BWW Reviews: Tony Winner John Lloyd Young Croons in OC Valentines Concert

When it comes to wringing emotions out of a song---whether happy and peppy, seductively romantic, or devastatingly painful---you can usually count on a Broadway musical theater performer to deliver the goods.

So, as expected, John Lloyd Young, the Tony Award-winning original star of Broadway's smash hit JERSEY BOYS (who also reprised the same role of Four Seasons frontman Frankie Valli in Clint Eastwood's big-screen adaptation of the stage musical last year) is certainly no exception.

For his special Valentine's weekend cabaret concert titled "My Turn"---which continues at the Samueli Theater on the campus of Orange County's Segerstrom Center for the Arts through February 14---the incredibly talented singer/actor presented an hour-long set of love songs, both joyful and heart-tugging. With the confidence and panache of a seasoned old-school song interpreter and showman, Young oh-so-passionately crooned and belted his way through an enjoyable songbook of personally curated classic standards (which happen to appear in his debut album My Turn) that reverberated with the highs and lows of love, while backed by a rousing five-piece band led by musical director/pianist Tom Faragher.

After a booming voice from high above introduces him, the audience is perplexed a bit to hear a single, crystal-clear a capella voice through the speakers. Where the heck is he? It turns out that Young---finally identified with a traveling spotlight---is weaving his way from the back of the room singing "My Prayer" towards the stage in the front, ending the song with a stratospheric high note... which, to the audience's delight, becomes a recurring punctuation throughout the evening. The guy really loves finishing with a big note---and we're eating it all up like little candy hearts.

The concert, which he first performed at the Cafe Carlyle in New York and is now getting its OC debut, is filled to the brim with intensely-performed mid-tempo doo-wop-ish tunes and beautifully-rendered ballads, much of which have a decidedly R&B lean. Highlights include the ultra romantic "Only You" and "Ebb Tide," the gorgeously sung "Since I Fell For You," and the terrific "Show and Tell" that swings with a light funk-flavored arrangement. He also performed exceptional versions of Randy Newman's "Just One Smile," the Righteous Brothers' "Unchained Melody," Mel Carter's "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me," and Little Anthony & The Imperials' hit "Hurt So Bad"---which Young described as something reminiscent of a Portuguese fado, in that the song is performed as if "a knife is slowly twisting in your chest." Judging by his achingly emotive interpretation, I'd say Young nailed the song's melancholy and gravitas.

Young also makes a guessing game out of an intriguing 60's-penned composition called "Say No More"---a song, he claims, was surprisingly never released and was shelved for decades. After singing the mystery tune, Young reveals (after some really far off guesses screamed by audience members) that the song is by none other than Roy Orbison!

With such a tightly-compact set, Young allows for very little between-song banter, but when he does, he often reveals a humble, endearing persona that has a genuine nostalgic affection for old school sounds. A few revelations we learn: that Young was born in California, yet he had to "make it on Broadway" in order to succesfully make his way back to California (he's been an L.A. resident now for about five years); that conventional cabaret rules dictate that one must sit casually on a stool when singing a slow, emotional ballad (this is hilariously on point, actually); and lastly, that he first discovered he had a great falsetto range when he was able to sing the Michael Jackson / Jackson 5 classic "Who's Loving You"---which, thankfully, he revives live during the concert as a full-grown adult.

So yes... as someone who gained fame by vividly portraying Mr. Valli eight times a week on Broadway (and, later, on film), the concert wouldn't have been the same without multiple displays of Young's effortless high-pitched falsetto, which to hear live in the flesh---and unfiltered by studio manipulations---sounds about as thrilling as you'd expect. So not surprisingly, "Hey There, Lonely Girl" is a natural fit for Young---and, boy, he sings it really, really well.

But perhaps the most pleasant surprise by far (for me, at least) comes right at the very end of the show, when Young reappears after bows to sing a moving "encore" of Dionne Warwick's "A House Is Not A Home" written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David. Using what sounds very much like the quiet-storm arrangement utilized in Luther Vandross' hit 1981 remake (a personal favorite of mine), Young reveals that he can also be just as powerful singing with more subtlety and understated contemplation as he does when belting to the rafters.

Overall, Young's entertaining concert set is an excellent showcase for his uniquely suited talents, and here's hoping that he makes return visits to the OC. To be perfectly honest---besides the forgivable recurring mic feedback and perhaps the easily-remedied too-loud drums in the sound mix---there's really only one glaring problem with the show: the fact that, at just 60 minutes long, the set felt way too short. Young is so darn good, we all couldn't help but want more.

Photos by Andrew Stiles, courtesy of SCFTA.

Follow this reviewer on Twitter: @cre8iveMLQ

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Segerstrom Center for the Arts' 2014-2015 Cabaret Series continues with Ann Hampton Callaway, May 7-9, 2015. Tickets can be purchased online at www.SCFTA.org, by phone at 714-556-2787 or in person at the SCFTA box office (open daily at 10 am).

Segerstrom Center for the Arts is located at 600 Town Center Drive in Costa Mesa. For more information or to purchase tickets or subscriptions, visit www.SCFTA.org.

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