The evening at 54 Below was advertised as a “ Vinyl Release Celebration Concert” and how apt that VINYL, the unrivaled substance utilized to capture the subtle nuances and breadth of music has now been used to capture the elegant voice of Melissa Errico singing the songs of  “Sondheim in the City” for posterity. 

Caveat: While Vinyl may capture in analog glory the beautiful notes and words of Melissa, one must be in her presence to experience her irrepressible beauty, wit, and intelligence on stage.

Melissa Errico….Sondheim In The City Vinyl Release Celebration at 54 Below May 7,8,9…..

Tedd Firth Music Director, David Finck (Bass), Eric Halvorson (Drums) Bruce Harris (Trumpet)

About the show:

After the critical triumph of her Sondheim Sublime album-called “the finest all Sondheim recording ever made” by the Wall Street Journal, Melissa Errico returned to one of her cabaret homes (54 Below) last night and to her favorite songwriter with an entire new program of Sondheim songs, celebrating her new album (released February 16, 2024 on Concord) and a different side of Steve, praised in The New York Times as “a New York house tour of thrill and heartbreak..from one of Sondheim’s deepest-hearted yet lightest-touch interpreters.”

Sondheim in the City is the Sondheim of smart, sophisticated New York, the Sondheim of the quick, witty, sardonic, love-seeking and sex-driven city that he recorded and worked in through his long life. From the anthem of city busyness “Another Hundred People” to the bittersweet hymns of city marriage, “Sorry, Grateful” and “Good Thing Going,” with time for hardboiled surprises like “Uptown, Downtown” and surprisingly soft-centered ballads like “All That I Need” and “Dawn”

MELISSA ERRICO

MELISSA ERRICO

MELISSA ERRICO

MELISSA ERRICO

MELISSA ERRICO

MELISSA ERRICO

MELISSA ERRICO

MELISSA ERRICO & TEDD FIRTH, music director

54 Below, Eda Sorokoff

Pulitzer Prize–winning composer Kevin Puts’s hit new opera, which played to sold-out audiences during its world-premiere production last season, triumphantly returns. The original trio of legendary divas—sopranos Renée Fleming and Kelli O’Hara and mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato—reprise their celebrated portrayals of three women from different eras whose lives are connected through Virginia Woolf’s novel Mrs. Dalloway. Bass-baritone Kyle Ketelsen also returns as the dying author Richard, and Kensho Watanabe conducts Phelim McDermott’s gripping staging of this heart-wrenching drama, adapted from Michael Cunningham’s acclaimed novel and the Oscar-winning film it inspired.

Sometimes words just do not suffice and, last night, The New York Pops Annual Gala which honored Clive Davis would fit into this category. The orchestra, led by the esteemed and popular conductor, Steven Reineke, was ablaze for artist after artist, star after star, setting the place on fire! One of the most thrilling nights New York audiences and supporters could ever have hoped for. New York always delivers. So The New York Pops. Bravo and Congratulations

On a personal note, at our table… sharing the evening with my daughters Caroline and Laura, our friends Catherine Adler, Helmut Koller, Greg and Penny Sherry kids, and Storm Large made a special evening even more special.

Here are a few cell phone photos:

CAROLINE SOROKOFF, STEPHEN SOROKOFF, EDA SOROKOFF, LAURA SOROKOFF GELMAN

STEPHEN SOROKOFF, EDA SOROKOFF, HELMUT KOLLER, CATHERINE ADLER

CAROLINE SOROKOFF, LAURA SOROKOFF GELMAN, STORM LARGE, EDA SOROKOFF

NANCY PELOSI & MAESTRO STEVEN REINEKE

RIKI KANE LARIMER AND FRIENDS

ERIC GABBARD, EDA SOROKOFF, STORM LARGE

PAULO SZOT & EDA SOROKOFF

STORM LARGE

CARNEGIE HALL

CARNEGIE HALL

STEVEN REINEKE

BARRY MANILOW

MY GIRLS

STORM LARGE & RIKI KANE LARIMER

EDA SOROKOFF & ARI MELBER

CLIVE DAVIS

The Fisher/Sorokoff curated Cabaret season at Cafe Centro concluded last night with Nicolas King and Seth Sikes, aka THE NEW BELTERS.

These extraordinary entertainers have been exciting audiences around the country since they first paired their singing talents and created a swinging musical masterpiece in 2022. Nicolas and Seth have their own individual, respective careers and come from what would seem like different orbits. But, actually, it turns out, maybe not so much, because when they come together as THE NEW BELTERS, a special kind of energy force forms and it’s reminiscent of, say, Martin & Lewis (Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis). Their musical tastes embrace each other and they may be one of the most affable pairings in quite some time. With good banter, excellent musicianship and a whole lot of “showbiz” they score over and over and over again. I won’t spoil the musical choices, either as solos or duets in their new show which takes you back to the golden era of MGM musicals, but the crowd at the totally sold out Cafe Centro enjoyed them last night as we were taken on a carefree ride, knowing we were in capable and professional hands, without a worry in the world.  We were all singing silently along with them, albeit not in the rain.. The great thing about seeing performers of this caliber is their camaraderie and how effortlessly they can make music and ENTERTAIN!

THE NEW BELTERS

NICOLAS KING & SETH SIKES

NICOLAS KING

SETH SIKES

SETH SIKES & NICOLAS KING

SETH SIKES

SETH SIKES & NICOLAS KING

SETH SIKES, SANDY FISHER, NICOLAS KING, STEPHEN SOROKOFF

MARK HARTMAN,music director, SETH SIKES, EDA SOROKOFF, NICOLS KING, STEPHEN SOROKOFF

STEPHEN SOROKOFF & NICOLAS KING

ROB RUSSELL, SUNNY SESSA, NICOLAS KING

EDA SOROKOFF & SUNNY SESSA

STEPHEN SOROKOFF & SUNNY SESSA

CRAIG NEIER & NICOLAS KING

STEPHEN SOROKOFF & EDA SOROKOFF

EDA SOROKOFF & “SAL”

SETH SIKES & NICOLAS KING