Interludes

VIEWPOINTS – Cabaret Roundup: MAMIE PARRIS sings her face of in an Andrew Lloyd Webber “Thrill Ride”, and BRANDON VICTOR DIXON gorgeously croons the night away

• By drediman
• December 12, 2023
• No Comments

Over the past week or so — in between attending holiday and late fall offerings — I found myself basking in a couple of excellent cabaret acts. As always, here are my thoughts.

MAMIE PARRIS: SURRENDER — AN ANDREW LLOYD WRBBER THRILL RIDE
The Green Room 42

Earlier this week, musical theater actress Mamie Parris took The Green Room 42 by storm with the return of her acclaimed cabaret act, the aptly-titled Surrender — An Andrew Lloyd Webber Thrill Ride (RECOMMENDED). With only the occasional pleasant banter, Ms. Parris took on a good heft of the Andrew Lloyd Webber songbook with the ferocious attack and determination of a warrior princess, and she emerged triumphant. Throughout, the full splendor of her astonishing instrument was on display — the infamous high belt of “Rainbow High” from Evita flung through the room with effortless power, as did her soprano register in “Prima Donna” from The Phantom of the Opera. These thrillers only scratched the surface of Parris’s medley-driven show, which has been astutely conceived and directed by Ben Rimalower (the same mad musical theater scientist that brought us such inspired cabaret offerings as Leslie Kritzer is Patti LuPone at Les Mouches and Patti Issues). Kitsch aside (the key changes in that Starlight Express opener!), Parris fundamentally understands what makes these songs tick from an emotional perspective — full vocal investment. It was a particular pleasure to hear her belt some rather glorious ballads from lesser known shows like Song & Dance (“Married Man”) Aspects of Love (“Anything But Lonely”). Aggressively accompanied by music director Brian Nash on piano, the vocally fearless wonder gave the late Monday night audience a jolt of adrenaline — this is singing as extreme sport. Having played the role of Grizabella for more than a year in the Broadway revival of Cats, my only gripe is that she didn’t sink her teeth into “Memory”, undoubtedly one of Lloyd Webber’s most iconic brain worms.

BRANDON VICTOR DIXON: SOUL OF BROADWAY
54 Below

Last week, I also had the opportunity to catch Brandon Victor Dixon’s solo cabaret debut at 54 Below. Currently appearing in the highly anticipated Broadway-bound musical Hell’s Kitchen at The Public Theater, the venerable stage veteran — who is easy on both the eyes and ears — has over the years starred in musicals such as Rent, The Lion King, The Scottsboro Boys, and Shuffle Along, as well the successful made-for-television version of Jesus Christ Superstar. Entitled Soul of Broadway (RECOMMENDED), Dixon’s cabaret show functions as both a candid overview of his career thus far — complete with a touching account of his struggles debuting as Simba in the national tour of The Lion King — as well as an opportunity for the crooner to wrap his golden, velvety voice around some popular standards. Indeed, popular show tines such as “I’II Cover You” (Rent), “Endless Night” (The Lion King), “I’II Be Here” (The Wild Party), “Heaven on My Mind” (Jesus Christ Superstar) and “Home” (The Wiz) were interspersed seamlessly with recognizable pop favorites like Frank Sinatra’s “One for My Baby”, Stevie Wonder’s “Heaven Help Us All”, Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On”, Charlie Chaplin’s “Smile”, and Billy Joel’s “New York State of Mind”. All in all, Soul of Broadway was a satisfying and inviting evening of song that gave audiences the rare chance to get better acquainted with one of Broadway’s most easy going — albeit elusive — leading men. Most importantly, it gave Dizon’s fans a chance to bask in the luminous glow of his gorgeous voice, crooning the night away in a warm, intimate setting.