Review: ONCE IN A LIFETIME at 54 Below Aptly Named

On December 7th, 54 Below saw the kickoff of the Sammy Davis Jr. Centennial Celebration ONCE IN A LIFETIME.  It was a truly special night, one to remember, and while there are additional performances of the program to come, this first one was filled with moments that will not come again.  It might behove audience members who are fans of the legendary entertainer to consider attending all future productions (the next one listed on the 54 Below calendar is February 28th).  Sammy Davis Jr. was one of the greatest entertainers in the history of show business, some say THE greatest, and any opportunity to reflect on his body of work and his place in the history of entertainment must be seized and built upon.  Written and produced by Joe Marchese and Andy Skurow, the December performance was hosted and Musical Directed by the venerable Michael Lavine, a man respected for his encyclopedic knowledge of show business history, sought after for his musical proficiency, and adored for his humor and humanity, all of which make him the perfect emcee for such an outing.  For the outing, the producers lined up an impressive array of talents, some of whom had personal encounters with Mr. Davis, others who have looked to him for inspiration.  It promised to be a great evening of entertainment and deep emotions.  It was a promise fulfilled.

With Mr. Lavine working from what appeared to be a generous script of detailed histories, Once In A Lifetime showcased, through video clips and oration, the accomplishments of Mr. Davis, while the guest artists brought the man’s music to life.   Opening right properly with T. Oliver Reid singing the title song of the cabaret concert, it was clear, out of the gate, that Misters Skurow and Marchese did not come to play around.  Mr. Reid’s performance of the SDJ classic was spot-on perfect, representative of Sammy’s legacy and T. Oliver’s.  It set the tone for the rest of night, with every guest artist playing to their individual strengths, like raconteur Rupert Holmes inspiring gleeful giggles with his story about Davis Jr.’s musical contribution to the movie Six Bridges to Cross, or comedian Mario Cantone getting guffaws out of his memories about meeting Sammy when he was hosting a telethon and, then, being asked to assume Sammy’s duties while he took a break for a few hours.  Eric Jordan Young applied his dance skills to a stunning “Mr. Bojangles,” while Marc Kudisch and his guitar sizzled during a performance of “Birth of the Blues.”   Ava Nicole Frances soared to spectacular heights for a lush “I’m Not Anyone,” and Nicolas King set the stage ablaze with the jazzy “There’s a Boat Dat’s Leaving Soon For New York.” Jerry Dixon and Michael-Demby Cain were the lucky winners who got to present major Sammy Davis Jr. classics, Dixon with “I’ve Gotta Be Me” and Cain with both “Too Close For Comfort” and “Yes, I Can.”   Although a touch of laryngitis prevented Tony Award nominee and “Rhythm of Life” lead player Lee Roy Reams from singing, he could speak loudly enough to share one of his usual amazing stories, as photos from the Sweet Charity movie flashed up onto the monitor.  A handful of video greetings from Freda Payne, Lee Adams, and Melissa Manchester also landed onscreen, and each and every person’s joy at being a part of the proceedings, either virtually or in person, was very much apparent.

The undisputed highlights of the evening were Keith David, debonair and dashing in a chic grape-colored suit, and Blinky Williams, all rhinestones and feathers and fabulous.  And although their fashions for the evening were eye-catching, it was their performances and their remarks that resonated resoundingly.  Mr. Keith, the final performer of the night, observed that “Because Sammy did what he did, the way he did it, it allows us to be here, doing this, right now,” before nailing a “What Kind of Fool Am I” that one feels would have made Mr. Davis Jr. proud.  As for Ms. Williams, the powerhouse performer who toured with Sammy for many years stopped the show cold with a standing ovation after playing the piano and singing “God Bless The Child.”  It was electrifying.  Ms. Williams’ number was immediately preceded by a moving story about Sammy and her father and the times in which they lived - getting to hear the story was a blessing to the audience, an audience that cheered for her to share the story, after it was suggested that she might skip the anecdote, since the show was running long.  And it’s too bad the show ran long (an hour and forty minutes), but it’s a great thing that Blinky got to tell her story.  It would have been a shame for a person who knew SDJ so well not to share their story.  Kudos to audience member Ben Vereen for leading the cheers to “Tell your story!”

Mr. Vereen had been a surprise guest early in the evening, he being in the house as an audience member, not a performer.  However, his presence in the room led to one of those moments that makes nights out at 54 Below an event.  Upon Mr. Levine introducing the Tony Award winner, as the spotlight landed on him, everyone noticed he was on the phone.  Then it happened.  He told the crowd he had a special message from a friend on the line, and (it has to be said) pockets of the room began buzzing, as people could be heard saying, “Is it her?”  And it was.  Ben Vereen hit the ‘speaker’ button on his phone and held it to the microphone, and, over the loudspeaker, we heard the voice.  We heard her voice.

“Hello, everybody!”

It was Liza Minnelli.

The room was in a pandemonium.  With Ben Vereen leading the conversation, an ear-to ear on his face, for a few minutes, Legendary Liza shared a memory about Singular Sammy, a legend she knew all of her life.   As Vereen bid Minnelli adieu, my date for the evening turned over his shoulder and said to me, “I just went to gay heaven!”  Everybody had gone to gay heaven.  This was one of the nights to remember.

As this was the production’s inaugural outing, obviously, there is room for growth, most notably with the excessive length of the show.  That will, surely, get ironed out by the creators.  But, honestly, it’s hard to say what could have been cut to make the show the right length for a cabaret concert - maybe the videos, maybe the dialogue from people who didn’t actually know Sammy; it seems almost unthinkable to have cut even one of the musical numbers or performers, they were all so spectacular (especially Young, Kudisch, and Cantone).  It’s just something that is going to have to be worked out before February 28th, but, for the moment, for the sake of this review, for an accurate reaction to last night, the only thing to say about ONCE IN A LIFETIME is WOW.  What a wonderful night to remember.

The magnificent ONCE IN A LIFETIME BAND was Daniel Glass on Drums, Michael O'Brien on Bass, and Musical Director Michael Lavine at the piano.  

Reserve seats for the next ONCE IN A LIFETIME on the 54 Below website HERE.

Photos by Stephen Mosher