Interludes

THE HANGOVER REPORT – The great JENNIFER HOLLIDAY shines brightly in her sensational Diamond Series debut at 54 Below

• By drediman
• February 27, 2023
• No Comments

Last night, I had the great opportunity to catch the final show of the great Jennifer Holliday’s sensational inaugural Diamond Series residency at 54 Below. In short, the Broadway star blazed and shined ever so brightly. Ms. Holliday is perhaps best known for her iconic Tony-winning performance as Effie in the original Broadway production of Dreamgirls, for which she won the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical at the tender age of 21.

Indeed, her two big songs from the 1981 musical — “I Am Changing” and “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going” — formed the backbone of her rousing concert at the upscale theater district cabaret club. Suffice to say, Ms. Holliday stopped the show with her forceful, larger-than-life renditions of those numbers, which were made all the more affecting by being burnished by life experiences (not all of them pleasant). Throughout, the Tony-winner was in fabulous voice, leaning into her distinctively guttural vocal stylings and at times seeming possessed by the music. It’s quite something to witness. Further highlights of the deluxe 54 Below experience (the ticket price includes a welcome bubbly beverage and a beautifully executed three-course meal) included soul-stirring takes on standards like Harry Warren’s “At Last” and Marvin Hamlisch’s A Chorus Line anthem “What I Did for Love”.

In addition to her one-of-a-kind vocal performance, Ms. Holliday — looking as glamorous as ever — provided some meaty, candid banter, giving her adoring fans the inside scoop into her career, most notably her complicated relationship with Dreamgirls director Michael Bennett. Over the course of the evening, Ms. Holliday was supported exquisitely by a seven piece band (the horn section was especially spectacular), which was confidently led by music director Rashad McPherson from the piano.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

JENNIFER HOLLIDAY
Cabaret
54 Below
2 hours (without an intermission)
Closed