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.

Karen Mason photo by Maryann Lopinto

Ironically, the hottest show in town is also the coolest. This can only mean that Karen Mason is back at Don’t Tell Mama for her return engagement of “More SPF!..The Summer ”

Karen Mason photo by Maryann Lopinto

In this case, the SPF doesn’t refer to sun protection but rather Songs, Patter and Fun, which she delivers copiously.

Karen Mason photo by Maryann Lopinto

Catch her one-more-night-only show on August 18^th at 7 pm. From an original review: Her sleek frame allows her to dramatically punctuate a lyric with a quick twitch of her shoulder or hip. It feels like every corpuscle in her body is working double time to make sure she gives an unforgettable performance, which translates into her love for the music and the audience.

Karen Mason photo by Maryann Lopinto

Karen Mason photo by Maryann Lopinto

Brian Lasser photo by Maryann Lopinto

By the way, Karen is launching a new CD “Birthday Bash at Birdland” on September 28 at—where else?–Birdland.  Even though she’s an April baby, this is one party you won’t want to miss.

Raul Esparza and Lily Rabe

I’ll add my acclaim to the enthusiastic critical response for “The Winter’s Tale” currently playing at the Delacorte Theatre in Central Park. And hats off to the Public for giving this lesser-known Shakespeare play the attention it deserves.  Everything from the stunning performances by Raul Esparza and Lily Rabe to the costumes and set, this Winter’s Tale was a perfect complement to a warm summer evening in Central Park.

A real treat awaits musical theatre lovers on August 23^rd at 6 pm when the AMT Theatre will        present

Penny Fuller

Broadway: The Golden Age, Rick McKay’s beloved documentary, which features interviews with dozens of Broadway legends.  Historian Rob Schneider will moderate a Q&A with two-time Tony nominee (Applause, Rex) Penny Fuller after. The following  week is same format/different film:  Broadway Musicals: A Jewish Legacy. AMT  is at 354 W. 45^th  Street; for further information and tickets call 917.388.2630.

Glenn Crytzer Quartet

Just back from a week on Queen Mary 2, the Glenn Crytzer Quartet will be at Birdland on August 30 at 5:30.  I can personally attest to the fact that they had passengers enthralled with their renditions of songs from the early part of the previous century.

Bryce Edwards

They are the perfect hors d’ouevre, so to speak, for Bryce Edwards show at the same stage next month on September 14^th.  And if you love Bryce (and who doesn’t?) you’ll love these four musicians.

Jeff Harnar

Back from Las Vegas and Chicago, Jeff Harnar returns to the stage that launched him—Don’t Tell Mama—on September 16^th in a show entitled “Blame It On My Youth.”  From an original review:  There is always a poetic sensitivity to Harnar’s work, perhaps most keenly achieved in this program.  Harnar is truly one of the masters of the cabaret artform. See for yourself!

Like a Bolt of Lightning (and shinny cloth) fashion icon Isaac Mizrahi charged onto the stage of 54 Below last night wearing a silver suit and declaring to a cheering audience…”It’s  a mess out there but it’s beautiful in here”! There are singers whose earthy, distinctive voices may not necessarily send chills down your spine, yet they can be enormously appealing because of their innate musicality and their ability to deliver a lyric with honesty and sincerity. Isaac Mizrahi is that kind of performer. He is chaotic, lovable, bawdy, witty, hysterical, and most importantly, completely authentic in his performances. What this product of the Garment Center may lack in vocal chops, he more than makes up for with a musician’s innate sense of time and phrasing. The result is an exciting reimagining of the dozen excellent tunes Isaac weaves (also knits) seamlessly between his humorous exchanges with the audience.

