Review: 2 Brothers From Other Mothers Star In JAIME LOZANO & MAURICIO MARTÍNEZ: HERMANOS Y FAMILIA At 54 Below

Heigh-Ho, My Merry Rainbow Tribe! Bobby Patrick, your RAINBOW Reviewer here. Putting the silent T in cabareT to bring you ALL the Tea!

Bobby was back to below Monday night - 54 Below that is - for the 9:30 program of insane tunes by the reigning king of the Latin beats, Jaime Lozano in Jaime Lozano & MAURICIO MARTÍNEZ: HERMANOS Y FAMILIA. As you can read by that title, Lozano, who usually travels with a merry band of songbirds, this time was sharing the stage with only his fellow countryman, Mauricio Martinez, and just a little bit (2 numbers) with the sensational Shereen Pimentel (Maria in West Side Story). Shereen would add in the FAMILIA portion of the title, as the rest of the time was devoted to the two HERMANOS (brothers), old friends who have lived together almost as much as they have performed together. Both spoke of times when Martinez was a part of the Lozano household, sharing abode with the FABULOUS Florencia Cuenca, Jaime's wife, and, eventually ,the couple's little boy (who was in attendance on the night at what must have been WAY past his bedtime). But, hey, he's a showbiz kid, so late nights are mothers' milk to him, we are sure. Performing for an appreciative crowd that was there to hear Martinez's THRILLING vocals and to chair dance to the upbeats from Lozano, the program was made up of tunes off his latest album, SONGS BY AN IMMIGRANT, peppered in with selections from musicals that Jaime has composed. Three numbers from his musical CHILDREN OF SALT, with lyrics by Lauren Epsenhart, were standouts. The longing song DYING IN THIS PLACE showed off MM's dramatic and unstoppable range, while the love song MORENA CARINO, sung with the luminous Pimentel, gave them both a chance to sing and show off their acting chops.

This is where Bobby must bring a raindrop or two to this rainbow review and do a little on-the-scene reporting, adding a drop of critic to this critique. At a certain point in the evening, the ever-charming Jaime called out from the stage, wondering if my boss was in the house to review the show, "Is Stephen Mosher here? Where is Stephen Mosher?" Sheepishly (because Bobby usually keeps a much lower profile than this) we called out, "Bobby is here." The Hermanos were most welcoming, and then Jaime talked for a moment about Mosher's intense feelings regarding cabaret singers who perform while using a music stand with either paper or electronic sheet music - something Mauricio was doing throughout. MM explained that he felt singers are musicians, and instrument players use their music, so a singer gets a pass as well - it's a fair(ish) point. Clearly, neither of these boys has read ALL of Bobby's reviews (grrrrr) or they would have read yours truly dragging singing actors who are not off book. You see, my lambs, that is the essence of cabaret and why there is so much crossover here in NYC from the musical stage to the nightclub. It is the connection between singer and audience that conveys the show on a deeper level. Those of us who truly consume the art of cabaret come to the club to do more than just listen, as one would do if the program were a band/orchestra or even a formal recital. In short, it is the acting with the singing that sells the songs, and Martinez, a Broadway guy, is certainly a very gifted actor. And so, the tiny is ding to Mauricio, whose mastery of his notes was so beautiful that it "almost" didn't matter when the longed-for connection with us in the house was occasionally broken by turning to read off the music stand. What we DON'T forgive him for, though, was during the musical theatre love songs with Pimentel - MORENA CARINO and DJ CAN YOU HEAR - his turning his face from his scene partner to read his lines. Sorry boys, this writer says no. You see, dahlings, 94-year-old Marylin Maye never has more than a bulleted set list to keep her on track, and so she has skewed the grading curve for everybody.

None of this is to say that the show, the music, and Mauricio himself were not beautiful to experience; in fact, quite the opposite, as there was magic in the sounds and personalities on the 54 stage. Pimentel was giggly, pretty, and fun, and then WHAMMO - that voice. Mauricio was handsome, charming, funny & serious, and then WHAMMO as well. Near the end of the program came the stunningly moving NOTHING IS BROKEN, a song by Lozano, with lyrics by dear friend Marina Pires, which they wrote in tribute to MM on the heels of his FOURTH cancer diagnosis. This incredible story of a FAMILIA coming together through the gift of song (over a zoom call) gave us all that sought-after connection in truckloads and, quite frankly, Bobby must now write: All Is Forgiven. And, for that moment, as much as any of the fine moments we had at Jaime Lozano & MAURICIO MARTÍNEZ: HERMANOS Y FAMILIA, we must give this one a whopping...

4 Out Of 5 Rainbows

And if Latin beats are your Jam my Lambs - Click & Pick up Jaime Lozano: SONGS BY AN IMMIGRANT on iTunes

Tweet Jaime On His Twitters: HERE

See his InstaPictograms: HERE

Ande Followe On Ye Olde FaceBooke: HERE

Twitter Mauricio's Tweets: HERE

See his InstaPictograms: HERE

Ande Followe On Ye Olde FaceBooke: HERE

Shereen Keeps Her Instas: HERE

Ande Followe On Ye Olde FaceBooke: HERE

All Photos By Yours Truly, Bobby Patrick

To post a comment, you must register and login.