Review: Mary Porter Honors Her Home State in HATS OFF TO CAROLINA at 54 Below

International performer and recording artist Mary Porter made her 54 Below debut on November 10th, with two performances of her show Hats Off to Carolina: A Tribute to North Carolina Artists. The North Carolina native has performed sold-out shows during her performances in Puerto Vallarta Mexico.

At this performance, Porter was backed by pianist and musical director Michael Orland, bassist Marc Schmied, and percussionist Damien Bassman. The show honored various performers from North Carolina and songs associated with or written by them.

Porter is a delicious, funny and big-hearted gal with a presence that lights up the stage. She is a fine singer, with a big belt when she needs it and the ability to sing sweetly when that’s called for. She is humble and grateful, and generously shared the stage with several excellent guest performers.

Porter opened with a big-belt rendition of “Feeling Good” (Anthony Newley/Leslie Bricusse, inspired by the North Carolina native Nina Simone’s recording). Porter demonstrated her country chops with a poppy medley of Ronnie Milsap songs (“It Was Almost Like a Song”/“Any Day Now”/”What a Difference You Made”), and again with a Randy Travis medley (“I Told You So” and “Forever and Ever Amen”).

“Can’t Help Lovin’ Dat Man” (Jerome Kern/Oscar Hammerstein II) honored Ava Gardner, who performed it (dubbed by Annette Warren) in the 1951 remake of Showboat. Porter, after giving the powerful backstory of this song, performed of the number in a bluesy, soulful version.

The show kicked things up a notch when Porter held a violin as if she were about to play it, but instead called violinist Edmund Bagnell up to the stage as guest fiddler on Charlie Daniels’ “The South’s Gonna Do It Again.” This was one of several high points in the show.

Porter, who “grew up on church music,” took Orland’s seat at the piano for a lovely, touching version of “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” (Ewan MacColl, but honoring Roberta Flack, who made the definitive recording). The song took on a different meaning for Porter when she became a mom, making for a powerful emotional connection to the song.

Grammy winner and Tony-nominated NaTasha Yvette Williams, who starred on Broadway as “Sweet Sue” in Some Like it Hot, made a spectacular guest appearance with a sizzling rendition of that show’s title song. Williams has a big, beautiful voice and tremendous stage presence. She followed this with a gorgeous rendition of “Summertime” (George Gershwin/DuBose Heyward), with Orland’s brilliant accompaniment.

With Orland playing while Porter told her story of her mother’s battle with dementia and “sundowning,” she performed a slow, deliberate “’Round Midnight” (Thelonious Monk/Bernie Hanighen, honoring Monk). The loneliness inherent in the lyrics, as the protagonist grapples with memories and emotions stirred up in the wee hours, was palpable in Porter’s interpretation and delivery. It was her best number of the set.

After such a melancholy moment, Porter raised the energy and the mood with a fun medley of snippets of songs by or associated with North Carolinians Little Eva, Ben E. King, Clay Aiken and Donna Fargo.

Porter “brought the room to church” with a stunning version of “How Great Thou Art” (honoring Andy Griffith), adapting an arrangement by her late friend Jerry Williams. Edmund Bagnell returned on violin, and Natasha returned to sing the song with Porter.  This moving delivery by all warranted a standing ovation.

Porter invited up the wonderfully entertaining Seth Sikes, a young performer with a proclivity for the kinds of songs sung by Al Jolson more a century ago and revitalized by Judy Garland, for a spirited “[Nothing Could Be Finer Than to Be In] Carolina In the Morning” (Walter Donaldson/Gus Kahn), complete with a soft-shoe dance by the pair.

The show closed with Irving Berlin’s “God Bless America,” a song most associated with North Carolinian Kate Smith. Porter included the verse, and many patrons patriotically joined in. This writer looks forward to Porter’s next musical visit to New York.

For more great shows at 54 Below, visit www.54below.org.