Review: BETH LEAVEL Leaves the Crowd in Stitches at 54 Below

If I didn’t already know that Beth Leavel was a national treasure, her show January 2nd would have proved it. Leavel slinked onto the stage and greeted the audience with a sultry “Broadway Baby,” slightly modified for the occasion (“a spark / to fill the dark / from Battery Park / way up to 54 Below”). Leavel, known for her roles in hit musicals The Drowsy Chaperone and The Prom, has a rare ability to employ the impressive singing voice of a serious traditional nightclub act while also being wholly comedic, switching back and forth between the two at the drop of a hat and occasionally somehow managing to embody both at once. I don’t want to spoil too much of the show, as there is one more performance left on Monday January 8th, which you should absolutely get tickets to if you haven’t yet, but Leavel is truly something to see. In her opening, she states that she was thrilled when 54 Below asked her to be here to perform on this very, very special date, right in the midst of Christmas and New Year's and all the holidays. What special day is that? “January 2nd,” she deadpans, launching into a familiar tune from Cole Porter’s Anything Goes with one small change: “I Get a Kick out of … January 2nd.” Leavel’s inflection on the words January 2nd – full of dry humor, and growing increasingly desperate and excited with every repetition – was hilarious, and set the tone for the rest of the night.

The actual reason Leavel was at 54 Below, or perhaps one of them, is that she is preparing to record some of her music (she pretended to search for the words of what to call a digital album. “...a CD or EP or LP… I don’t know what they’re called. An IUD”). Leavel and her piano accompanist, Phil Reno, who also served as music director, took suggestions from the audience as to what Leavel should consider singing on her upcoming album. Audience members were invited to shout out any suggestions, with a few exceptions: “Don’t ask me to sing ‘Memory’ Leavel said. “If you ask me to sing ‘Memory,’ here’s what’s going to happen.” Reno played the tune on the piano while Leavel pretended to lick herself like a cat, completely silent until finally saying, “No.” Exceptions aside, Leavel heard quite a range of suggestions and she sang some of them right there, improvising on them hilariously, merging songs together or guessing at lyrics she didn’t know. At one point, three separate people called out “Alfie,” “I’m Still Here,” and “Losing My Mind” in quick succession. Leavel joked that she was trying to think of a way to put them all together: “Alfie, I’m still here, losing my mind.”

Woven throughout the night, Leavel told stories from her life, as engaging and hilarious a storyteller as she is a singer. She had the crowd in stitches talking about early auditions, anecdotes from her life, and other quips (“I can’t believe I used to do this eight shows a week,” she said before launching into her anthem “As We Stumble Along”). Leavel also did some touching serious numbers, including “Fifty Percent” from Ballroom, as if to prove that she’s more than just another funny face. Beth Leavel is, above all else, surprising, mesmerizing, and unforgettable. Go see her January 8th at 54 Below.

Find out more information about Beth Leavel on her website.

Visit 54 Below’s website for more upcoming shows.

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