THE HANGOVER REPORT – Tony nominee JOHN-ANDREW MORRISON explores his complicated relationship with love through song and banter

John-Andrew Morrison performs at 54 Below (photo by Adrian Dimanlig).

Tony nominee John-Andrew Morrison follows up his acclaimed Broadway debut in the award-winning musical A Strange Loop (in which he gave an exquisitely layered performance) by taking a shot at performing in his very own cabaret show, which I caught last weekend at 54 Below. First seen at the indispensable theater district cabaret club a few months ago — circa Valentine’s Day — Morrison’s show is themed specifically on the complex, more ambiguous aspects of love.

With songs like “Losing My Mind” and “Sitting in Limbo”, the singing actor is unafraid of getting his hands dirty as he explores his complicated relationship with the “L” word (noticeably absent from the set list, however, are any songs from A Strange Loop, a musical chock full of conflicted emotions). The apex of the show was a transparent rendition of “Snow on the Beach”, an emotional turning point in Morrison’s ultimately uplifting contemplation. At the end of the day, his assesssment of love is at once realistic yet hopeful, and he imbues songs like “Elastic Heart” with an unadorned truthfulness and hard-won knowledge that rings true.

Throughout the evening, Morrison looked completely at ease in his own skin (and seeming equally at home with a Taylor Swift ditty as with a nuanced Stephen Sondheim heartbreaker), captivating the audience with his disarming yet warm personality, distinctive vocal style, and easygoing banter. He even handled an early technical hiccup (it’s live performance, after all!) with utter charm and spontaneity. Providing lively musical accompaniment was a fantastic four-piece under music director Drew Wutke.

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JOHN-ANDREW MORRISON
Cabaret
54 Below
1 hour, 15 minutes (with no intermission)
Closed

Categories: Cabaret, Music, Other Music

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