Last night, 54 Below opened its doors to something new and exciting. “Basement After Dark: The Music of RAYE” brought a fresh musical voice to the legendary cabaret room. Produced by 54 Below’s own Stephanie Lazard in collaboration with music director and co-producer Elmo Zapp, the evening featured a first-rate band and an exceptional cast of singers who delivered RAYE’s music with energy, style, and passion. The enthusiastic audience responded with standing ovations, embracing the songs of this award-winning British superstar singer/songwriter and discovering just how powerful her music can be in a live cabaret setting.

From Stephanie Lazard, co-producer

“Elmo and I have actually been friends for about 14 years! We met when we were both living in LA and worked on shows together there, and we’ve continued collaborating since we both ended up in New York. Last night was our sixth show together at 54 Below. We previously produced 54 Sings Hanson, 54 Gets Warped Discs 1 & 2, 54 Sings Sammy Rae & The Friends, and 54 Sings Across the Universe.

Basement After Dark: The Music of RAYE was the first installment of a new series we’re calling Basement After Dark. After doing several of the “54 Sings” shows together, we started talking about what we could do next and how we could take that general idea a step further. We wanted to create something that felt a little more elevated and theatrical, still celebrating the music of an artist we love, but making the evening feel like its own cohesive show rather than simply a collection of songs.

That was a big part of what we tried to do with RAYE. Elmo created an overture to open the evening, as well as musical interludes and transitions that allowed certain songs to flow directly into one another. We also thought a lot about the order of the music, the combinations of performers, and how we could build an arc throughout the night so there was a real sense of momentum from beginning to end.

RAYE felt like the perfect artist to launch the series with because her catalogue gave us so much to work with. Her music can be theatrical, soulful, jazzy, incredibly vulnerable, and then completely explosive, sometimes all within the same evening. It also gave us the opportunity to put together an incredible group of performers and let each of them bring something different to her music while still making the show feel like one complete piece.

Our hope is absolutely to continue Basement After Dark and build it into an ongoing series at 54 Below. The idea is that each installment can have its own identity depending on the artist or music we’re exploring, while keeping that same goal of creating something more theatrical and intentionally constructed than a traditional tribute concert.”

The performers: Sara Al-Bazali, Sydney Jones, Charlotte Odusanya, Sarah Pansing, Morgan Reilly, Debbie Christine, Tjong, Zalah Vallien.

The Band: Elena Bonomo, drums, Manny Houstan, piano, Devon Meddock, vocals/trumpet, Jordan Petty, saxophone, Kat Rodriguez,vocals,Mike Rosengarten, guitar, Elmo Zapp, bass.

54 Below LIVESTREAM

CHARLOTTE ODUSANYA,ZALAH VALLIEN, MORGAN REILLY, DEBBIE CHRISTINE TJONG, SARAH PANSING,SARAH AL-BAZALI, SYDNEY JONES, KAT RODRIGUEZ, DEVON MEDDOCK

SYDNEY JONES

SYDNEY JONES

DEBBIE CHRISTINE TJONG

DEBBIE CHRISTINE TJONG

MORGAN REILLY

MORGAN REILLY

MORGAN REILLY

ZALAH VALLIEN

KAT RODRIGUEZ

KAT RODRIGUEZ & DEVON MEDDOCK

CHARLOTTE ODUSANYA

CHARLOTTE ODUSANYA

SARAH PANSING

SARAH PANSING

ZALAH VALLIEN & DEBBIE CHRISTINE TJONG

SARAH AL-BAZALI

SARAH AL-BAZALI, KAT RODRIGUEZ, DEVON MEDDOCK

BASEMENT AFTER DARK: THE MUSIC OF RAYE

STEPHANIE LAZARD, CO-PRODUCER

DEBBIE CHRISTINE TJONG

ZALAH VALLIEN, MORGAN REILLY, KAT RODRIGUEZ

SYDNEY JONES & SARAH AL-BAZALI

September in New York is when the city snaps back to life, and the cabaret rooms and conversation stages are already filling with some seriously intriguing names. Sylvester Stallone, Heated Rivalry, Ariana DeBose, Linda Eder and Tony Danza are among those bringing star power, stories and music to the month ahead. From intimate performances to conversations that take us behind the celebrity curtain, September offers plenty of reasons to pull up a chair and listen. T2C takes a look at who’s talking, who’s singing and where you’ll want to be.

