Brenda Braxton: Stars Tonight at 54 Below

by Sandi Durell . . .

Brenda Braxton, looking spectacular in a gorgeous red sequin gown that showed off her curvy figure and unbeatable talents at 54 Below in the series Stars Tonight, featured best buddies Seth Rudetsky and James Wesley.

The evening had some scripting but with Rudetsky, as always, it flies by the seat of its pants creating that wackadoodle treat audiences crave.

Together with band members Andrew Gutauskas on sax, David Silliman on drums, Skip Ward on Bass and the ever popular Tracy Stark on piano and musically directing, the opening “Dreamgirls Medley” (music Henry Krieger/lyrics Tom Eyen) took on new meaning.

Brenda’s got that ‘thing’ – a sparkling vivaciousness that keeps her listeners on their toes waiting for what comes next. She’s had an auspicious career beginning at age 19 with her first show Guys and Dolls with Ernestine Jackson and that led into a fine arrangement of “If I Were a Bell” (music/lyrics Frank Loesser).

Together with Stars in the House notables Rudetsky and Wesley (and boy can he sing up a storm), memories of the pandemic were front and center with video clips including the Dreamgirls Concert for the Actors Fund that helped raise $1Million. This little band of merry-makers have amazing dedication to their cause that continues to help so many theater folks in need.

“Only in New York” proved to be an enigma for some but not for the extraordinary musical historian Seth Rudetsky who knew its origin . . . “Thoroughly Modern Millie” (music Jeanine Tesori/lyrics Dick Scanlan).

Stories followed including one about Lauren Bacall and Don Pippin referring to her sounding like a musical moose in “Woman of the Year.”

Unscripted, seemingly unplanned, Brenda had prepared flash cards of the various characters in Dreamgirls as Rudetsky sat down at the piano to figure it all out as the three stars sang all the parts from the fight scene “It’s All Over” as Brenda flashed a name card of who’s next. Lots of fun and mayhem! But when it came to Effie’s “And I Am Telling You, the treat of the evening was Sharon Catherine Brown walking up on stage to bowl the audience over with her powerfully emotional rendering.

The evening ended “On Broadway” (Smokey Joe’s Café/ music/lyrics Mann, Weil, Leiber, Stoller) with Brenda looking sexy in glittering silver jumpsuit – – au natural!