Review: Julia Murney Nurtures Full 54 Below House with SOOTHE MY SOUL

As the crowd rose to leave 54 Below last night, Julia Murney leaned over in the spotlight and put forth her hand to a little girl sitting front and center, reaching out for a high-five. The girl, the youngest of three at her table, gave the star a gentle palm pat, then turned, EYES THIS WIDE and an enormous smile of excitement on her face, to share in the moment with her mother. It was the perfect cherry on the perfect cake that was the last ninety minutes of entertainment and humanity. It was not, though, a reaction that was exclusive to that little girl - anybody sitting in her seat would have reacted the same way, having been high-fived by Julia Murney: that is the awe inspired by Ms. Murney last night during SOOTHE MY SOUL.

In the Soothe My Soul show, Julia Murney explains that the music she has curated for the performance is all compositions that either helped her get through the pandemic, that has nurtured her during the re-emergence, or that reflects the on-again-off-again nature of the global health crisis and the toll it continues to take on her soul, which needs soothing. At first blush, that may not sound like a very cheery topic for a show, but there is every possibility that Julia Murney could take even the most depressing, dirge-ical topics and turn them into a comedy show. Easily one of the five funniest people on the concert stage today (possibly the funniest), Julia Murney is rather like Robin Williams, in that just about anything could come out of her mouth at any moment, and it's going make you laugh (and laugh hard) and then, suddenly, out of nowhere, she will make you think, make you feel, make you cry, make you ache, before making you laugh again. Who knows if there is a script? It's anyone's guess and, given the casual way that the rhetoric flowed last night, this writer senses that Murney wrote down her arc, listed her bullet points, and then left the outline on her dressing table so that she would not feel restricted, in an effort to be real with her audience.

That is what makes Julia Murney a star.

Oh, sure, we all know Julia Murney is one of the greatest singing actresses in the business. She is one of the most famous Green Girls of all time and a musical theater actress who has played some impressive characters over the years, and that's marvelous. But when a club and concert performer goes out on the stage, that which will draw the audience to them is the connection, the humanity that comes with that connection, and the chance that they, the audience, will walk away afterward, feeling like they have seen inside of the artist at the mic. Julia Murney is fearless in her quest to be real with her audience. She shares, so generously, of herself that there is no other choice but to feel like you know her, even if the fourth row of tables is the closest you have ever been to her. She hides nothing, she tells the truth, and she does it with absolute abandon. There are humiliating and hilarious tales of personal embarrassment, there are touching confessions of relatable reactions to life, there are keen observations whimsical and heartbreaking about the state of the world, and there is a gasp-worthy recounting of a legendary artist's reaction to her work. All of these tales are told with utmost candor laced with humor and with brilliant glimmers of hope and philosophy, all within every storytelling moment, be it one of monology or music.

As for the music - well, it just doesn't get better. Julia Murney has an uncanny nack of being able to sing everything from classic rock music from The Beatles, to classic musical theater from Cole Porter, and always while bending the timbre of her performance to fit not just the genre but the arrangement (hello, genius Musical Director Will Van Dyke). Whether jazzing up a famous Sondheim tune or rocking out to Waite, Ms. Murney manages to never sound like a musical artist who has gone beyond the scope of their ability - her vocal prowess and storytelling skills render her a musical shape-shifter conforming to the needs of the composer and the story they set out to tell. Members in the audience last night could be seen turning to one another to express wonder at her craft, and they could be seen dropping their weeping faces into their hands: Julia Murney is a consummate musician and storyteller and her work on the stage must be seen. Sadly, Murney confessed last night that her concert appearances tend to be out-of-town engagements more often than in, frustrating to be sure because the crowd last night was there for her, and it's a good thing, too, because it is more than clear that every Julia Murney show is different, based on little things to which she responds during the set. Last night, the audience got to see how Murney responded to the fact of three young girls sitting in the front row as she built up to a raucously funny song overrun with profanity. Last night, the crowd responded with gales of laughter as Julia Murney discovered in real-time the drawbacks of her choice of costume. Last night, the club-goers were introduced to special guest Eleri Ward during an ethereal Sondheim duet designed to feed the soul. Last night, the people sitting out front were treated to the story of last-minute replacement Kerri George before they hit one out of the park with a Queen duet with Murney. This was a night to remember, and the audience will surely do so, for years to come. In a way, one could wish that Soothe My Soul had been live-streamed or filmed so that more could enjoy it; in another way, one could be happy that it wasn't because it makes that night we all spent together with Julia Murney special, unforgettable, unique to us - in exactly the same way that Monday night's performance will be to that audience.

Take this reporter's advice, and don't regret missing that performance.

Julia Murney SOOTHE MY SOUL plays 54 Below again on February 28th, featuring guest artist Pearl Sun. Get a reservation now at the 54 Below website HERE.

Julia Murney has an Instagram page HERE.

This review has deliberately abstained from the revealing of song titles in the program, and details in Ms. Murney's story, in an attempt to avoid spoilers for future audiences.

The tremendous SOOTHE MY SOULD band was

Music director/pianist: Will Van Dyke

Violin: Kiku Enomoto

Bass: Charisse Rogers

Drums: Dena Tauriello

Guitar: Nate Brown

Backup vocals: Kerri George

Special guest: Eleri Ward

Julia Murney gets a five out of five microphones rating for performing her entire show without the use of a lyric sheet, tablet, or music stand.

Photos by Stephen Mosher

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