Photos: SERGE CLIVIO (AND FRIENDS), VOL. 3 Brings House Down Mastercard's Midnight Theatre In NYC

On Friday, November 10th - Midtown Manhattan was met with a powerful performance by Serge Clivio and friends. Spanning genres from pop, rock, soul, jazz and even theatre - Serge Clivio once again showed that he is a force of nature when it comes to live performances. Already accustomed to his powerful vocals and expansive range, Clivio seemed more comfortable than ever performing a setlist of musical influences which he claims he "has been putting together his entire life".

And it really did seem like a show for the ages. Joined by some of his incredibly talented friends, and frequent cast members of the "Serge and Friends" series, Clivio took to the stage to perform songs from greats like Stevie Nicks, George Michael, Whitney Houston, U2, Journey and more. Beginning the night with a series of medleys, the crowd was immediately tuned into what would be a night of fun and welcomed stories about Clivio's musical journey. The fantastic use of Mastercard's Midnight Theatre's 360 projection walls made the night feel like we were at a top-tier Las Vegas show. Joey Augustyn, a friend of Serge's, is responsible for the near-perfect designs that accompanied each song and story throughout the night.

The show opened with songs by Lady Gaga, The 1975, Sade and more. A highlight at the top of the show as Clivio's performance of Michael Jackson rarity "Butterflies". Clivio showed us parts of his voice that seemed undiscovered - his soaring falsetto gave tastes of Justin Timberlake and 90s R&B crooners, an impressive trick he seemed to be hiding! Daniel Scott Walton joined Serge for a modern rendition of "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered" - a song that Serge dedicated to his late grandfather. Walton and Serge sounded like bread and butter, but their 10 year "best friendship" shown through the most with brother-like chemistry that made everyone smile. Jessica Kundla took to the stage to sing "Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again" from The Phantom of the Opera. Serge's soprano soared and it's a real shame that the show has closed, because Kundla could step in almost immediately after a soaring vocal. A highlight of the night came from Drew Arisco (National Tour of Something Rotten!) when he duetted to "Sex On Fire" by Kings of Leon with Clivio. It had almost seemed like these men had a rock duo, with fantastic phrasing, soulful vocals and an overall thrilling performance. The crowd absolutely erupted throughout this number.

After a beautiful tribute to Memorial Sloan Kettering, a cause that saved Serge's life not so long ago, and a powerful Rascal Flatts cover, Clivio sang a few originals from his own discography, once again proving to us that his talent is expansive when it comes to songwriting, arranging and production. Alexa Lebersfeld and Michael Mahady, the band's fantastic (and hard-working) backup singers joined Clivio for a trio of Diva hits. Starting with "Always Be My Baby" by Mariah Carey, they group harmonized like silk. Lebersfeld gave a pop princess rendition of Gwen Stefani's "Cool" that could be recorded as a record TOMORROW. The crowd loved the trio's adult contemporary spin on Adele's "Water Under the Bridge". It was Mahady who surprised the audience with his breadth of deep soul during Alicia Keys' iconic "If I Ain't Got You". Though he fumbled through the second part of the chorus, he recovered in a flash and left the audience wanting more. They closed out the trio with a gothic rock version of the Eurythmic's "Sweet Dreams" which had Clivio crawling on the floor while exercising his voice through different octaves.

Recording artist Stephanie James joined Serge for a Disco tribute that combined Donna Summer's "On the Radio" and Luther Vandross's "Never Too Much". Both sounded divine and the band never sounded better! The 7-piece band consisted of Mike Stapleton (Music Director/Piano), Eric Derwallis (Drums), Matt Sewell (Guitar), Josh Uguccioni (Bass), Nathan See (Saxophone), Dave Adewumi (Trumpet), Alan Hsaio (Trombone) with wonderful assistance from Alexa Lebersfeld and Michael Mahady on backup vocals. Stapleton led the band through a challenging musical set with ease and poise - he is clearly a professional at the highest standard. Clivio and Stapelton have been working together for years, and it shows as they produce a high caliber product year after year.

The highlights of the night came during the final 2 songs. Rock solos by Clivio. The entire night felt like it was leading up to his stirring rendition of U2's "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For". From the spiritual arrangement, to chilling interpretation and pitch perfect vocals, it was almost hard to believe that Clivio wasn't performing a few avenues over at Madison Square Garden. When he is locked in, he could run with top-tier professionals. This performance left audience members in tears and energized for the finale performance of Journey's classic "Separate Ways (World's Apart)". Almost 20 songs through the show, Clivio closed out at the top of his register, hitting notes we hadn't heard previously and giving the audience rock vocals that even Steve Perry would approve of.

Serge and Friends has become a New York City staple that is far more than a Cabaret. Previously performed at 54 Below, it seemed like a concert setting (like the Midnight Theatre) is exactly what the show needed to take the next step. All proceeds were donated to Memorial Sloan Kettering's Cancer Research Center, making it that much more of an impressive night. Last week showed Serge in a new light - a young star on the rise who wears his trials on his sleeves and has stepped into a new era of bending genres and captivating audience with personal storytelling and fantastic production. It can only be wished into existence, that Serge and Friends 4 will come NYC's way soon.

Stream Serge's music anywhere you like to listen: https://linktr.ee/sergeclivio

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