Interludes

THE HANGOVER REPORT – BROADWAY & BEYOND: Reliving Marin Mazzie and Jason Danieley’s potent final concert at Feinstein’s/54 Below

• By drediman
• August 15, 2020
• No Comments

Daniel Danieley and Marin Mazzie in “Broadway & Beyond” at Feinstein’s/54 Below”. The 2017 concert is available for streaming for a limited time on Broadway On Demand.

One of the things I miss most dearly in pandemic life is the ability to unwind and cap off my day with a cabaret performance and cocktail at Feinstein’s/54 Below, a classy, intimate supper club located in New York’s theater district. Last night via Broadway On Demand – with a couple glasses of whiskey, of course! – I relived one of the most potent experiences I’ve had at the indispensable club, which was seeing the late Marin Mazzie (the Broadway star and three-time Tony nominee originated such diverse roles as Clara in Passion, Mother in Ragtime, and Lilli Vanessi/Katherine in the 2000 revival of Kiss Me, Kate) put on a show with her hubby Daniel Danieley. Together, the luminous couple performed a terribly moving cabaret act entitled Broadway & Beyond, which celebrated their 20 years of marriage and making-making together.

The concert was filmed on June 1, 2017, and I was actually in attendance that night, according to my theater log. At the time, Ms. Mazzie’s ovarian cancer had returned after a period of remission (during which she starred as Anna in Lincoln Center’s magnificent revival of The King and I). Little did we know that she would pass away shortly thereafter on September 13, 2018. Ms. Mazzie possessed one of the most glorious voices on Broadway – a burnished soprano that could transition seamlessly to a resonant belt. To boot, she was a ravishing beauty, with her golden mane and statuesque figure, as well as a surprisingly self-deprecating comedian. Together with the charming and forever-boyish Mr. Danieley, the duo constituted one of the more regal and beloved couples of the theater and cabaret worlds. Lucky for us, both were in superb voice the night the performance was captured.

The song choices – culled primarily from the rich musical theater songbooks of Stephen Sondheim, Kander and Ebb, and Ahrens and Flaherty – couldn’t have been more poignant nor prescient, with most of them either functioning as bittersweet career-capping tributes or providing subtle commentary about life “afterwards”. Even the evening’s title was mournfully suggestive. Indeed, the pseudo-retrospective feel of it all made the show both heartbreaking and heartbreakingly beautiful to watch. Highlights included a gorgeously arranged Sondheim medley, and devastating renditions by Ms. Mazzie of Kander and Ebb’s “The World Goes ‘Round” and Ahrens and Flaherty’s “Back to Before”. All proceeds of the pay-per-view event go to CSC (Cancer Support Community), Tina’s Wish, and The Actor’s Fund (via Broadway Cares Equity Fights AIDS).

Note: The webcast also includes a welcome pre-show segment hosted by the charismatic Broadway veteran Brian Stokes Mitchell (who co-starred with Ms. Mazzie in “Ragtime”), featuring reflective interviews with Mr. Danieley and members of the band.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

MARIN MAZZIE AND JASON DANIELEY: BROADWAY & BEYOND
Cabaret
Feinstein’s/54 Below
1 hour, 20 minutes (not including pre-show segment)
Available until August 16th for $7.99 on Broadway On Demand