Review: BRIAN STOKES MITCHELL at The Music Center at Strathmore

A dazzling evening of pure vocal, instrumental, and theatrical bliss occurred on the evening of October 21,2023 when the renowned Broadway veteran and entertainer Brian Stokes Mitchell wowed the crowd at the Music Center at Strathmore.  This two -time Tony Award winning talent showcased versatility to the max and he delivered an upbeat spirit of positive energy and goodwill that made his impeccable talent even more appealing. (His hope was to make the audience feel better by the end of the concert—then they had felt when they had come in, --- and this hope was fulfilled).

The song choices were creative and performed with heightened theatrical nuance and performance skills. For many of the songs, it almost seemed as if Mr. Mitchell’s physiognomy had completely changed as he delved so deeply into the mood and characterization of each song with such utter conviction. Each song was vocalized superbly while, concurrently, becoming individual character studies of specific moods and emotions. 

A strong suit of the program was Mr. Mitchell’s lively patter between songs. He explored the importance of creativity, the integral need for the arts, the need to stay safe and kind during the COVID pandemic, his fondness for  jazz and Stephen Sondheim  amongst many other topics.

The beloved Irving Berlin classic “There’s No Business Like Show Business” (from Annie Get Your Gun) opened the show with zest and a jazzy undercurrent.  In this rendition, Mr. Mitchell showed that he was the embodiment of true show-biz class for, indeed, he is a triple-threat singer, actor, and pure entertainer.

The theme of hope and positivity was continued as Mr. Mitchell delivered a moving rendition of the very unique song “Hope” written by composer Jason Robert Brown. This song vividly conveyed how one carries on from day to day during moments of stress.

“Man of La Mancha (I, Don Quixote)” from Mr. Mitchell’s tremendous hit show Man of La Mancha was performed with a jaunty, crisp, and confident edge. Mr. Mitchell utilized the interesting touch of employing his microphone as a sword to add to the visual touches of the evening. Mitchell’s vocal tone was resonant and thrilling.

The pensive and immersive song “Stars” from the musical Les Misérables was sung with steely conviction by Mr. Mitchell as a beautifully lit galaxy of stars shone behind him.

The marvelous Gershwin standard “It Ain’t Necessarily So” from the belove classic Porgy and Bess was sung with gusto and musical flavor. The audience was brought in for some fun-filled musical interaction while they joined in on some of the lyrics.

A standout from the concert was a rendition of Billy Strayhorn’s deeply emotionally devastating “Lush Life”. The performance of this song started with a very creative arrangement/piano prelude by the brilliant pianist Tedd Firth and then segued into a somewhat serene interpretation by Mr. Mitchell. Then, the interpretation of the song developed a third layer as it was vocalized with a psychological penetration I have rarely seen in any cover of this song.

Mr. Mitchell introduced the three extremely talented and prolific members of his band---namely, Ted Firth on piano, Mark McLean on drums and Paul Beaudry on bass. All three musicians aided immeasurably to the texture of the concert and they shone as an ensemble as well as in certain individual musical moments.

The mesmerizing Brazilian classic “Waters of March” was highly compelling as the natural, vivid and tactile imagery of the song burst forth from the rhythmic accompaniment of the band aligned with Mr. Mitchell’s superbly -felt vocal interpretation. This famous “list song” is widely performed but this was the best interpretation I have ever heard.

The playfully inventive and charming song “A Wizard Every Day” by Liz Suggs and Nikko Benson was an interesting new song (to my ears) and Mr. Mitchell developed each component with vocal precision and finesse.

Mr. Mitchell spoke of his love for the work of the late and esteemed composer Stephen Sondheim. Then, he launched into a very innovative and clever interpretation of Sondheim’s “Getting Married Today” from Company.  This marvelously witty yet angst-ridden “patter song” was performed to the hilt by Mr. Mitchell as he sang the song with a bawdy “quasi-soused” hilarious toast interspersed with a seemingly gender neutral approach to (not!) getting married today!

The very upbeat and hopeful classic (so well-known from Nina Simone’s interpretation ---and written by Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusse) “Feeling Good” was delivered with joyous abandon and feeling.

Mr. Mitchell’s increasingly iconic interpretation of “Wheels of a Dream” from the musical Ragtime was, as expected, delivered with all the impassioned fervor and idealism that one has come to know from his artistry. This song will live forever and always be identified with Mr. Mitchell to be sure---the audience went wild with applause upon hearing this beloved signature song.

Two well-deserved encores followed:  Mr. Mitchell regaled the audience with a definitive and heartfelt rendition of “The Impossible Dream” from the musical Man of La Mancha and the audience was spellbound. This song can often be performed in a sanctimonious manner but not in Mr. Mitchell’s hands---each word becomes polished with nuance and utter refinement.

He then proceeded to please the crowd with a very hopeful rendition of the well-known standard “What a Wonderful World”. Thus, Mr. Mitchell closed out his concert with the same optimism in which he opened it.

I have seen Mr. Mitchell three times in performance prior to this evening –in the splendid Kiss of the Spider Woman twice on Broadway and in the marvelous production of Sweeney Todd which was part of the Kennedy Center’s Sondheim Festival in Washington, DC.  Since then, he has certainly exceeded the quota of artistic excitement, charisma, and professionalism that anyone could possibly possess.

This concert was a classy, jazzy, theatrical, upbeat, and creatively realized evening to treasure. Brian Stokes Mitchell is a powerhouse entertainer.

Running Time: 110 minutes with no intermission.

Brian Stokes Mitchell was a one night only engagement on Saturday, October 21, 2023 at the Music Center at Strathmore located at 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda, Maryland, 20852.

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