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New York's Finest Come to the Cabaret

David Burnham The latest cabaret evening from the prolific Chris Isaacson, of Upright Cabaret,  was among this dynamic impresario’s finest offerings to date.

Under the direction of multitalented actor-singer Sam Harris (“The Life,” “Grease”), the one-night performance of “New York’s Finest: The Leading Men of Broadway” brought together four of the hottest male performers to light up the Great White Way in recent years (David Burnham, pictured above; Brandon Victor Dixon; Levi Kreis; and Ace Young)  for an evening of kick-ass music and felicitous spirits.

They were joined by a magnificent female diva, Frenchie Davis, at the Ford Amphitheatre in Hollywood, where a huge crowd gathered on September 16 to savor this immensely entertaining event.

Harris concocted a blissful mix of no-frills renditions of showstopping songs by his cast with plenty of dancing and clever comic bits, achieving an infectious celebratory air. There was so much talent on that stage—and at one point pouring out into the aisles—that this luminous performance seemed the sinfully delicious equivalent to an enormous ice-cream sundae.

SoCal Stages_blog It was a pleasure to view and hear Burnham, familiar to SoCal audiences for his work in civic light opera musicals and other local productions. Nowadays a bona-fide Broadway boy, courtesy of his acclaimed emoting and crooning in shows such as “The Light in the Piazza,” he demonstrated his soaring tenor voice in a lovely Italian-language number from that romantic musical. He also excelled in an uncommonly mellow interpretation of “Defying Gravity” from “Wicked.”

He demonstrated his superb comic chops in a hilariously irreverent riff on “At the Ballet” from “A Chorus Line,” as he, Kreis, and Young donned tutus and ballet shoes for an uproarious cross-dress rendition of this heretofore melancholy number. All three guys were sensational in this bit but there was something particularly inspired about the way Burnham tiptoed through the tulips. (It seemed to me that the wig-adorned and falsetto-equipped Burnham bore an uncanny—and undoubtedly unplanned--resemblance to Lucie Arnaz.)

Levi Kreis - 72dpi The charismatic Kreis (pictured right), who has  also performed in L.A. prior to heading Eastward, was a Tony and Outer Critics Circle winner last year for his portrayal of rock-‘n’-roll giant Jerry Lee Lewis in “Million Dollar Quartet.”

The crowd would undoubtedly have been disappointed if he hadn’t done a number from that show, and he thankfully obliged us with a killer performance of “Whole Lot of Shaking’ Going On,” raising the rafters and setting hearts aflutter. His quietly poignant delivery of Sondheim’s “Not While I’m Around” from “Sweeny Todd” was another unalloyed delight.

Brandon Victor Dixon - Picture 1 Aug 2011 - 72dpi-1 Dixon (pictured left), Tony nominee for “The Color Purple," was sensational in several numbers, including Kander and Ebb’s lovely “Go Back Home” from the critically lauded “The Scottsboro Boys,” in which Dixon appeared on Broadway.

His dazzling Ray Charles-esque rendition of “What’d I Say” was another highlight. He was equally spectacular when giving us a bit of Sondheim, which happened to be the gorgeous "Being Alive" from "Company," which he performed in a particularly soulful style.

Ace Young - Picture 1 - 72dpi The electrifying Young (pictured right) donned a loin cloth and roamed the aisles, giving us a terrific “Hair” medley (He played Berger in the Tony-winning Broadway revival.)

He also swiveled his hips fiercely in a smashing take on the “Greased Lightning” number from “Grease.” Travolta, eat your heart out.

The glamorous, boa-adorned Davis (pictured below) provided the perfect complement to this testosterone-filled show.

She boasts an irresistible sense of humor and a magnificent singing voice, at her best in the underrated Kander and Ebb ballad “A Quiet Thing” and the wonderful “I Am Changing” from “Dreamgirls.”

Frenchie Davis - 72dpi It was a bit disappointing that ultra-talented and ever-charming Chad Kimball (Tony nominee for “Memphis”), another performer well known to L.A. audiences, had to cancel out on his participation at the last minute. But the evening was joyous, from beginning to end. Hats off to Isaacson, Harris, the incomparable cast, and all behind-the-scenes talents who made this such a satisfying and unforgettable experience.

 --Les Spindle

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