I wasn't familiar with John Cullum until I read about him, but apparently he is 91 and has had a heck of a career on stage. In this excellent one-man (streaming) show, Cullum looks back over his career, recounting stories ranging from humorous to heartbreaking and singing songs from some of the shows he's been in (including Camelot, Shenandoah, and On the 20th Century). I tend to struggle with streamed shows, since they lack the magic of live performance, but Cullum is such an engaging performer that I had no problem giving him my rapt attention for the full 80 minutes of the show (and would have gladly spent even longer in his virtual company if possible). An Accidental Star is a wonderful, inspiring, and deeply moving show, and it's a testament to Cullum's talent and longevity in the industry that the power of his emotions came across with such great power even via video.
This one-man show is a moving and vivacious return to live (indoor) theatre. Arturo Luís Soria channels his larger-than-life mother Bete through pop music, humor, and personal tragedy. Soria gives a powerhouse performance that clearly comes from his heart and soul; it left me completely charmed and in awe of both him and his mother. The set, costumes, make-up, and music are all perfectly executed to complement, but never overwhelm, Soria's performance.
I first saw Carbon Leaf live 15 years ago in June 2006 at Outerland on Martha's Vineyard, and this concert in Natick marks my 15th Carbon Leaf show (though there were some years with no Carbon Leaf, and other years with multiple shows). This show lived up to the milestone: the weather was perfect, the venue was gorgeous, there was tasty food, and the band sounded fantastic. To celebrate their return to live performance, they guys played a set stacked with their more upbeat and Rock-esque tunes, filling the late afternoon and early evening with high energy and good vibes.
In addition to being a notable fashion designer, Isaac Mizrahi is a fabulous cabaret performer, serving up show tunes, standards, pop hits, and absolutely delightful patter. Mizrahi has a great singing voice and is backed by a talented six-piece jazz band. His jokes and observational humor had me laughing harder than I have in a very long time. The show was perfectly balanced between great music and hilarity, and – at 90 minutes – it was the perfect length. If only all shows were as good as Isaac Mizrahi's, we should be so lucky.
Andy Karl was off shooting a top secret project, so this couldn't be a "Legally Bound" concert, but Orfeh put on one heck of a show on her own, accompanied by an excellent band and some special guests from her Broadway orbit. Her set list encompassed a wonderfully diverse collection of songs, including pop ("Dreaming" by Selena; "Time After Time"), classic rock ("Hotel California"; "Piece of My Heart"), disco ("Take Your Time (Do It Right)"), and of course a few Broadway tunes as well. Every song was well-chosen to showcase Orfeh's powerhouse vocals and high-energy performance style, making for a memorable evening of entertainment.
This was a 15-minute outdoor socially distanced live theatrical performance that made me giddy. I'm pretty sure any live performance would make me giddy at that point in time, but it didn't hurt that this show was performed by the incomparable Bill Irwin, in high-brow vaudeville clown mode, doing a bit of soft-shoe and spouting nonsense rhymes with audience participation. I was grinning from ear-to-ear (under my mask) for the duration of the show, and felt so energized and grateful that I was able to experience this small moment of joy.
This was my second time seeing this ballet company, and I am in awe of the vibrant dancers who passionately bring the highly expressive choreography to life. This magical evening of dance featured the company's newest, COVID- / lockdown-inspired piece Snatched Back from the Edges, as well as a reprise of Love Rocks, which features the music of Lenny Kravitz. I saw Love Rocks before the pandemic, and was amazed then, but somehow it was even better this time around.
8. Indigenous Enterprise, The Joyce, 13 NovemberI greatly enjoyed this entertaining and educational dance show that explained the history of and demonstrated a variety of dances from multiple Native American tribes. It was very cool to see dances I’ve read about in Tony Hillerman books, Firekeeper’s Daughter, There There, and other books brought to life!
I decided to go to this show at the last minute, and it was honestly such a whirlwind of an evening, I still can't quite process that I got to witness this historic concert in person. Tony Bennett sounded as good as ever, and it was fun to see Lady Gaga, even if her fans are super obnoxious (including Bill Clinton who arrived half an hour after the posted showtime, so the show started 45 min late).
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