54 Below: 254 West 54 St. 9/8 – 9: Claybourne Elder: Can I Tell You Something?; 9/11-12; Charles Busch Sings Johnny Mercer; 9/13: Ben Franklin In Paris; 9/16: Michael Cerveris: The Other Part; 9/18 -19: Ute Lemper: Celebrating Marlene Dietrich’s 125th Birthday; 9/22: Seth Sikes with Tedd Firth: Together at Last! Feat. Marilyn Maye; 9/23 and 27: Linda Eder; 9/24 and  26: Orfeh: Unbound and 9/29 – 30: Jeanna de Waal: Songs I Love to Sing.

92 Street Y: 1395 Lexington Ave. 9/9: Jaclyn Smith in Conversation: Beyond Charlie’s Angels; 9/17: STARZ’s Outlander: Blood of my Blood; 9/18: Cabaret Conversations: Lindsay Mendez; 9/23: StarTalk Live! with Neil deGrasse Tyson: Lost in Space; 9/27: Gloria Steinem in Conversation with Katie Couric: An Unexpected Life; 9/28: CBS Sunday Morning at 92NY: Sylvester Stallone in Conversation with Tracy Smith: The Steps; 9/29: Harry Connick, Jr. in Conversation — Babe: Elaboratio and 9/30: Fashion Icons with Fern Mallis: Ian Schrager.

Eliane Elias

Birdland Jazz: 315 West 44 St. Every Monday Jim Caruso’s Cast party; Every Monday and Tuesday: Vince Giordano leads The Nighthawks; Every Sunday Gabrielle Stravelli Trio;  9/ 15 – 19: Eliane Elias; 9/21: A Night With Nicole Henry and 9/28: Karen Mason.

Karen Mason Photo by Maryann Lopinto

Carnegie Hall: 881 7th Ave at 57th St.

Chelsea Table & Stage: Hilton Fashion District Hotel, 152 W 26th St. 9/9: An Evening With Mairéad; 9/13: Charlie Romo.

Dizzys Club Coca Cola: Frederick P. Rose Hall, Broadway at 60th Street. 9/4 -6: Ann Hampton Callaway I Get A Kick Out Of Cole.

Don’t Tell Mama: 343 W. 46 St. 9/9 and 16: Jeff Harnar: Blame It On My Youth; 9/10: Tanya Moberly: Repertoire With Sean Harkness; 9/24: Tanya Moberly: Repertoire With Ian Herman; 9/26: Steven Carl McCasland: Everybody Rise!

Laurie Beechman Theatre: at the West Bank Café: 407 West 42 St. 9/5:Lillias White Live At The Beechman; 9/8: Alice Ripley and John McDaniel; 9/12: Andrea McArdle’s Broadway On Demand; 9/16: Lorna Luft; 9/16: Lauren Marcus; 9/24: Lorna Dallas and 9/27:Donna McKechnie.

Donna McKechnie

Madame George: 45 West 45th: Broadway Night Mondays.

Ariana DeBose Photo by Genevieve Rafter Keddy

The Café Carlyle: 35 East 76 St. at Madison Ave. 9/8 – 19: Tony Danza: More Standards & Stories; 9/21 -26: Susanna Hoffs: and 9/29 – 10/3: Ariana DeBose.

Alicia Witt

The Cutting Room: 44 East 32nd St. 9/12: ALICIA WITT; 9/14: BROADWAY TAKES ON THE 80S; 9/17: BROADWAY SINGS ABBA

The DJango: 2 Avenue of the Americas. 9/18: Lee Taylor and 9/29: People of the Earth.

The Iridium: 1650 Broadway. 8/29: Papa Chubby

The Pierre Hotel, Two E Bar & Lounge: 2 E 61st St.

Sony Hall: 235 W 46th St. 9/21: Twin Peaks: A Conversation with the Stars

The Triad: 158 W. 72 St. Street. 9/5L: The Dozen Divas Show

The Town Hall: 123 W. 43 St. 9/27: Roger Daltrey A Great Night Out; 9/28: Stagedoor 50: A One-Night-Only Concert celebrating 50 Years of Stagedoor Manor Benefiting the Entertainment Community Fund and 9/29:  Heated Rivalry! Release

Marilyn Maye hardly needs another review—although I know she still enjoys reading them. Yet there she was last night, at 98, onstage at Dizzy’s Club in New York, singing, swinging, looking terrific, and thrilling an audience just as she has for generations.

