Review: Brian Stokes Mitchell in Concert at Lesher Center Leaves the Audience Floating on Air

Brian Stokes Mitchell is a man of his word. When he announces at the top of his show that his hope is for you to leave the theater feeling better than you did when you came in, you had better believe he means it. When he made that statement, I actually have to admit that I was a little skeptical, as I am by nature somewhat allergic to "feel good" shows. And with everything going on in the world these days, is it even possible to feel better about anything right now? Well, all I can say is, damn if Mr. Mitchell doesn't succeed at his goal. And he manages this feat with a set list that is not solely comprised of overtly inspirational songs. No, his masterstroke is in openly acknowledging the pain and suffering we've all been going through, and then suggesting that we can collectively get past it. And as an early COVID survivor himself, the man knows whereof he speaks.

Mr. Mitchell takes the stage brimming with bonhomie to sing a quirkily conversational rendition of that oldest of self-referential theater songs, "There's No Business Like Show Business." It's clear from the get-go that he's in good voice and ready to charm the pants off the audience. But he's a Broadway leading man best known for singing full-throated anthems in his booming baritone, right? So Mitchell next dives into "Man of La Mancha (I, Don Quixote)," "Stars" from Les Miserables and "If Ever I Would Leave You" from Camelot, just to make sure he's giving us what we probably came for. Mission accomplished. But midway through "If Ever I Would Leave You," Mitchell's mischievous side comes out as he shifts from passionate romantic to impish entertainer and uncovers previously unmined comic potential in that often-overblown ballad.

From there, Mitchell really loosens up with jazzy, playful versions of "It Ain't Necessarily So," "Feelin' Good" and "Pick Yourself Up" that allow him to explore his mellow upper range and throw in some sexy dance moves to boot. The latter song's lyrics by the brilliant Dorothy Fields also underscore what his show is really about. Yes, it's a charm song, but it also contains clear-eyed lines such as "Work like a soul inspired, til the battle of the day is done." Now, doesn't that sound like it could have been written to describe our situation today?

When Mitchell sings a lilting rendition of the Jobim classic "Waters of March" with its non-sequitur list of the zillion good and bad things we humans endure, the show really hits its stride. Mitchell then shows off his ability to spit out rapid-fire lyrics and change character in a nanosecond as he sings all three parts in Sondheim's comic breakdown "Getting Married Today." A relatively new piece by the up-and-coming songwriting team of Nikko Benson and Liz Suggs called "A Wizard Every Day" marries pathos with whimsy in a song that sounds like it was written expressly for Mitchell. He changes things up again with a beautifully understated reading of Maury Yeston's "New Words" that brings tears to the audience's eyes before he closes out the evening with his two signature anthems, "Wheels of a Dream" and "The Impossible Dream," the latter as a first encore. His leaves us with a sweetly simple rendition of "What a Wonderful World," perhaps the only unambiguously happy song of the entire show. The effect is magical.

Of course, none of this would work if Mitchell didn't have the goods as a performer, which he most definitely does. Is there anything the man can't do? He has a warm and inviting stage presence, serious acting skills, terrific comic timing and definitely knows how to play to a room. He has an innate understanding of the difference between a cabaret act and the theatrical concert he's doing here. It's a little less intimate, but it allows him to perform his biggest numbers full-on and completely in character, and the effect is absolutely thrilling, like stepping back in time to experience the Golden Age of Broadway. Mitchell's gorgeously expressive baritone still retains its power to raise goosebumps, and is made all the more effective by his knowing just when to pull back a little. His songs are interspersed with engaging patter that sets each one up beautifully and encourages the audience to really pay attention to the lyrics. Just one case in point: I've loved "Waters of March" for almost 50 years now, and it was only through Mitchell's introduction that I finally understood what its crazy-quilt lyrics actually refer to.

As Mitchell left the stage to exit music provided by his excellent trio of Joseph Thalken on piano, Paul Beaudry on bass, and Clint de Ganon on drums, the audience was fairly abuzz, chattering happily about how wonderful the concert had been and comparing favorite moments. Everyone seemed to be floating on air. Yeah, it was that kind of show.

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