Review: September 5th THE LINEUP WITH SUSIE MOSHER at Birdland Theater Filled With Personal Triumph

By now, everyone knows that a Tuesday night at THE LINEUP WITH Susie Mosher is going to be a fun time, with interesting happenings once a week.  But last week The Lineup seemed to be one that went beyond the usual uber-talented people showing up and sharing their wares… this was a night filled with good news, replete with celebration, and possessing of a special quality of life.  Everybody brought something just a little bit more to the proceedings, making the September 5th installment of the Award-winning variety show particularly memorable.  Even the artists who didn’t show up with an announcement were able to announce themselves, like  Maxwell Carmel whose self-penned song about sad songs and cabaret had the audience in stitches, or Sean Harkness, the greatest guitarist in the whole wide world, whose mere presence in any show makes venturing out into the night worthwhile.  And then there is Javier Garcia, whose finale for the evening left Susie Mosher leaning forward in her seat, slack-jawed with amazement and wonder.  These three gentlemen had no big news to share - they ARE the big news to share.

But there was big news to share.

Take, for instance, Romelda Teron Benjamin, who is heading out with the First National Tour of MRS. DOUBTFIRE, something she shared before singing “Time Heals Everything” - and those in the know will tell you that an actor with a job is a wonderful thing.  Take, for example, Jennifer Leigh Houston, who sang her self-penned theme song to Allan Piper’s feature horror film eVil Sublet, which will make its Manhattan premiere on October 6th at the Haunted House Fear Fest (Houston is the film’s star).  Take, for instance, Darnell White, who slayed with Tom Petty’s “Free Fallin’” after sharing that he will be appearing Off-Broadway in the play PRAY… to be honest, it was actually White’s spousal partner Diva LaMarr, poised on the piano to provide harmony backup vocals, who stepped in to, proudly, share the news, as any prudent partner would.  Take, for example, Michelle Dowdy, whose performance of a Marriage Medley was made all the better when she held up her left hand and exclaimed, “Well, I got some new jewelry!” because longtime beau (and professional performing partner) Jordan Wolfe had put a ring on it after six years of going together.  Take, for instance, television writer/producer Eric Gilliland whose skills as a master whistler were somewhat overshadowed by the announcement that, after a hard battle with stage four cancer, he is, now, a triumphant cancer-free warrior.  Each and every one of these individual bits of news was met with a rousing response from the audience.  No, this was definitely not an average night at THE LINEUP WITH Susie Mosher.

And that’s why people go back to The Lineup, week after week. 

The five-year-old weekly series always has the best of New York City entertainment.  Sometimes the programming features out-of-town talents that Mosher booked into the series, or the occasional big-name celebrity, or a talent just kicking off their career in the business of show.   It doesn’t matter, though, who is on The Lineup.  What Susie Mosher is selling is an attitude, a vibe, an experience, and it all starts with her own fabulous humanity.  She is always ready and willing to use her madcap sense of humor to take the piss out of anyone, starting with herself, the first butt of every joke she makes, then by bringing her audience members and guest artists into every joke with her.  It’s an infectious way to land a laugh, a look, or a longtime fan.  And even though her manic, improv’d songs are part of the magic that puts bumms in seats week after week, it is the adoration with which she presents (and then watches from the sidelines) her guests.  There is a reverence to Susie’s careful curation and presentation of talent.  And just when you think it’s safe to relax your funny bone, Susie Mosher ends the evening with a personal performance that shows that she is, indeed, a gifted serious singing actress - on this occasion, it was the Fleetwood Mac classic “Landslide” and, in Mosher’s hands, it was a musical moment of sublime satisfaction - beautiful, touching, and a fine reminder of Susie’s theatrical roots.  It’s a good thing, this program, and the people have given it their tacit stamp of approval, simply by virtue of selling out every performance.  But last Tuesday, the approval was vocal, as, one by one, each artist was showered with shouts of appreciation and tumultuous applause, for their acts of entertainment, and for their generosity in sharing their stories, in sharing their moments of celebration.

Moments of celebration - that’s The Lineup, all over the place.

Get tickets to THE LINEUP WITH Susie Mosher on the Birdland website HERE.

Maxwell Carmel is on Instagram HERE.

Romelda Teron Benjamin is on Facebook HERE.

Sean Harkness has a website HERE.

Jennifer Leigh Houston is on YouTube HERE and tickets to the 10/6 premiere of eVil Sublet are HERE (THIS is the eVil Sublet FB page).

Eric Gilliland is on Facebook HERE.

Michelle Dowdy has a website HERE and will be at Chelsea Table + Stage with fiancee Jordan Wolfe doing their Halloween show on Friday, October 13th - reservations HERE.

Darnell White has a website HERE and information and tickets for PRAY can be obtained HERE.

Javier Garcia is on Instagram HERE and will be at 54 Below in December - tickets HERE.

Susie Mosher has a website HERE.  

THE LINEUP band is Musical Director Lon Hoyt on piano (Instagram HERE), Bassist John Miller (website HERE) and (for the 5th) Drummer Daniel Glass (website HERE).

Photos by Stephen Mosher

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