Besides being an extraordinary and illustrious Broadway actor, singer, dancer, choreographer and director Lee Roy Reams is one of the best raconteurs you could ever spend an evening with.
Lee Roy has been on the Broadway stage in Sweet Charity (1966), Oklahoma! (1969), Applause (1970), Lorelei (1974), Hello Dolly (1978) 42nd Street (1980), La Cage aux Folles (1983), Beauty and the Beast (1994), An Evening with Jerry Herman (1998) and The Producers (2006). He brought his Feinstein's/54 Below audience back to the time when he starred in his Tony and Drama Desk nominated role (Best Featured Actor in a musical) in the original production of 42nd street. Lee Roy has all those tales from David Merrick's office, auditioning for and rehearsing with Gower Champion and other fascinating anecdotes about all the actors involved with 42nd Street. He sang his songs and their songs during his celebration of the 1980 Tony Award Winning musical.
The evening had a bit of show biz drama with the last minute substitution of musical director and pianist Ron Abel for the slightly ailing James Followell for the performance I attended. I'm sure David Merrick would have given a thumbs up for Lee Roy's performance last night, plus the same salary raises he uncharacteristically but consistently gave Lee Roy during the run of 42nd Street.
Photo Credit: Stephen Sorokoff
Gower Champion & Lee Roy Reams
Feinstein's/54 Below
Lee Roy Reams & Stephen Sorokoff
Barry Kleinbort, Lee Roy Reams, Jamie deRoy
Duffy Violante, Charlotte Rae, Jamie deRoy & Ted Snowden
Chuck Steffan, Don Correia, Robert Donahoe
42nd Street
Stanley Steinberg, Lee Roy Reams & Ken Fallin
Feinstein's/54 Below
54th Street
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