Review: A Starry Summer Birthday in Manhattan at The Laurie Beechman Theatre

On Friday July 24, singer and actor Nicolas King celebrated turning 35 here in New York City and, unlike Bobby in Company, was more than happy to sing for his supper and hug the standing-room-only room at The Laurie Beechman Theatre, with his singular voice, vocal stylings and stories. His opener was very clever and came loaded with images of him as a child, marching directly into show business.

This young man has "winner" written all over him and his "partner in crime" for the beautifully calibrated evening was none other than the legendary Billy Stritch.

The night's selections were very personal and Mr. King is gifted in both content and brevity as he takes us through his choices and the "whys" of the reasons for singing this particular set of songs for this very special evening. There is nothing phony about him and he enters the ring like a champ, putting us all at ease to relax and enjoy a very smooth ride. Gleaming in a black patterned suit and being fit as a fiddle, his confidence is a pleasure to watch and the way he turns a phrase or faces a lyric head-on is a joy to witness. The truth of the matter is that he can clearly sing anything and make it work. He has worked with some of the greatest in the business and has learned his lessons well. Very well. He proved this with his last new show, honoring the revered musician/arranger Mike Renzi, which was recorded live at 54 Below and will enter the ethos in October. Put it on your list.

Each song came with its own acknowledgement of oohs and aaahs and the audience response was authentic and robust after every number. Nicolas swings. So does Billy Stritch and, on that stage, they became one during this "one night only" event. Nicolas is an instrument of his own making, which doesn't require lots of fussy instruments and Mr. Stritch was powering the keys to full advantage. There were plenty of thrills and King gave the stage to Billy for a solo, which was a beautiful Brazilian song.

Eda and I were thrilled to be among a loaded "name dropping" collection of friends and fellow performers like Michele Lee and her husband Fred Rappaport, Susie Mosher, Jim Caruso, Max von Essen, Scott Nevins, Jeff Harnar, Marty Millet & Michael Garin, Richard Jay-Alexander, Adrian Galante, newcomer Erik Scott Romney, KT Sullivan, Lee Roy Reams, Randy Rainbow, RHONY fan favorite LuAnn de Lesseps, Karen Mason,  Paul Rudnick, Jamie deRoy,  Barry Kleinbort, Tom Postilio & Mickey Conlon, Paul Kreppel, Bill Hutton, Mark Sendroff and Soledad O'Brien with husband Brad Raymond.

It was a real New York night.

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Learn more about Nicolas King online at officialnicolasking.com

Find tickets to more upcoming shows at the Beechman on their website here.

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