By Brian Scott Lipton . . .

Having portrayed some of the greatest roles in musical theater in his native Mexico, Mauricio Martinez has been poised to be the next big thing in the U.S. since his arrival on our shores a few years ago. And landing the key role of Emilio Estefan in the bio-musical On Your Feet, which he essayed for two months on Broadway and then in the show’s national tour, was unquestionably a big step on the ladder for mega-success.

But he’s had little opportunity to show off his copious gifts in the past two years, as he pointed out repeatedly during his one-night engagement on March 3 at Feinstein’s/54 Below. And that may be why Martinez chose to present a 75-minute show filled to the brim with energy, passion, charm, and, above all, a vibrato-filled, big-lunged voice that moved effortlessly between genres and languages. If the show sometimes felt (to me, at least) a bit too big for this intimate room, the audience didn’t seem to care.

Backed by a superb five-piece band, Martinez got the crowd clapping instantly with an opening medley of two pop classics, “I’m So Excited” (made famous by the Pointer Sisters) and “I Wanna Dance with Somebody” (made famous by Whitney Houston), before making a 180-degree turn with a stunning version of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s powerful if slightly bombastic “Til I Hear You Sing” (from Love Never Dies).

So went the rest of the show, which twisted and turned through many musical worlds, including incredibly heartfelt versions of “The Way We Were” and “Something Wonderful” (both sung in Spanish), the mega-standard “The Impossible Dream,” and the pop hits “All I Ask” (recorded by Adele, and co-written by Bruno Mars), “Simply the Best” (recorded by Tina Turner), and Phil Hanseroth’s stunning “The Story” (made famous by Brandi Carlisle). Unsurprisingly, he didn’t leave out his big number from On Your Feet, “Don’t Wanna Lose You,” which he began in English but also sang mostly in Spanish.

Martinez also introduced the crowd to two essentially unknown songs by his friend, composer Jaime Lozano (who played piano for these selections): “Morena, Carino” and “DJ Can You Hear,” on which he was joined by the lovely Marina Pires. He also presented AnnMarie Milazzo’s gorgeous love ballad “Walk with Me,” from the musical-in-progress Joy.

If it was up to the audience, the show might have gone on hours – or every member of the crowd might have chosen to go home with him. (Martinez, who is openly gay and divorced, announced he was single.) Instead, he finished his set with an infectious rendition of Dua Lipa’s 2020 hit “Levitating,” allowing us to go back out into the cold figuratively walking on air.

Martinez was joined by Brian Nash (piano/musical director), Eleanor Norton (cello), Craig Mangano (guitar), Mickey Blanco (bass) and Jerome Jennings (drums).

Photos: Magda Katz