THE BROADWAY TENORS - What a Superb Evening of Entertainment

What a treat it was to be able to drive just ten minutes to see top caliber Broadway entertainment. When I saw the ad for a benefit for the Edward A. Myerberg Center (the premier education and programming provider for adults ages 55 and over in Northwest Baltimore and beyond) featuring the best of Broadway, I knew I would have to check this out and I'm so happy I did.

It was a packed house at Baltimore Hebrew Congregation to welcome three Broadway stars, Brent Barrett, John Cudia,and Kyle Dean Massey to Pikesville and hear some outstanding performances of Broadway standards.

They performed a potpourri of Broadway songs from composers such as Kander & Ebb, Rodgers and Hammerstein, Stephen Schwartz, Irving Berlin, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Kurt Weill, and Leonard Bernstein.

While the three may not be household names, they sure are in the Broadway community. Barrett has a strong reputation as a versatile performer who has performed in CHICAGO (Billy Flynn) and shows such as CAMELOT, ANNIE GET YOUR GUN, GRAND HOTEL, and WEST SIDE STORY.

Cudia holds the distinct honor of being the first and only actor to have performed both the roles of the "Phantom" in PHANTOM OF THE OPERA and "Jean Valjean" in LES MISERABLES on Broadway.

Massey's Broadway credits include the title role in PIPPIN, "Gabe" in NEXT TO NORMAL, "Fiyero" in WICKED, and riding roller skates as "Thalia" in XANADU. Many in the audience were familiar with him since he currently appears as "Kevin Bicks" in the ABC television series "Nashville".

The trio were all dressed in smart tuxedoes. I was surprised how well the show is staged and choreographed. There was much humor, camaraderie, and banter during the 70 minute intermission-less show. A nice touch was the use of visuals used to give one a sense of what the subject of the various songs were. For example, for the opening number from ON THE TOWN, "New York, New York", we saw the new World Trade Center, Times Square, Sardi's, Joe Allen's, and two hotels noted for their hosting cabaret singers, The Algonquin and The Carlyle.

Each mentioned their start on a Broadway stage. Cudia's debut was in LES MISERABLES, Massey's was in XANADU, and Barrett's was in the 1980 revival of WEST SIDE STORY.

One good guess the opening number from OKLAHOMA was next when a sunrise was used as a backdrop. It was a perfect setting for Cudia's lovely rendition of "Oh, What a Beautiful Morning."

One quickly surmised how great Barrett must have been as "Billy Flynn" in his rendition of "All I Care About is Love". It was first class.

One of my favorite shows of all time is PIPPIN and Massey nailed "Corner of The Sky". It's too bad no one told him that PIPPIN isl coming to Baltimore's Hippodrome Theatre the end of June. It was also coincidental that one could watch Massey in a 30 minute special about the PIPPIN tour cast recently shown on WMPT-TV.

A show that deserves to be seen again is CITY OF ANGELS. The 1989 hit musical was written by Cy Coleman with lyrics by David Zippel. Cudea and Massey rocked the house with the great duet "Your Nothing Without Me".

Two shows were showcased by Cudea, GUYS AND DOLLS ("Luck Be A Lady Tonight") and LITTLE ME ("I've Got Your Number").

The performers hailed from as far away places as you could imagine: Arkansas, Kansas, and New Jersey but they all jelled so well together.

The audience loved the Rodgers and Hammerstein tribute. Massey began with the lovely "I Have Dreamed" from THE KING AND I which just received the Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical. Barrett did Carousel's "Out of My Dreams", and Cudea ended the segment with "Some Enchanted Evening" from SOUTH PACIFIC. It was a clever arrangement watching the three singing their respective numbers together at the end.

Pianist Phil Reno gave the singers a rest with a solo, "That's Entertainment".

Another nice tribute, this time to Irving Berlin followed. Barrett started it with a great rendition of "Top Hat", Cudia followed that with "Steppin' Out With My Baby", and Massey ended it with "Puttin' On the Ritz".

Up until now, the music was geared for the more "mature" audience. For the "baby boomers", Massey did "Oh What a Night" from THE JERSEY BOYS. The house lights came on as Massey went into the audience to get some help with the song but had difficulty finding some assistance.

Bassist Jeff Cooper then introduced the next number with a great bass line until Barrett joined in with a stirring rendition of "Mack the Knife".

The only number that I suggest be cut is the Motown Medley from MOTOWN THE MUSICAL. It just didn't work and the audience wasn't moved by it.

The audience was mesmerized listening to the lovely "Maria" from West Side Story by Massey, Barrett's incredible "The Impossible Dream" from MAN OF LA MANCHA and Cudea's masterful "Music of the Night" from PHANTOM OF THE OPERA. With just an accompaniment by the solo piano, one could really appreciate this great number.

To end the program, all three returned for "The Lullaby of Broadway" from 42ND STREET. The talented three piece band was introduced: Phil Reno on piano, Jeff Cooper on bass, and Mike Carsen on drums.

After a standing ovation, the encore was the lively and wonderful "Brotherhood of Man" from HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS WITHOUT REALLY TRYING.

After the show, all the musicians attended a reception and the audience loved getting up close and personal with these three great and very personal performers. It is not often one gets a chance to mingle with Broadway performers in such a setting.

When I congratulated the musical director Phil Reno, he related that he was up at 7 a.m. that morning rehearsing the performance of SOMETHING ROTTEN for the television show "The View". He conducts the show every night. It was a long day for Reno who has worked with Director Casey Nicholaw before with DROWSEY CHAPERON and ELF.

It was great speaking to all three of the Broadway Tenors. I found it fascinating that Massey related he performed in NEXT TO NORMAL during the week (while Aaron Tveit was working in Hollywood) and did WICKED on week-ends. He also talked about the cast of NEXT TO NORMAL heading to Argentina to perform with the South American cast of NEXT TO NORMAL for a benefit concert.

If you get a chance to see THE BROADWAY TENORS in concert, don't miss them. What a treat they were!

For more information on the Myerberg Center, visit www.Myerberg.org. They offer more than 150 various classes and programs. This summer they will have a course entitled "George Gershwin: The Man I Love" and one entitled "Dance in the Great Musicals!" Sounds like fun.

The Center also provides vital social services including access to resources, conseling, and support groups. They also have the largest Eating Together program in Baltimore, serving 11,000 meals each year to older adults.

THIS AND THAT

It is not often that shortly after the Tony for Best Play of the Year is announced it becomes available to be seen in a movie theater just weeks after the Tony Awards. But on June 25, THE AUDIENCE starring Tony-winner Helen Mirren will be shown around the country for one day for the cost of only $20 (in Maryland). Both Towson and Owings Mills will be broadcasting this film. Visit www.Fathomevents.com for further information. The film of the October 13, 1013 London performance will start at 7 p.m.

Thanks to Great Performances on PBS, on July 17, you can view Angela Lansbury and James Earl Jones in DRIVING MISS DAISEY. Both WMPT and WETA will be broadcasting the play at 9 p.m.

Photo L. to R.: John Cudia, Kyle Dean Massey, and Brent Barrett.

Photo credit: Charles Shubow

cgshubow@broadwayworld.com

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