Review: A Tribute To “Luisa” By The Friends Of THE FANTASTICKS' First Girl In 54 CELEBRATES RITA GARDNER at 54 Below

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

Well, the tea was being served Monday night at 54 Below, my lambs, where your rainbow boy had prime seats for the 7:00 pm show 54 CELEBRATES Rita Gardner, an all-star (and stars-in-the-making) event honoring the life of singer, actress, and original Luisa in THE FANTASTICKS - Rita Gardner. Needless to say, my rainbow children, Bobby had a night filled with music and love. Everyone's performances were dedicated to this New York City musical theatre icon, and each performance was presented with all the heart one could imagine. To memorialize Ms. Gardner (who passed away in September at 87), fabled cabaret director Barry Kleinbort and equally storied Musical Director, Alex Rybeck, and Producers Sherry Eaker & Claire-Frances Sullivan, expertly put together a performance by Rita's friends, co-workers, mentees, and admirers that included...

Tony Award® nominee Liz Callaway (ANASTASIA, MISS SAIGON, CATS)

Lewis Cleale (DISNEY'S FROZEN, THE BOOK OF MORMON)

Tony Award® nominee Melissa Errico (AMOUR, MY FAIR LADY, ON A CLEAR DAY...)

Paula Dione Ingram (THE GERSHWIN'S PORGY & BESS)

Heather MacRae (HAIR, A CATERED AFFAIR)

Kurt Peterson (WEST SIDE STORY, THE BAKER'S WIFE)

Tony Award® nominee Lee Roy Reams (42ND STREET, THE PRODUCERS)

Sarah Rice (SWEENEY TODD)

Haley Swindal (CHICAGO)

Ann Talman (THE LITTLE FOXES, THE WOMEN)

...each of them telling stories of friendship, mentorship, & youthful memories carried to this day. Plus, there were also special video appearances by FANTASTICKS scribe, Tom Jones, Drama Desk® Nominee, Judy Blazer, and Tony Award® winner Laura Benanti (GYPSY, INTO THE WOODS, SHE LOVES ME).

In an unusual turn, Laura B's performance on video was a significant highlight of the evening. What made it unusual is that putting over a video played on flat screens off to the sides of the stage AND making it memorable is a tough ask. LB spoke of the inspiration she found in her youth after hearing Rita's "Louisa" and being captivated, NAY, INSPIRED by her performance on the celebrated FANTASTICKS cast album. Laura, though (along with the anecdote of being a fan/admirer) told of how she had the honor of working with Rita on The Broadway in THE WEDDING SINGER: Rita took on the role of rapping Granny Rosie, created in the film by Ellen Albertini Dow, and, then, in tribute, she sang Louisa's magnum opus MUCH MORE, proving that if you MUST have a video performance in your live show... it better be Bananti.

Truly, though, everyone came to the night with love, and performed with gusto... and speaking of gusto - kicking off the show was the queen of the night, Lee Roy Reams, who belted out Jerry Herman's rousing SHOW TUNE from the musical revue PARADE, which Rita performed in way back in 1960, and Haley Swindal hit a home run with Jacques Brel's IF WE ONLY HAVE LOVE.

But, for this rainbow writer, the performances of the night must be awarded to Melissa Errico and Heather MacRae, two musical theatre actors of different generations tributing Rita, one after the other, and sending the crowd into thunderous applause. A few years back, La Errico played Daisy in the Irish Rep's production of ON A CLEAR DAY... a role she "almost" shares with Rita, who was the Broadway understudy to Barbara Harris for the show's original run... in which Rita never got the chance to go on. In a sparkling performance, Errico spoke of Rita's influence on her performing life, and of what a great actress she had been, ME's stream-of-consciousness storytelling always driving forward to her point, proving that Melissa's gonna Melissa, and then she gave forth with Daisy's song to her flower garden HURRY IT'S LOVELY UP HERE - sublime. Then it was Heather's turn, talking of working with Rita on an Off-The-Broadway staging of I REMEMBER MAMA by the Transport Group - she bragged that she was the only woman on the night's bill that was ever married to Rita Gardner, as the show crossed gender lines, and the two played a married couple in some scenes. MacRea's unbelievably soulful singing of LOST IN THE STARS was so filled with love, and so wonderfully sung, and lighting designer KJ Hardy's addition of lighting effects effectively set the number among the stars (see Bobby's photo below), which then perfectly paved the way for the career video montage to Rita, herself, singing SUMMER IS OVER from FAMILY AFFAIR, and, as the saying goes... not a dry eye.

At the end of the night, it was left to Rita's old friend, Kurt Peterson, who gave the final tribute, and tribute he did, in the most heartfelt and real way. A trouper in all things, as seen in the moment he took to collect himself, emotionally, this wonderful actor of the American Musical stage lifted his voice beautifully on Nelson Riddles's ROGUES TO RICHES and on the most famous ballad from Rita's legendary show, TRY TO REMEMBER, gently asking the audience to join him on the chorus. Kurt also spoke of sitting with Rita on her last day of life and asking, "Rita... How's your voice?" to which she responded by singing "The most lovely scale."

You see my lambs, THE FANTASTICKS is just one of those cast albums that all lovers of musical theatre have irresistibly gravitated to down through the decades. Its historic 42+ year run (May 3, 1960-January 13, 2002 / 17162 performances) at the Sullivan Street Playhouse is a record that shall not be broken, and theatres the world over are still staging productions, year in and year out, making audiences so much happier, coming out, than they were, going in. It is one of the GREAT bricks in the wall of theatre history, and just a damn fine show. Rita Gardner was not only a part of that history, she is one of the reasons it became historic in the first place, and so, this lovely, LOVELY night at 54 Below shall receive no rainbows from this reviewer, since the care and the cast and the evening transcended it all. We will simply confine ourselves to saying that 54 CELEBRATES Rita Gardner was as essential as it was remarkable, and the finest farewell to one of our most beloved players it has been our experience to ever see. BRAVO to one and all.

Keep Up With All Things 54 Below On Their WebbySite: HERE

All Photos By Yours Truly, Bobby Patrick

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