Norm Lewis’s annual holiday show at 54Below brings out camp followers. One group has attended seven years. The program, as expected, consists of excerpts from popular appearances such as The Wiz and Phantom of the Opera (Lewis was the first Black phantom), holiday songs, and material from what the peripatetic artist has done during the time between. For some, it’s as traditional as the Rockefeller Center tree or baking cookies. Lewis is warm and amiable. He relates and reacts to his audience, peppering speech with “y’alls.” This is, he insists, a “party” not a concert.
The artist enters from the bar gathering in his audience en route to the stage. “Soon As I Get Home” (The Wiz– Charlie Samuels) arrives a deep, melodic vibration. Lewis is appealingly animated without going over the top. “Starting Here, Starting Now” (David Shire/Richard Maltby Jr.) emerges with signature flannel sound. You can almost see long notes course through his body into free air. Joseph Joubert’s elegant piano enhances.
“The Christmas Song” (Robert Wells/Mel Tormé) is a nostalgic nod to holiday variety specials. Lewis slides from baritone to tenor. Piano gracefully skates. A fresh arrangement of “Little Drummer Boy” features percussionist Perry Cavari on fine, textural bongo drum. Piano twitters, bass holds a thrum/thrum pulse. Lewis turns in (away from us) for this one until, “then he smiled at me,” whereupon years drop away as the performer grins.
Guest Nicolas King duets “What a Wonderful World” (Bob Thiele/George David Weiss) in reciprocal advertisement for his new CD on which Lewis appears. The two pleasantly harmonize. It’s odd that a single song, unrelated to this show’s theme, is all we see of the talented vocalist.
During the pandemic, Lewis twice lost the opportunity to play director Julian Marsh in 42nd Street. An audience volunteer assumes the mantle of the musical’s ingénue, Peggy Sawyer. She’s given a hat, coat, small case and lines. “I’m going back to Allentown,” she declares. “Sawyer think of Broadway, damn it!” Marsh counters. The song is of course “Lullaby of Broadway.” Sing-along lyrics appear on two screens. It’s easy to imagine Lewis in the role.
Politics and social upheaval are acknowledged with the classic, unfortunately still timely “What’s Goin’ On?” (Al Cleveland/ Renaldo Benson/Marvin Gaye). Lewis renders it as pristine Motown, then aptly segues to “Somewhere” (Leonard Bernstein/ Stephen Sondheim) in honor of the latter who recently passed. Here the song takes on different meaning.
A segment opening to audience questions disappointingly elicits nothing but praise. Lewis closes with “Why Couldn’t It Be Christmas Every Day?” (Jay Landers/ Walter Afansieff). No surprises, but that’s not what they come for. Hot chocolate everyone?
Opening photo by Peter Hurley courtesy of 54Below
Norm Lewis: (There’s No Place Like) Home for the Holidays
Director- Richard Jay-AlexanderMusic Direction/Piano- Joseph Joubert
Michel Olatuja- Bass
Perry Cavari-Percussion
