly two-hour long concert, the pair took us through a wide range of music, from Broadway to rock to pop. They also did two original songs written by Karl, one of which was the very funny “Bad Girls Need Christmas, Too.”

Orfeh and Karl were joined by vocalists Marissa Rosen, Tim Kodres, and Nikki Kimbrough, each of whom were powerhouses in their own right. The couple has such a sweet relationship with each other, as well as the band and backup singers. Orfeh brought Nikki out to do a duet, at one point, to highlight some exciting news she had to share. They dueted on “How Will I Know” during which an emotional Nikki flashed what seemed to be an engagement ring.

The show was directed by Charles Randolph-Wright with music direction and piano accompaniment by Steven Jamail. They had a small band with Judy Kang on violin, Domenic Rigazzi on tenor sax, Micah Burgess on guitar, Colin Dean on bass, and Jeremy Yaddaw on drums/percussion.

Orfeh thanked the audience for joining them on “Christmas Eve Eve” and spending special holiday time with them. The show was part of the Perelman Center’s Circle Songs, a four-part concert series meant to brighten the shortest days of the year around the winter solstice. They kept the song selection light for the most part, with Orfeh apologizing every time she picked a downer, like her stunning arrangement of “Hotel California” (available as a single on streaming sites). Karl sung “Seeing You” from Groundhog Day in honor of his upcoming Australian tour in the show, which he was to leave for the next day. They sang a tender “Hallelujah,” with a killer violin solo by Judy. Karl talked about how many verses the song “Hallelujah” has and how picking and choosing which ones to include makes the song “your hallelujah,” and that his hallelujah was that “you’re all here with us.” The concert was a delight, through and through, with even a costume change for Orfeh into another spectacular look designed by Tyler.

As if that wasn’t enough – after a final performance, a moving mashup of “Nothing Compares 2 U” and “Purple Rain,” as everyone was starting to head out, Orfeh spotted Darlene Love exiting from the audience and entreated her to come up and sing a song. The night wouldn’t be complete without “Mother Christmas” singing her most famous Christmas song. Love treated us to “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” with backing vocals by Orfeh, Karl and the three backup singers. Two Broadway legends performing with pop legend Darlene Love with full orchestrations? We didn’t deserve it, but I’m so glad they delivered.

Perelman Performing Arts Center has a website HERE.

Orfeh's website can be found HERE and Andy Karl's can be accessed HERE.

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