BWW Reviews: Paulo Szot's Bossa Nova is Too Heavy at 54 BELOW

Celebrating the centennial of Frank Sinatra, Paulo Szot, a Brazilian of Polish descent, returns to 54 BELOW with a brand new show inspired by the 1967 album Francis Albert Sinatra & Antonio Carlos Jobim. Jobim, primarily known for being the founding father of bossa nova, famously composed jazz tunes that were influenced by the sounds and rhythms of Brazilian samba music. Thus, Szot's theme for this cabaret seems a perfect fit. Unfortunately, the end product is not the enchanted evening we'd expect from the Tony Award winner.

In this cabaret Szot tells the audience of his childhood in Brazil. Being a particularly poor soccer played, a coach told his mother, "Paulo loves soccer, but soccer does not love Paulo back." Later in his life, he discovered a love for music, and he proudly tells the audience "Music loves Paulo back!" Of this there is no denying. Szot's baritone instrument is beautiful. With all the classical training it has had over the years, it comes to life with an authoritative heaviness and he colors it with dazzling dark tones. Listening to him in the intimate venue, it is no surprise that he captivated audiences as Emile de Becque in the 2008 Lincoln Center Theater revival of South Pacific, and I am certain he'll thrill on the stage of The Metropolitan Opera in their upcoming production of Die Fledermaus. Yet, his voice seems terribly unsuited for bossa nova, making this concert a perplexing choice for him as an artist.

The softly sensual aura of bossa nova is entirely lost in Szot's hands. During the concert, Szot is reminiscent of the stereotypical Las Vegas lounge act; yet, his weighty bravado and lack of levels crushes these airy tunes under his resplendent operatic vocals. The technicality and control of his voice is impressive, but simply not suited for these suavely nimble ditties. Despite all the beauty of his instrument, he just seems incapable of singing these tunes with the delicacy that they require.

Backed by a more than capable band and under the music direction of Klaus Mueller, Szot's musical choices have our feet tapping and our hips swaying in our seats. Even if these iterations of these favorites aren't always as appealing as we would like, the spell that the music played by the band casts effortlessly entertains.

As can be expected, Szot does have a handful of shining moments in the cabaret. His scat/beat-boxing during a segment of samba vocalizado is earthy, rich, and fascinating. Likewise, he brings glittering life to a rendition of "Bauble, Bangles, and Beads" (Robert Wright, George Forrest) that interpolates glimpses of "Bali Ha'i," "I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair," "Happy Talk," "I'm in Love with a Wonderful Guy," and "Some Enchanted Evening" (Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein II) into it. Finally, he closes the show with a stunning rendition of "This Nearly Was Mine" (Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein II). If anyone has the power to actually make me like South Pacific, it may be Paulo Szot.

Szot continues his run at 54 Below through February 28, 2015. For reservations and more information, please visit http://54below.com or call (646) 476-3551.