THE HANGOVER REPORT – Down at 54 Below, it’s always a heartfelt, cathartic homecoming party with JOE ICONIS & FAMILY

Joe Iconis and Family return to 54 Below (photo by Adrian Dimanlig).

Last night, I head the great pleasure of attending Joe Iconis and Family, which this week has taken up residency at 54 Below. For those of you unfamiliar with Iconis, he’s a composer/lyricist of musicals (his sole Broadway outing was Be More Chill, which oddly was not represented at the show I was at) who has created a loyal community of performers around him. Together, they’ve put on shows — relatively elaborate affairs, typically at cabaret venues, involving large casts, a full band, and even some immersive staging — which have deservedly amassed a cult following.

Unsurprisingly, the show I attended turned out to be a fantastic showcase — each night tends to be a different show due to performers’ schedules — in turn a rowdy and joyous affair, as per usual. And as always, we got a jam-packed and eclectic collection of both new and well-worn material. Given that his songs are essentially short stories that call for a great deal of swagger and bombast, Iconis’s work really lights up in a cabaret setting, where the intensity of the connnection between performer and audience is palpable. Returning to the show is a revitalizing experience — a cathartic, heartfelt homecoming party that’s also akin to going to a lit church service.

There were a number of notable highlights last night. Fan favorite George Salazar ignited the room with his sizzling “Song of the Brown Buffalo” and closed the show in sentimental and stirring fashion with customary closer “The Goodbye Song” (although Jason SweetTooth Williams, who usually sings the song at these gigs, was missed). Other memorable moments came from other longtime regulars Katrina Rose Dideriksen (an animated “Rosalie”) and Molly Hager (a slow-burning, luminous “Broadway, Here I Come”), as well as new faces like A.J. Shively (an absolutely ferocious “Kevin”).

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

JOE ICONIS AND FAMILY
Cabaret
54 Below
1 hour, 30 minutes (without an intermission)
Through August 3

Categories: Cabaret

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