Review: Alysha Umphress Impresses the Crowd with 15 STORIES at 54 Below

You may have seen Alysha Umphress on stage in shows such as On The Town, American Idiot or Smokey Joe’s Café – or perhaps you’ve seen her previous cabaret performances? If you haven’t seen her, then all that this reviewer can say is, you are missing out!

54 Below was packed to the brim on Saturday night as the crowd gathered in anticipation to see Umphress’ latest show, 15 STORIES. Conceived by Jack Viertel with music directed by Bálint Varga, this show sees Umphress take on 15 different characters, giving her the perfect vehicle to show off her immense talent as a character actress and vocalist.

Donning simple costume items such as a jacket, hat, or flower in her hair, and accompanied by poignant images on two screens either side of stage, Umphress took on the personae of a jazz chanteuse, an illiterate young woman, a sailor, and a pirate - just to name a few – delivering intriguing story songs from the likes of Gershwin to Jim Croce to Randy Newman to John Prine, and more. 

Opening the show with “A Little Jazz Bird” from the Gershwins Lady, Be Good, Umphress’ mellifluous scatting was on point, as her rich, velvety voice filled Broadway’s Supper Club, dazzling the audience from the first note.

Umphress explained that the show came about during the pandemic, with Jack Viertel reaching out to her about wanting to create a show of story songs. Viertel came to her with a ready-made list, but she insisted, in a way she likened to Barbra Streisand, that she wanted to choose some songs herself. And so, with Viertel’s blessing, Umphress took herself to the New York Public Library of Performing Arts at Lincoln Center and delved into the vast catalog. This patter segued perfectly into a charming rendition of “A Trip to The Library” from She Loves Me. This was followed by a perfect example of a great story song, “The Ballad of the Shape of Things” by Sheldon Harnick.

Taking a seat by the piano, as music director Bálint Varga led the solid string section comprised of Kiho Yukata on violin, Zachary Brown on cello and Yuka Tadano on bass, Umphress began the first of a three-song medley, with a delicious take on the Billy Barnes number “Something Cool,” her performance reminiscent of Julie London (who released the song in 1960 on her album Around Midnight). This smoothly transitioned into a stunning rendition of Larry Collins and Alex Harvey’s "Delta Dawn," which was then followed by the country hit “Ode to Billie Joe” by Bobbie Gentry. Again, these songs gave Umphress the opportunity to show off her acting and storytelling chops.

Other highlights included Jim Croce’s “You Don’t Mess Around With Jim,” “Pirate Jenny” from The Threepenny Opera (which had Umphress deliver a near perfect Cockney accent), and a comical performance of a traditional Celtic song entitled, “The Mermaid Song” delivered with a charming Irish lilt. John Prine’s “Sam Stone” gave the string players a chance to shine with some wonderful pizzicato-infused measures, Umphress’ golden toned vocals pairing nicely.

Hilarious patter about her beginnings as a child vocalist with the Contra Costa Chorale led into a comical delivery of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller’s “Is That All There Is?” before delivering her mom’s favorite song, “Me And Bobby McGee” – and yes, her mom was in the audience, which made for some entertaining banter.

Overall, Umphress is an incredibly captivating storyteller, and WHAT. A. VOICE! As the night came to a close, this reviewer wasn’t ready for the show to end – nor was the audience, who made it known that they wanted more. A standing O was very much deserved!

If you want to hear Alysha Umphress for yourself, you can find her latest album, Alysha Umphress and things…like this, on Spotify and Apple Music. And be sure to keep an eye out for her next gig. You won't want to miss it!

For more great shows at 54 Below, visit their website.

Photo Credit: BWW-Staff

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