Once you hear the music though, the sounds are oh so familiar, the melodies already have a place in your heart, and Celia’s vocal range will take you into the time of the heyday of jazz when life was not fraught with phones, text, emails, instagrams, and all the distractions that keep us from the beauty of the moments of everyday magic.
This is Norm Lewis’ 10th Christmas performance at 54 Below and there is a reason why every year his performances sell out and why he keeps coming back! He is not only a spectacular artist but also an amazing showman, AND he is having as much fun as we are!
NEW YORK – Tony Danza: Standards and Stories, with sparkling eyes and dazzling smiles!
It was Gospel Brunch, mingling with the season of sparkling lights and colorful ornaments, the spreading of tidings of great joy, and the vocal power of raising the rafters with song, we celebrated all of that and more at 54 Below this past Saturday.
In the Trenches is fun and one feels just a bit sorry to see young adults leave behind their single, childless lives. But they muddle through and discover that raising a family is rewarding, time is fleeting and precious, and your single friends will have to deal with you and your yoga pants, PTA meetings, trips to the mall, a barking lab, and dinner moved up from 10 pm to 5 pm.
Full of exuberant energy, Gray opened the show with the moving musical piece Devil’s Gonna Rise Up, written by Abigail and Shaun Bengson. Gray’s musical director, Cody Owen Stine, accompanied her on the accordion. The song is a haunting, almost spiritual tune, showcased in The National Theatre of Scotland’s performance of Anything That Gives Off Light. That show was created in response to the Scottish independence referendum several years ago and involved the Scottish-US relationship throughout history. Gray’s style of singing gave the song great depth.
Rejoicing in the life and musical talent of Stephen Sondheim one year after his passing, 54 Below presented Sondheim Unplugged, a tribute beyond compare that has played repeatedly since 2010.
Tonight was an entertaining concert by influential, gifted, and driven artists. We shall be hearing from them more and more as their sparkling careers continue to evolve. The band was solid, the sound balance was excellent, and the musicians seamlessly shifted through the demands and diverse styles of the songs.
