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Broadway Unplugged
by Deirdre Donovan It was fry-an-egg-on-the-sidewalk weather outside. But that didn’t keep Scott Siegel from putting on his Broadway Unplugged concert at Town Hall on July 20th (the original event was cancelled due to the fake blizzard last January). Showing a great deal of sang froid on a hot summer evening, Siegel did what he does best: Put on a show. And what a show it was! The line-up of Broadway stars and New York stage veterans was impressive. And nobody but nobody on stage (except for Siegel, who was hosting the event) had a microphone to amplify his, or her, voice. Siegel reminded the audience that microphones on stage are a relatively recent invention. Then he added that for Broadway Unplugged, the acoustics would be by God.
The show was led off by Bill Daugherty, who sang “Before the Parade Passes By” from Hello Dolly. Daugherty’s vibrant rendering of the classic gave it a fresh immediacy. And considering that he was singing sans microphone, he managed to belt out all the lyrics, right down to the very last word. When it came to some soulful singing, Tony Award winner Adriane Lenox crooned out “Stormy Weather” with feeling and verve. Lenox has incredible range as a singer and actress. She won her Tony for her performance in Doubt. But anybody listening to her at Town Hall on January 20th had no doubts about her musical chops.
Hoofer Jimmy James Sutherland did a terrific tap dance routine for “My Favorite Things” from The Sound of Music. His shoes’ rat-a-tat-tatting needed no amplification—and was a highlight of Act 1. What’s more, he was tap dancing to his own original choreography.
William Michal’s rich baritone closed out Act 1 with “Stranger in Paradise” from Kismet. Michal did a superb job with this classic song. Michal is best-known for his turns in South Pacific and Beauty and the Beast. But anybody listening to him interpret “Stranger” here would certainly feel that he was born to sing this song.
Act 2 had a fine line-up of performers as well. Mother and daughter, Adriane Lenox (again on stage!) and Crystal Joy (of Motown fame), teamed up to sing “For Good” from Wicked. It was a dynamic performance. And, yes, musical talent does run in the family.
Two-time Tony Award nominee Vivian Reed belted out “Believe in Yourself” from The Wiz. If you love this song (and who doesn’t?), then Reed gave you a new reason to love it even more.
If the women singers were hot, so were the men. Ragtime’s Quentin Earl Darrington delivered big-time with “Stars” from Les Miserables. This song from the epic musical was well-suited to Darrington’s voice, and he really made its notes soar.
Stephanie J. Block infused some mystery into the show with “The Writing on the Wall” from The Mystery of Edwin Drood. Block, who recently had a baby, looked pleased as punch to be back on stage and singing the songs she loved. Anyway, she certainly nailed her song.
Carolee Carmello wrapped up Act 2 with “Don’t Rain on My Parade” from Funny Girl. It was an appropriate number for this summer show that had chock-a-block Broadway talent. Carmello was most recently seen on Broadway in Neverland. But her Broadway credits run deep. She has been in many shows on the Great White Way, including City of Angels, Sister Act, Parade, and more.
Siegel ended the performance, with warm words for everybody on both sides of the footlight. And judging by the looks and applause of audience members at the curtain, Broadway Unplugged was a hit. One-night-only performance on July 20th 
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