By Brian Scott Lipton
After entering the room from the front and mingling with the crowd on a high-spirited medley of “Gee, But It’s Good to Be Here” and “I Feel a Song Comin’ On,” Leavel took a brief detour into the land of Cole Porter, landing firmly with snazzy renditions of “I Get a Kick Out of You” and “Just One of Those Things”. But those standards were merely an amuse-bouche for the full meal of hilarity and heartbreak to follow, starting with an all-stops-out version of Kander & Ebb’s sizzlingly salacious “Everybody’s Girl” that turned every double-entendre into a triple!
Monday’s show also featured three dazzling duets in which Leavel graciously shared the spotlight: Jerry Herman’s hilariously venomous “Bosom Buddies” (alongside former “Crazy For You” co-star Branch Woodman), Wayne and Karey Kirkpatrick’s aptly-named “Lovely Love” (with lovely young singer Liz Byrne), and Whitney Houston’s R&B classic “So Emotional” (with her graciously game best pal, the wonderful Ann Van Cleave).
Naturally, Leavel saved her so-called signature song, “As We Stumble Along” (from “The Drowsy Chaperone”) for last, and as always, it simply brought the house down. There was no encore, because there simply can be no encore when you end your show with your level best, just as Beth Leavel did!
Tickets/Info: (646) 476-3551 – 54 Below – 254 W 54th St, Cellar – New York, NY 10019
*Photos: Sandi Durell