BWW Reviews: Finding Jeremy Jordan

BabsonARTS presents Jeremy Jordan: Breaking Character on Sunday, April 26 at Carling-Sorenson Theater, Sorenson Center for the Arts, Babson College, Wellesley, MA

With Ashley Spencer and Music Director Benjamin Rauhala

The real Jeremy Jordan took to the stage at the Sorenson Center for the Arts on the campus of Babson College Sunday night in his Boston solo concert debut, Jeremy Jordan: Breaking Character. Known for iconic roles on Broadway, television, and film, Jordan comes across as an interesting character on his own terms, even when he is not portraying a character, and his appreciative fans greeted his personal stories and original song compositions with enthusiasm equal to that for his better-known musical theater tunes.

Joined on the stage by Music Director/pianist Benjamin Rauhala (born and raised in Townsend, Massachusetts), whose lively chatter and virtuoso accompaniment gave a lift to the evening's entertainment quotient, and his performer wife Ashley Spencer for a few duets, Jordan was an affable host who seemed to take as much pleasure in sharing their talents as his own. Their mutual admiration society projected a level of genuine warmth and camaraderie that seeped into the auditorium and captured everyone in its glow, increasing the feeling of intimacy in the 441-seat proscenium Carling-Sorenson Theater.

Jordan opened the show as his breathless, 18-year old self, auditioning for his college admission (he has a BFA in performance from Ithaca College) with an overblown rendition of "Anthem" from Chess. It was the first of several occasions in the program that allowed him to show off his comic chops, and he really cracked up the crowd with his re-imagining of the Avenue Q song "Purpose," filled with scatological humor as the renamed "Chipotle." Moving on to material more befitting his thirty-year old self, there were selections from The Last Five Years ("Moving Too Fast"), Rock of Ages ("More Than Words/Heaven" with Ashley), and Joyful Noise ("Maybe I'm Amazed" with Ashley). In contrast to the rock style vocals of the former, Jordan did a jazzy version of "Losing My Mind" (from Follies, by way of the Wynton Marsalis Sondheim revue A Bed and a Chair), a fascinating interpretation that forces you to re-think the message of the song.

On his self-described mission to take risks, Jordan said doing this show challenged him to stand before the audience without hiding behind a character. As part of that effort, his performance included accompanying himself on the guitar for a trio of original songs that help to outline the arc of his career. However, it is ultimately the show tunes that we've come to hear, and he has the good sense to pack the program with them and even invited an audience member to come up on stage to play Bonnie to his Clyde for the love song "Bonnie." Chosen from among the dozens of waving hands, Nicole Chininis had her night made and was the lucky lady to be musically wooed, playing the part with as straight a face as she could muster.

The final third of the set list was the cream of Jordan's crop, beginning with a medley from Smash (including Ashley in a long, brown Karen Cartwright wig). He spoke about his rewarding and challenging experiences during the run of Finding Neverland at the A.R.T. in Cambridge last summer before singing the title song, and concluded with an incredibly heartfelt rendition of "Santa Fe" from Newsies, replete with thick New York accent. Understanding that the audience will never let you go without one, Jordan came prepared with an encore and managed to put his mark on a classic with a medley of "Over the Rainbow/Home." After a short break, he visited the post-show reception, signing autographs, posing for photos, and sending his fans over the moon.

ANTHEM (Chess), MOVING TOO FAST (The Last 5 Years), GOOD ENOUGH - Guitar (Original Song), MORE THAN WORDS/HEAVEN (with ASHLEY) - Guitar (Rock of Ages), MAYBE I'M AMAZED (with ASHLEY) (Joyful Noise), REVELATION - Guitar (original song), LOSING MY MIND (A Bed and a Chair), BONNIE (Bonnie and Clyde), CHIPOTLE (parody of "Purpose" from Avenue Q), SMASH MEDLEY - (with ASHLEY), BROADWAY, HERE I COME! (Smash), UNDERWATER - Guitar (original song), FINDING NEVERLAND (Finding Neverland), SANTA FE (Newsies)

Encore: OVER THE RAINBOW/HOME

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