Review: 10 YEARS OF REUNION CONCERTS at Feinstein's/54 Below Brings Artists and Fans to the Party

Feinstein's/54 Below is having a birthday year. Ten years ago Broadway's Living Room sprang to life with a Patti LuPone show and the Midtown Manhattan supper club has been going strong, ever since. To celebrate the milestone, the cabaret room is producing a series of 10 YEARS... concerts, one each month (so far). January saw 10 YEARS OF TONY AWARD NOMINEES, February presented 10 YEARS OF BLACK EXCELLENCE ON STAGE, and the entry for the month of March, 10 YEARS OF REUNION CONCERTS, played last night at 7, 9:30, and via Live Stream. For many years the in-house producers at 54 Below have been curating reunion concerts that bring together the casts of popular plays from the New York theater scene, concerts that have raised the live entertainment bar and drawn throngs of fans to the nightclub for a chance to see their favorites together once more. At this week's concert, the musicals/reunion concerts represented included The Wedding Singer, Miss Saigon, Footloose and Bare: A Pop Opera, and featured some musical theater names well-known, and some names people will know, and although all of the musical performances were well presented and enjoyable, there was no denying that there was something extra special about an extended Avenue Q segment featuring OG cast member Rick Lyon, and replacement/showmance couple Maggie Lakis and Rob McClure (along with Kate Monster, Princeton, and Nicky & Rod). Whether the goal was to highlight, especially, the Tony Award recipient for Best Musical of 2004, each and every entry in the program was an absolute delight to witness.

The main purpose (and thrill) of these reunion specials is a chance for fans of certain shows to see those actors and characters, once so beloved, together again, but the opportunity to hear these songs, live, is also a treat, especially in the hands of Musical Director Drew Wutke, who is as much fun to watch conduct as he is to listen to at the piano. Each of the singing actors in this week's production certainly did not disappoint, from Felicia Finley's rocked out "A Note From Linda/Let Me Come Home" to Diana Huey's showstopping "Disneyland," and what a pleasure it was to not only hear Jennifer Laura Thompson and Jeremy Kushnier sing "Almost Paradise" but to see the unmistakable affection in their faces as they took this brief journey into their past. One of the reasons live entertainment is so valuable is the viewing in real-time of the humanity of the artists, humanity that isn't captured to such depth on a recording. All of the duets and personal relationships on display Sunday night were resonant, especially when Miss Saigon alumni Lianah Sta. Ana and Dorcas Leung spoke so eloquently about the plight of Asian women in the play, as well as in today's society, before scaling emotional and musical heights with "Movie in my Mind." It was a highlight in an evening of enjoyable performances from the cast of actors curated by producer Jen Sandler.

In a circumstance unusual for 54 Below, the evening of ten songs took ninety-three minutes to present, due to long-winded host Julie James' frustrating tendency to ask the artists questions and then continue on her own chatty path, rather than allowing the guests to answer, as any prudent host would. From start to finish, Ms. James seemed somewhat unprepared, a fact glaringly apparent when the frequently credited hostess fell back not once, not twice, but three times on the subject of obsessive fans and cult-like followings, even going so far as to attempt to draw Damon J. Gillespie into a conversation about the "Fansies" of Newsies that seemed slanted toward the uncomfortably sensational. Mr. Gillespie graciously avoided saying anything ungenerous about the fans of the play, fans that are the bedrock of most artistic successes in the age of social media. Perhaps Ms. James was having an off night but it cast a pall over the proceedings, as did her poor choice of words when asking Scott Stangland about his reaction to the news that Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet... was being moved from downtown to a "proper Broadway theater," effectively diminishing the show's pre-Broadway outings, which was, certainly, not Ms. James's intention, but verbiage is vital, especially when one is tasked with being the leader of a group show of this nature.

As for this particular group show, the ensemble did a fine job of recreating the memories and experiences that some folks enjoyed during the run of the shows, that others wished they had been able to see, and that certain audience members came, especially, to enjoy because of their admiration of a specific actor. It's the kind of group show in which 54 Below has specialized these last ten years and the kind that will keep bringing the audiences in for years to come.

The next scheduled 10 YEARS OF... show is May 2nd's 10 YEARS OF MUSICAL THEATRE HISTORY! For information and reservations visit the 54 Below website HERE.

The 54 Below home page is HERE.

The 10 YEARS OF REUNION CONCERTS cast gets a five out of five microphones rating for performing their entire show without the use of a lyric sheet, tablet, or music stand.

Photos by Stephen Mosher

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