Review: CHARLES STROUSE'S 95th BIRTHDAY SHOW! at 54 Below Shares Legendary Theatrical Legacy

How can you fit Broadway composer Charles Strouse’s entire career into a 90-minute show? It’s not an easy task, but the cast of singers and musicians at 54 Below, led by Lee Roy Reams, did a stellar job. On Monday June 5th at 7 pm, two days before Strouse’s actual birthday, an esteemed group came together to honor the composer. The lineup included performers from original productions of his musicals (Annie’s Andrea McArdle, Applause’s Penny Fuller and Lee Roy Reams, All American’s Anita Gillette), other renowned singers including Karen Ziemba and Carolee Carmello, and Stephen Schwartz, who collaborated with Strouse on the 1986 show Rags.

Lee Roy Reams, acting as host, kicked the night off with a rousing rendition of “Put on a Happy Face” from Bye Bye Birdie (lyrics by Lee Adams). The evening included a wide range of Strouse’s work, ranging from beloved tunes like “Maybe” and “Tomorrow” (lyrics by Martin Charnin), both of which Andrea McArdle sang as sweetly as she did in the original 1977 production, to lesser known but still gorgeous songs like “Whatever Time There Is” from Charlie and Algernon (lyrics by David Rodgers), which Steve Ross sang beautifully. There was much love for Strouse in the air, with each singer explaining their connection to him and wishing him a happy birthday before their number. Reams read a few touching notes from those who couldn’t be there, like Len Cariou, who originated lead roles in Applause and Dance a Little Closer, who congratulated Strouse on turning 95 and said he’s doing his “damndedest to catch up.”

Lee Adams, Strouse’s most frequent lyrical collaborator, was also in attendance, and even though he didn’t speak, his presence was very much felt. He wrote the lyrics for some of Strouse’s most enduring works, including the haunting torch song “Once Upon a Time” from All American (1962), which Anita Gillette and Penny Fuller sang exquisitely. The cast sang a suite of songs from Applause (lyrics by Adams), that showcased the range of their writing talent: “One Hallowe’en,” sung wonderfully by Penny Fuller, who played Eve Harrington in the original, which starts slow, soft and wistful and builds to a frenzied climax; the bubbly and joyful title song “Applause,” sung by KT Sullivan, Jeff Harnar and Jon Weber; and Lee Roy Reams sang a few bars of the lyrically clever “She’s No Longer a Gypsy.” (They also shouted out its historic role as the first-ever Broadway musical to feature an openly gay character, played by Reams). Karen Mason sang a splendidly orchestrated mashup of two songs from Golden Boy, “Lorna’s Here” and “I Wanna Be With You,” followed by an instrumental “Night Song” played on the piano by Alex Rybeck, who also served as the music director for the show.

There were so many brilliant performances, it’s hard to say what stood out the most. Alan H. Green and Donna McKechnie each sang a number from Annie Warbucks (lyrics by Charnin), the little-known sequel to Annie. Karen Ziemba sang one of my personal favorite Strouse and Adams songs, “You’ve Got Possibilities” from It’s a Bird, It’s a Plane, It’s Superman. One of the highlights of the night was hearing Carolee Carmello belt “Children of the Wind” with Stephen Schwartz (who wrote the lyrics) at the piano. Schwartz introduced the song by talking about how Strouse had given him a lesson in lyric writing: he had originally written prosaic lyrics for the song, and it was getting poor reactions at backer’s auditions. Finally, he realized that the lyrics had to match the tone of the song.

Likewise, the entire evening honoring Strouse felt like a lesson in musical theater. It was inspiring to see Strouse’s work, spanning multiple decades, running the gamut from financial flop to megahit and everything in between, performed by legends, all in one show. Strouse may be best remembered for Annie and Bye Bye Birdie, but this show proves that he’s left behind an enduring legacy filled with tiny, beautiful gems.

Find great shows to see on the 54 Below website HERE.

Visit the Charles Strouse website HERE.

See Conor Weiss's photo essay of thie evening HERE.