When was the last time you had an evening out, from the comfort of your own home? COVID has closed theatres across the country and around the world, yet artists must create, perform and live. Live From the West Side presents "The Women of Broadway," in conjunction with our friends at Paper Mill Playhouse! Laura Benanti presided over the November 14 episode and, right from the gate, we knew we were in for something special! The very first selection gave us "My Fair Lady" in 15 minutes! And away we go!
Benanti is so very genuine and authentic in her unvarnished best-girlfriend milieu, when she talks about where viewers might be while she’s performing, in the bath, rattling the bag of their favorite snack, it’s all okay. We’re in this together!
The next selection performed was a medley arranged by her long-time pianist Todd Almond, consisting of the first song she and her husband danced to at their wedding, the Gershwins' "Love is Here to Stay,” and one of her favorite Rosemary Clooney song, “Love, You Didn’t Do Right By Me,” by Irving Berlin. The bittersweet combination of the two songs is intoxicating. Italian jazz guitarist Pasquale Grasso adds gracenotes to the initial straightforward song, then Almond and Benanti duet with the lyrics entwining from two songs, then joining together as people do, falling in love again do. The finale is a lyrically beautiful return to “Love.” Benanti’s patter is from the heart. She speaks of her joy in being back in the theatre, doing what she loves, as something that reduced her to knee-hugging tears in her gratitude.
Benanti then read some questions and told some delightful stories about her dear friend Patti LuPone. They did "Gypsy", plays, TV pilots and, of course, "Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown" together, and we got a rousing rendition of “Lovesick, rangy bravura perfection!
Broadway stories and tales were told with such charm and candor that we could have listened all night. Benanti’s first Tony nomination came from “Skylark,” a song that Jerry Zaks added to the show “Swing” just for her, when she was just 19 years old. Grasso is featured on a lovely solo that just merges seamlessly, dueting on the reprise. Achingly beautiful and sweet, I hope this makes its way to a future album.
Ironically, there is great immediacy in live-streaming of a single performance made by gifted artists. I found myself feeling a kinship with not only the artists, but with the people around the country, perhaps the globe, who were all participating in this broadcast. Best of all, many of these live-stream events provide a link that remains available to you with your purchase for a time afterward. You will never be late for this kind of show.
Making a case for Millennials, Benanti points out that many young adults were born around the time of 9/11 and the world they live in has always had a way to Google what they want to know. The global pandemic limits them in ways that older people find nearly unimaginable. Her plea for patience with one another included the favorite, Stephen Sondheim’s “No One is Alone,” from "Into the Woods," a salient reminder to be more kind.
The selections range from standards, to a new ironic take on the Bachrach/David “Wives and Lovers," to Lewis Capaldi’s “Someone You Loved.” And the penultimate medley is something you’ll need to search on YouTube. The final song was Kander and Ebb’s“A Quiet Thing” with just the right amount of silence afterward, giving us a moment to savor the meaning, with the sound. This is LIVE-streaming and brilliantly NOW.
How can you tune in to future concerts? Follow this link to Live on the West Side to enjoy the best musical theatre has to offer: https://papermill.org/show/women-of-broadway/. Be part of the wave of everyone rising to be the best they can be. There is so much more to come.