BWW Reviews: SETH SIKES Zings the Heartstrings With Judy Garland Tribute Show at 54 Below

Two decades ago, cabaret was mesmerized by the sudden presence of a phenomenal male vocalist by the name of Tom Andersen, who quickly found himself not merely an overnight sensation in the clubs of New York and other major cities across the nation but throughout the globe. Part of his attraction was that, whereas most light baritones will strain and strive to hit notes in the highest register possible, to Andersen it came as naturally as simply drawing a breath; he was a theatrical tenor in the truest sense. And he may well now have an heir apparent in the form of Seth Sikes, who burst onto the scene on June 10 with a striking Judy Garland tribute show at 54 Below on what would have been the legendary lady's 93rd birthday.

Now, cabaret as a whole isn't lacking for Judy Garland impersonators. The recently-deceased Jim Bailey was the undisputed master of the genre, Tommy Femia has ruled a similar roost in New York for many a season, as has Peter Mac in Los Angeles. And there are many others Judy singers who've come and gone with varying degrees of success. What sets Sikes apart is that he's not doing an impression of the lady herself; he's simply delivering some of her most popular selections with every ounce of charisma and passionate dedication as Garland did. And the result, musical-directed by Gary Adler with a seven-piece band, emerges as simply stratospheric.

Aided by a selection of slides of Miss Garland projected onto a screen at the back of the stage, Sikes proves absolutely magical just from the opening strains of "I Feel a Song Coming On" coupled with "From This Moment On." From there, he only becomes more mystifying. A medley of "I Can't Give You Anything But Love" along with "Get Happy" and "Zing! Went the Strings of My Heart" (video above) reaches for the sky, then he completely flips the script and proves himself a stunning balladeer with "Just in Time" and "The Man That Got Away." As a reviewer, it's almost unfair to have to turn one's eyes away to scribble a few notes as Sikes is literally that riveting an artist. His delivery of "Rock-A-Bye Your Baby" and "Stormy Weather" are literally roof-raising, and by the time he winds up with "You Made Me Love You" and "Swanee," he's proven himself absolutely incomparable.

If a cabaret act were a college exam, Sikes would receive an A-plus with departmental honors.

Photo by Kevin Thomas Garcia

Seth Sikes Sings Judy Garland returns to 54 Below (254 West 54th Street) on September 18 at 9:30 pm. For tickets and information, call 646-476-3551.