Interludes

VIEWPOINTS – Cabaret roundup: Basking in the vocal stylings of LISA FISCHER at Birdland and the rock solid belt of KERRY ELLIS at 54 Below

• By drediman
• February 4, 2025
• No Comments

This past week, I found myself taking in fantastic shows from a pair of highly established talents at two of New York’s most renowned cabaret and jazz venues. Read on for my thoughts on these intimate excursions.

LISA FISCHER
Birdland Jazz Club

Last week’s main offering at Birdland was none other than Ms. Lisa Fischer (RECOMMENDED), whose weeklong residency no doubt enchanted guests at the well-known midtown jazz club. Although Fischer has dabbled with a mainstream solo music career — culminating in winning a Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance in 1992 — a good majority of her career was spent backup singing for some of pop music’s biggest acts, including gigs with the likes of Tina Turner, Sting, Mick Jagger, and Luther Vandross (she even spent some time lending her considerable talents to the Nine Inch Nails). Having spent so much time with such iconic titans of the music industry, it’s absolutely no surprise that Fischer absolutely knows her way around a set, which was evidenced by the complete vocal mastery she displayed during Wednesday’s soulful late night showing. Flexing the elasticity of her instrument to its full limit, she created sonic landscapes that wrapped themselves around her creatively arranged song selections (gorgeously played by the Orrin Evans Trio) — effortlessly weaving in recognizable music by The Rolling Stones and The Carpenters into larger, free-roaming tapestries — which was especially immersive within the context of an intimate cabaret-like setting. Although a tad bit more rhythmic variety would have been welcome to some audiences, in my mind Fischer’s set registered as the perfect late night entertainment — throughout, I was mesmerized by the depth and range of her singing and captivated by her coolly minimalist banter. I would say she’s found her calling as a nightclub star.

KERRY ELLIS
54 Below

Last weekend, I also had the chance to catch West End’s Kerry Ellis’s long awaited 54 Below cabaret debut (RECOMMENDED). For those of you unfamiliar with the stage star, she is perhaps best known as being the first British actress to star as Elphaba in the long-running London production of Wicked (a portrayal which she subsequently reprised for Broadway), as well as originating a slew of other West End roles. Throughout her tightly-scripted and highly entertaining cabaret act, Ellis was the consummate professional. Indeed, she was nothing less than thoroughly polished and poised as she journeyed down memory lane, recounting her theater and music career thus far to her American fans. More importantly, Ellis showed off her rock solid belt and smart interpretive stylings in a robust mix of both pop and musical theater standards. In terms pop selections, highlights included gorgeous renditions of Elton John’s “Your Song” and Lady Gaga’s “Shallow”, as well as a rousing sing-along version of Queen’s “Somebody to Love” (which was also featured in the Queen jukebox musical We Will Rock You). Fear not, she did skimp for musical theater fans — to start, her set included an ecstatic “Don’t Rain on My Parade” from Funny Girl, as well as a ravishing “I Dreamed a Dream” from Les Misérables. Of course, the climax of her show were a pair of Wicked selections — “For Good” with one lucky audience member, as well as a triumphant “Defying Gravity” (is anyone more thrilling ripping through the “Look to the Western Sky” lyric?). Continuing with her association with Idina Menzel, Ellis concluded with stirring performances of “Always Starting Over” (she is currently rehearsing If/Then in London) and “Anthem” from Chess.