Review: SETH RUDETSKY Shares His “Dreamgirls” Obsession at Café Carlyle

A radio personality, performer, and lover of all things Broadway, Seth Rudetsky has never hidden his love for the Broadway show Dreamgirls, Henry Krieger and Tom Eyen's groundbreaking 1981 musical directed by Michael Bennett and loosely based on the rise of The Supremes. He even produced a charity concert of the show in New York which was presented less than two weeks after 9/11 in 2001. For his latest residency at the Café Carlyle, he invites Broadway singers to discuss and perform songs highlighting one show. For the February 20 performance (March 13 and April 3 are the remaining dates), Rudetsky returned to Dreamgirls, and you could feel his passion for the show, which includes legendary lore, backstage gossip and, of course, the songs.

Rudetsky is most known ,now, for his Sirius/XM radio programs, his many stage shows, where he deconstructs his beloved singers singing classic Broadway tunes, and his YouTube channel, Stars in the House, which he started with his husband, James Wesley, during the pandemic lockdown to raise money for the Entertainment Community Fund. I will admit, Stars in the House kept me sane during the first half for 2020, especially the many play readings Rudetsky and his crew curated. Of course, I remember him from his one-man show Rhapsody in Seth (I have a CD-R of his rendition of Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue," which I purchased) from the early 2000s, in which he recounted stories from his childhood and all the events that led him to be one of the more colorful personalities in the New York theater scene.

For the Dreamgirls presentation, Rudetsky brought on three ultra-talented performers who have done the show before: the incomparable Sharon Catherine Brown, the peerless Darius de Haas, and the first-rate Natalie Wachen. Tony-nominee Lili Cooper was going to round out the performers but had to cancel at the last minute. Although that absence of one of the three Dreams did seem to put the performers in a tizzy as to who was covering what (Rudetsky,not only was the piano accompanist but also did some harmony), it all came together splendidly with a the-show-must-go-on, can-do attitude by everyone on stage.

Rudetsky loves the dramatic arguments in the show that precede many of the numbers. Natalie Wachen, who just finished the off-Broadway run of Merrily We Roll Along (soon to be on Broadway in the fall), essentially did both the Deena Jones and Lorrell parts, some in the same fight/song, and, at one point, the replacement Michelle - which she differentiated by just a simple change in tone and a scoot to the left or right. Such a pro. Her performance of the title song was so charming that I wish she was able to do the disco "One Night Only" as well.

Darius de Haas, whom Rudetsky first met during Kiss of the Spider Woman (he was in the pit, de Haas was in the chorus), played Effie's brother CC in the 2001 concert, but had never played the conniving manager lead, Curtis. Here, he sang both roles beautifully. As CC, he sang "Family," which, as he and Rudetsky told us, was especially touching at the concert, when everyone was still shell-shocked by the Twin Towers attacks. De Haas' voice was especially smooth as Curtis in "When I First Saw You." And he was a game Lorrell when needed, too.

Which brings us to Sharon Catherine Brown. She played Effie on the first Broadway tour in the 80s and, to use a Rudetsky-ism, she still got it. To say she nailed "And I'm Telling You, I'm Not Going" would be an understatement. Not exactly sure how all the Carlyle Hotel windows didn't shatter, with some of the notes Brown was able to muster up. She held one note for so long on "Seasons of Love" (the Rent staple was the only non-Dreamgirls song of the evening) that Rudetsky had to stop playing in awe. Rudetsky also challenged her to recall all the colors on Joseph's Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Brown succeeded Tony nominee Laurie Beechman, a rare occurrence in 1981, for a BIPOC performer to do), which Brown gamely tried and failed (to be fair, there are a lot of colors).

The evening's stories between the songs were also fun to hear, whether they were tales Rudetsky had heard through the years or personal stories from the performers. Rudetsky also got input from the extraordinary Brenda Braxton, who was in the audience. She was the original dance captain for the original show and had plenty of tea to spill. My favorite story, however, is from Brown, who explained why she was wearing a dress originally worn by Sheryl Lee Ralph.

Overall, this was a fun evening through the kaleidoscope of Seth Rudetsky's psyche and his need to make us love what he loves. Thankfully, he has great taste, as witnessed on the small Café Carlyle stage with three great performers sharing a classic modern musical.

For the remaining Seth Rudetsky Café Carlyle shows, info can be found here.

Visit Seth Rudetsky's website for other upcoming events.

The Stars in the House YouTube channel can be found here.

And if you really need a "Dreamgirls" fix right now, consider seeing Tony-Winner Jennifer Holliday at 54 Below, which continues until February 26.

Photos provided by Baltz & Co. for Café Carlyle

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