Review: Darius de Haas Is Suave, Smooth, and Smokin' In MAISEL AND MORE! at 54 Below

In 2017 the television world was given a gift and her name was Mrs. Maisel. The first season of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel debuted and was an instantaneous smash-hit (as well it should have been), garnering legions of fans and an impressive number of Emmy Awards. The year is now 2023 and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is in its fifth season, and although there has been much ballyhoo over the somewhat mercurial quality of the scripts of the program over the years, there is no debating that The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel has given generously to the world. There is a bright new acting star named Rachel Brosnahan, there has been a blissful abundance of Marin Hinkle, there was an Emmy win for Luke Kirby, and there is a soundtrack overloaded with splendiferous material and an embarrassment of riches in recordings from Darius de Haas, the singing voice of Shy Baldwin, a character that is not-too-subtly patterned after legendary singer Johnny Mathis. For eleven episodes, a fine actor named LeRoy McClain appeared onscreen as Shy Baldwin, but any time Shy sang, it was the voice of Darius de Haas that the world heard. And the world is all the better for it.

In his new show MAISEL AND MORE! Darius de Haas is singing the songs from the Mrs. Maisel series, and he is talking about his experience with the show, clearly a happy experience, as the reminiscences detailed in the April 29th opening were nothing but joyful, grateful, and completely filled with pride for his association with the production. For eighty minutes, the classic and classy Mr. de Haas presented a right and proper club act, a musical cabaret that allowed his audience of devoted fans a glimpse, not only into the Maisel journey, but into his personal one, as well. As he shared the stories of Mrs. Maisel and Shy Baldwin, Darius touched upon his family of artists (father Eddie de Haas was a famous bassist and sister Aisha de Haas is a jazz singer), discussed the creation of Shy Baldwin (actually an amalgam of famous singers), ruminated on civil rights, and, from time to time, acted up a little - and although it may seem difficult to get silly when distinguishably dressed in male couture, Darius de Haas could definitely bring the playful. Affable, enjoyable and incredibly warm and welcoming, he has nothing to hide from his audience (including a script, because Darius de Haas, a true professional, had his entire show committed to memory, a practice that seems lamentably unimportant in nightclubs these days). Darius de Haas is as he appears to be. There is no pretense, there is no show, there is just a well-dressed man who knows, in that place where you know things, how to put on a nightclub act, and how to hold an audience in the palm of his hand.

With meticulous Musical Director Joe Davidian at the piano, Darius de Haas is chill, he is cool, he is comfortable. He looks like a million bucks, he talks like he's looking you in the eye (not easy with those stunning 54 Below lights shining in one's face), and he sings like he has just stepped out of a dream. Goodness gracious, to be in a room and hear this kind of singing live is a real gift, and not one that comes along every day. Whether singing the songs that actually did appear in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel ("They Say It's Wonderful" and "A Woman, a Lover, a Friend" are covers, while "One Less Angel" and "No One Has To Know" were composed for the show), or showcasing songs that might have fit, nicely, into the Maisel catalogue ("Younger Than Springtime" and "Misty" are revelations in the de Haas aesthetic) every note Darius de Haas sings is practically unbelievable. It is not possible to sit in the room while Darius de Haas is singing without occasionally sighing, maybe shaking your head, and possibly shedding a tear or two. A tribute to Nat King Cole is breathtaking, and a famous movie theme by Burt Bacharach and Hal David is stunning. De Haas and Davidian have curated the evening's selections for joy (a fun "Hallelujah I Love Her So"), for reverie (the aforementioned "No one Has To Know" is a highlight) and for passion (the final song of the evening is wonderfully epic in both emotion and performance), and every musical moment is connected by a verbal bridge of humor and humanity, built upon the benevolence of Darius de Haas and his uncanny ability to soothe, to entertain, and to draw one in, just by telling the tales of his life, his art, and a marvelous adventure he had with a lady named Maisel.

Darius de Haas will play MAISEL AND MORE! Again on May 6th at 7 pm. Tickets can be acquired by visiting the 54 Below website HERE.

THIS is the Darius de Haas website and the Joe Davidian website can be found HERE.

Photos by Stephen Mosher; Visit the Stephen Mosher website HERE.

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