Her voice was in magnificent form, her wit as sharp as ever, and she commanded the room with the effortless authority of a true master. Watching her perform at this stage of her remarkable career was not simply a concert experience—it was a rare opportunity to witness music history in the making. Her arrangements seem to live in the very bones of her fantastic trio—Mark McLean on drums and Tom Hubbard on bass—and you will rarely hear a tighter, more intuitive display of musicianship supporting a singer. Tedd Firth, her pianist and arranger, seems to breathe the same musical air as Marilyn. He creates an ocean of sound that surrounds and enhances her, perfectly complementing her extraordinary sense of time and phrasing.

It feels as though Marilyn and Tedd continually inspire one another, each pushing the other to greater heights. The result is something truly rare—a once-in-a-lifetime musical experience. What a privilege to have been in the room for yet another unforgettable Marilyn Maye performance.

I, like most MM friends have many Marvelous Marilyn stories, but here’s one of my favorites. After a late-night performance on a cruise ship, Eda and I shared an Apple Martini with Marilyn and then escorted her back to her cabin. As the three of us linked arms and did our best to remain “steady” navigating the passageway Marilyn suddenly blurted out, “Oh, my dear, I do hope this is the ship that’s rocking!”

BTW, Marilyn told me a while ago to keep this story to myself. So, Marilyn, if you’re reading this…oops!

MARILYN MAYE

TEDD FIRTH & MARILYN MAYE

MARILYN MAYE

DIZZY’S CLUB

DIZZY’S CLUB

TEDD FIRTH, MARILYN MAYE, TOM HUBBARD

TEDD FIRTH & MARILYN MAYE

MARILYN MAYE

DIZZY’S CLUB

MARILYN MAYE

EDA SOROKOFF, MARILYN MAYE, STEPHEN SOROKOFF

MARILYN MAYE & SHANE HARTKE

EDA SOROKOFF, MARILYN MAYE, SUSIE CLAUSEN

TEDD FIRTH & MARK McLEAN

DIZZY’S CLUB

Sony Hall was packed for last night’s Sydnie Christmas concert with a wait-list of lines down 46th street, and quite frankly, I’ve rarely witnessed an audience respond to a performer with the kind of enthusiasm that Sydnie received. Coming from the era when black and white television talent shows were often the launching pad for extraordinary careers it was my opportunity to discover whether the phenomenon that began on Britain’s Got Talent can evolve into something far bigger.

The applause meter on Arthur Godfrey’s Talent Scouts, one of the most widely watched television shows of the 1950’s was a proving ground for some remarkable talent. Vic Damone, Tony Bennett, Pat Boone, Connie Francis, Eddie Fisher, and Rosemary Clooney all went on to become household names after appearing on the show (Elvis Presley auditioned but was rejected). Other contest winners were Frank Sinatra on Major Bowes’ Original Amateur Hour and Gladys Knight on Ted Mack’s Amateur Hour.

As the 2024 winner of the British counterpart to America’s Got Talent, Christmas captured audiences with a series of remarkable performances before taking the title. Now, with a string of successful concerts behind her, the real question is whether that television triumph can be the beginning of a substantial and enduring career.

The manufactured drama woven into today’s television talent shows often dictates not only the songs contestants choose but also the vocal fireworks they unleash. A singer’s style can be every bit as important as the voice itself when it comes to winning over judges and the public. Does Sydnie Christmas have something else besides that type of performance that targets the judges and the public?….She attempted to answer that question from the very start, opening with a haunting “Amazing Grace,” followed by a two-act concert filled with Pop, Broadway, Soul and Disco standards, as well as several originals. Many of the songs received standing ovations from an audience that had clearly come to celebrate—and exalt—their hero.

There is no question that Sydnie Christmas is likable, possesses a powerful instrument, and brings an original approach to a song. It’s easy to understand why the jury and audience at BGT gave her such an enthusiastic thumbs-up. But this “jury” is still deliberating. We need to hear more before reaching a final verdict.

Some Broadway friendships end when the final curtain comes down. Others apparently turn into a rock-and-roll band.

