BWW Reviews: Sam Harris & Friends Play El Portal

Sam Harris has perfected a pretty good stand-up act over the years. He loves to expound on everything from show business and Liza Minnelli ... to surgeries and artificial body parts ... to dieting and even whine about how a toddler can radically alter one's comfortable lifestyle...he's into sharing news, issues, trends, gossip...take his New Year's resolutions over the course of three years: "Don't look back!...Don't look!...Don't." In there somewhere is a valuable lesson on how to downsize. Wait a minute, does all this jabber need a point? Even if he says absolutely nothing, Harris' greatest talent is to entertain, to put on a  show. And that he blessedly does. As witnessed by Saturday evening's joyful Sam Harris & Friends on the El Portal Mainstage, boy oh boy, he can also still SING! So can all of his guests: Tony winner Levi Kreis, David Burnham, Todd Schroeder and Olivier/Ovation winner Lesli Margherita. It's been a while since I've seen this much overwhelmingly glorious talent assembled on one stage.

The format was songs, patter, songs by Harris, followed by a guest spot, and at the end of the 2+ hour show, which included a 20 minute intermission, everyone got together onstage for a countdown to midnight, "Auld Lang Syne", and as in New York's Finest, The Leading Men of Broadway, which Harris directed last September at the Ford, everyone sat informally semicircle and shared feelings through songs. Highlights included, from Harris: a rousing "I'm Still Here" and "If I Could Change the World", a beautiful "I Love You More"dedicated to his little boy, followed by a hilarious 360 degree comedic turn by Margherita singing "Children" a Jackie Hoffman parody advocating an intense dislike of little tykes. There followed a sizzling, dueling duet of "Stormy Weather" between Harris and Margherita. Levi Kreis shined on "Hallelujah, I Just Love Her So" at the piano a la Jerry Lee Lewis, who he played to a Tony Award as Best Featured Actor in 2010's Million Dollar Quartet, then a personally haunting rendition of "Not While I'm Around" from Sweeney Todd. What versatility and quiet charisma! Todd Schroeder, who accompanied throughout the show except when Kreis sat at the piano, offered a delightful "I Feel Mischievous" at the top of Act II, followed by David Burnham's electric appearance with a soaring "Feeling Good" and the lesser known "Run Away with Me" from The Unauthorized Biography of Samantha Brown. Burnham and Kreis brought down the house with a duet they also performed at the Ford "For Good" from Wicked; Margherita shared a remarkably offbeat "Rainbow Connection" and Harris, a lovely "Over the Rainbow". They closed fervently with "Fly Away". Harris also glowed with a magnificent "Swanee" in recognition of Al Jolson, whom he will essay in a Broadway-bound musical in 2012, "Bridge Over Troubled Water" and the rarely heard "Everyone's Gone to the Moon", following his hilarious reading of an otherwise shocking list of happenings culled from 2011's news headlines. He also paid hommage to Liza and their show together Schmoolie Minoolie with a fun parody of "Razzle Dazzle" from Chicago.

What a fantastically memorable evening of comedy and song from all 5 performers! Praise as well to Pegge Forrest and Jay Irwin who did a bangup job producing the evening that included two shows, champagne and desserts, as well as hats and favors and dancing after the second show. Bravo!

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