Review: I WISH: THE ROLES THAT COULD HAVE BEEN Still Packs a Punch at 54 Below

When Alexandra Silber created the I WISH: THE ROLES THAT COULD HAVE BEEN series she may have hoped that it would be well accepted by audiences but she couldn't have known that it would become so popular a concept and concert as it has. Intended as a one-night-only event, I Wish has just had its third iteration and a fourth is planned for later in 2020. On February 3rd the cunning and creative brainchild of Silber's returned to Feinstein's/54 Below for this new instalment of Broadway performers singing the songs that come with the parts they didn't get to, and probably won't get to, play - and if the clever conceit of the show wasn't enough to get audiences interested, the list of performers certainly was, not surprising since the previous two editions of I Wish were spectacularly curated by Silber in every effort to make happy the audiences smart enough to choose the concert series for their evening's entertainment. It would appear that Ms. Silber has either been very lucky in the friendships she has cultivated or she is very persuasive, because the stars of Broadway just seem to want to do this series, just like the audiences want to see it, and they should because I Wish is as fun a time as can be had in a musical cabaret show.

Many concert series are built to pay homage to beloved artists, while some are designed as a variety show, and others are book-in-hand concerts of entire musical plays. There are all different types of recurring shows, but the fun and unique aspect of I Wish is a strong foundation upon which a great show is built. Every actor has a wish list - the roles they would have liked to play, the songs they would have liked to sing, indeed most artists have similar wish lists for their own mediums - the ballet they wish they could dance, the songs they wish they had written, the photos they wish they had taken. Any creative person can relate to I Wish. It doesn't stop there, though, because there are musical theater buffs who enjoy seeing I Wish because of personal stories shared by the performers, and there are fanboys and fangirls who just want to see their favorite Broadway actors in action, especially in a unique moment, and what could be more fun than hearing Julia Murney - the one and only Julia Murney - talk about a childhood where every seven-year-old girl wanted to play Annie? And who doesn't want to hear Julia Murney sing Tomorrow? It is moments like this that make I Wish the confection that it is, and as much as every Broadway cast album playing fanhuman worships and adores Julia Murney, there were ten other actors on stage on Monday night, each of them with a little I Wish magic of their own, rendering the purchase of a ticket ten times better.

Alexandra Silber busy in London's West End, a replacement emcee was found in the person of Ben Cameron, an effervescent presence if ever there was one. Cameron is a seasoned host, a fact that shows without even having to check out his resume; he's funny, he's fast, he knows how to conduct an interview, and the questions he asks are interesting, never by-rote. He also has a killer singing voice, demonstrated by two epic medleys, the first being your basic "I Wish" medley, in which he sang songs he definitely won't be singing in the plays from which they originate, the second, a mind-blowing Barbra Streisand medley. Mr. Cameron is a substitute host divine, especially when the time comes to get Silber on the phone via Facetime, all the way from early morning London - what a fun fellow. One at a time, the likeable Cameron welcomed to the 54 Below stage these eleven fine actors, each of whom shared a little story about why they didn't, why they couldn't, why they shouldn't... but then they did! And when they did, they did it with all the talent and style for which they are either known, or are getting to be known, causing in this writer a need to check out the calendars and see where each of them will be performing next.

Among the guests at I Wish 3 were Amanda Jane Cooper, Noah Galvin, Hayley Podschun, Vishal Vaidya, Brynn Williams, Damon J. Gillespie, Brittney Johnson, and the aforementioned Julia Murney, all of whom were a sheer delight in their tales of personal trivia, dreams and disappointments, and all of whom came prepared to sing - no cheat sheets were used on this night of I Wish, and this writer applauds the cast for doing their jobs, knowing their words, and giving their audience a fully realized performance. Bravi!

Particular standouts on Wednesday night were Andy Kelso, making merry out of a hilarious comedy number titled "Skills" from a joke musical based on the movie "Taken," a stunningly voiced Matthew Scott (greater fame is due this man) blowing the roof off of 54 Below with "The Games I Play" from "Falsettos," and Christian Dante White, whose transformative performance of "Wheels of A Dream" should be seen by all, especially anyone with a musical in need of a leading man, because Christian Dante White is poised for his breakout role, and no mistake.

I Wish: The Roles That Could Have Been is one of the truly well-conceived concert series of the New York cabaret scene and it is an admirable feat that Ms. Silber is so, clearly, laser-focused on keeping the level of quality so high; with Ben Caplan musical directing and either Silber or Cameron hosting, the Jen Sandler evening is already ahead of the curve but when the exemplary guest actors bring their personal stories and fantasies to the stage of 54 Below for a new instalment of the series, they aren't only living out their own wish for a moment, they are granting the wishes of a room full of grateful Broadway junkies, happy they bought a ticket.

The next episodes of I WISH: THE ROLES THAT COULD HAVE BEEN are on April 26 and June 29 at 9:30 pm. For information and tickets please visit the Feinstein's/54 Below website

Ben Cameron

Amanda Jane Cooper

Noah Galvin

Hayley Podschun with Ben Cameron

Matthew Scott

Vishal Vaidya

Julia Murney

Andy Kelso

Brynn Williams

Damon J. Gillespie

Brittney Johnson

Ben Cameron

Christina Dante White

Photos by Stephen Mosher

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