Having also spent my career in the Garment Center and also being a pianist, I like to think I know good “material” when I hear it—whether in textiles or music. Isaac, newly appointed Creative Director at Large for Target Stores performed several of our favorites, and on more than one occasion he tugged at our musical heartstrings with his interpretations of “Baubles, Bangles & Beads,” Laura Nyro’s “Save the Country,” and “Some Other Time” from On the Town, to name just a few. His story about meeting Betty Comden is absolutely hysterical, but I won’t spoil it’s surprise ending for you.

Whether he is entertaining or enlightening us through his music, fashion, or commentary, Isaac Mizrahi is truly a one-of-a-kind and formidable force in the entertainment world.

In his current show “Hooray” at 54 Below Isaac again appears with his excellent band of six musicians playing world class arrangements..Music director Benjamin Waltzer, Daniel Freedman (drums) Bruce Jamar Christopher (trumpet) Kellin Hanas (trumpet), Daniel Duke (bass), Dan Aran (percussion)

ISAAC MIZRAHI

One of Tony Bennett’s signature songs famously reminds us that “The Best Is Yet to Come.” But for the audience at Dizzy’s Club last night, there was no need to wait—the best had already arrived with the latest edition of Songbook Sundays, hosted by Deborah Grace Winer and with Debby Boone opening the show with Tony’s signature song.

Set against the breathtaking backdrop of Columbus Circle and Central Park, Dizzy’s offered the perfect stage for a stellar gathering of world-class entertainers, adding another memorable chapter to New York City’s cabaret celebrations honoring the music and legacy of Tony Bennett during his Centennial Year.

Ms. Winer assembled an impressive roster of talent to celebrate the timeless music of Tony Bennett, including two Grammy winners. Billy Stritch, fresh from his critically acclaimed Tony Bennett solo show at 54 Below, served as the evening’s musical director, pianist, and vocalist. Joining him was Debby Boone, also a Grammy winner who became a household name with her legendary, chart-topping hit “You Light Up My Life.” Rounding out the stellar lineup were celebrated jazz vocalist Gabrielle Stravelli and rising young artist David Marino.

As usual, I won’t give away any spoilers, although I suspect most readers are already quite familiar with the Tony Bennett songbook. Still, hearing these timeless favorites brought to life by such talented vocalists was a wonderful reminder of just how enduring Bennett’s music remains. His music was represented beautifully throughout the evening, and, as always, Deborah Grace Winer—one of the foremost experts on the American Songbook—added fascinating stories and insights that brought the songs and their history to life.

Tony was a perfectionist when it came to choosing his musicians, and he undoubtedly would have approved of Marc MacLean on drums, Caylen Brant on bass, and Jacob Chung on saxophone. And, of course, Billy, who served as Tony’s musical director during one momentous year with the legend, provided the perfect musical foundation and created the ideal accompaniment for the evening.

Tony Bennett lived just a few blocks from Jazz at Lincoln Center, and it wasn’t unusual for Eda and I to see him walking these very streets on his way to an event at Dizzy’s Club. Somehow, it feels especially fitting to imagine him taking in this particular Songbook Sunday. He would have loved every moment of it.

Photos: Stephen Sorokoff

THE BEST IS YET TO COME

BILLY STRITCH & DEBBY BOONE

BILLY STRITCH

DEBBY BOONE

GABRIELLE SSTRAVELLI

DAVID MARINO

GABRIELLE STRAVELLI, DAVID MARINO, DEBBY BOONE

DEBBY BOONE

BILLY STRITCH & DEBBY BOONE

DAVID MARINO

DAVID MARINO

GABRIELLE STRAVELLI, DAVID MARINO, DEBBY BOONE

GABRIELLE STRAVELLI, DAVID MARINO, DEBBY BOONE

DEBORAH GRACE WINER

DIZZY’S CLUB

DIZZY’S CLUB

CAYLEN BRANT, BILLY STRITCH, GABRIELLE STRAVELLI, MARK MacLEAN, DEBBY BOONE, DEBORAH GRACE WINER, JACOB CHUNG

ELANOR & HOWARD MORGAN, Sponsors, EDA SOROKOFF