On June 13, Broadway’s Michael Longoria (“Jersey Boys,” “Hairspray”), assisted in style by pianist Andre Catrini, lent his fine high tenor to a program at the Ice Palace, consisting mostly of love songs, in his timely show “Broadway Heartbeat.” Before the show started, Michael gave us a preview by joining Porsche on stage to sing “Be My Baby.”
Michael’s rousing opening was “Before the Parade Passes By,” from “Hello, Dolly!,” leading into a wistful “Waving Through a Window,” from “Dear Evan Hansen.” His “Sweeney Todd” pairing was a hushed, yearning “Johanna,” followed by a reassuring “Not While I’m Around,” ending with a beautiful voix mixte high note. He probed unrequited love, with feeling, in “On My Own,” from “Les Misérables.”
Michael related “The Wizard and I,” from “Wicked,” to his own education, on full scholarship, to NYU Tisch School of the Arts. He followed a reflective “A Quiet Thing,” from “Flora the Red Menace,” with “Nobody’s Side,” from “Chess,” with Andre contributing backup vocals. Next came a hopeful “That I Would Be Good,” from “Jagged Little Pill,” the Alanis Morissette musical, and a rapturous “Come What May,” from “Moulin Rouge,” with Andre again providing vocal backup.
Our singer’s next love songs were “The Music that Makes Me Dance,” from “Funny Girl,” and a gay and proud “Unruly Heart,” from “The Prom.” He looked forward to love with “Gimme Gimme,” from “Thoroughly Modern Millie,” and gave us a tender “With You,” from “Pippin.” Michael was, of course, unfazed by the stratospheric tessitura of “Love Changes Everything,” from “Aspects of Love.”
His terrific show wound down with the darkly pessimistic drama of “Always Starting Over,” from “If/Then,” and, in contrast, an impassioned “Can’t Take My Eyes off You,” from “Jersey Boys.” Michael’s optimistic encore was “Beautiful City,” from “Godspell.”