Michael Longoria

The Midtown Men brought their irresistible combination of Broadway polish, four-part harmony and pure 1960s swagger to Eisenhower Park’s Harry Chapin Lakeside Theatre, proving once again that Jersey Boys may have introduced these four men to one another, but it certainly wasn’t the end of their story.

Christian Hoff

Tony Award winner Christian Hoff, Michael Longoria, Daniel Reichard and Tony Award nominee J. Robert Spencer first shared a stage as members of the original Broadway company of Jersey Boys, the musical phenomenon that turned the story and songs of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons into one of Broadway’s biggest hits.

Daniel Reichard

They spent more than a thousand performances together before doing something rather unusual: instead of simply moving on to their next individual Broadway jobs, they took the chemistry they had developed eight shows a week and created something of their own.

J. Robert Spencer

The result was The Midtown Men.

Michael Longoria, Christian Hoff, Daniel Reichard and J. Robert Spencer

And while their pedigree is unmistakably Broadway, this isn’t Jersey Boys on tour. The Midtown Men became their own musical act, expanding beyond The Four Seasons to embrace the glorious pop landscape of the 1960s—The Beatles, The Beach Boys, Motown, The Rascals, The Mamas & the Papas, The Ronettes and more. Their official repertoire has long celebrated the decade that gave America some of its most enduring pop music, with four singers who know exactly how to sell both a harmony and a story.

Michael Longoria, Christian Hoff, Daniel Reichard and J. Robert Spencer

What makes the group work isn’t simply nostalgia. Plenty of acts can recreate the music of the ’60s. The Midtown Men have something considerably harder to manufacture: history with one another.

Michael Longoria, Christian Hoff, Daniel Reichard and J. Robert Spencer

They learned how to listen to one another on a Broadway stage. They know where the other voices are going, when to step forward, when to pull back and how to turn four leading men into one sound. Reichard has recalled that while they were still performing Jersey Boys, the four would gather in dressing rooms between shows and work out harmonies to other songs they loved from the decade. In other words, The Midtown Men were quietly being born backstage while another show was happening out front.

Michael Longoria, Christian Hoff, Daniel Reichard and J. Robert Spencer

That musical shorthand followed them to Eisenhower Park.

Christian Hoff

Christian Hoff

Christian Hoff

Hoff brings the confidence that won him the Tony Award for his portrayal of Tommy DeVito. Reichard, Broadway’s original Bob Gaudio, possesses the musical-theatre storyteller’s instinct for finding the character inside a song. Spencer, the original Nick Massi and later a Tony nominee for Next to Normal, supplies formidable Broadway chops, while Longoria—who originated Joe Pesci before succeeding John Lloyd Young as Frankie Valli—knows a thing or two about sending a voice soaring above a crowd.

Michael Longoria

Michael Longoria

Michael Longoria

Together, however, they stop being four Broadway résumés and become a genuine group.

J. Robert Spencer

J. Robert Spencer

J. Robert Spencer

There is something wonderfully circular about what happened to these men. They began as actors playing a band, only to discover along the way that they actually were one. What started under Broadway lights developed into years of concerts across the country, recordings and even a nationally televised concert special.

Daniel Reichard

Daniel Reichard

Daniel Reichard

The Harry Chapin Lakeside Theatre is precisely the sort of setting where this music feels at home. These songs weren’t created to sit politely behind glass as artifacts of another era. They were made for summer nights, for dancing, singing along and suddenly realizing that you remember every word to a song you haven’t consciously thought about in twenty years.

Christian Hoff, Daniel Reichard

That’s the pleasure of The Midtown Men. They don’t treat the 1960s as a museum exhibition. They remind you why this music became permanent in the first place.

Christian Hoff, Michael Longoria

The Beatles gave us exuberance. Motown gave popular music sophistication and irresistible rhythm. The Beach Boys made adolescent longing sound like California sunshine. The Four Seasons gave us those impossible harmonies and that unmistakable falsetto.

Daniel Reichard

J. Robert Spencer

Daniel Reichard, J. Robert Spencer,

Michael Longoria

Christian Hoff

Four Broadway actors fell in love with all of it. Nearly two decades after first coming together, Hoff, Longoria, Reichard and Spencer are still standing beside one another, still singing, still touring and still having what appears to be a ridiculously good time doing it.

Michael Longoria, Christian Hoff, Daniel Reichard and J. Robert Spencer

Not bad for four guys who were originally hired to pretend to be a band. Turns out they were just getting started.