Review: Reeve Carney Is on Fire in A NIGHT AT THE OPERA at Chelsea Table + Stage

Freddie Mercury is a very tough act to follow. He was the rock voice of his generation. As the frontman of the seminal group Queen, he wrote a string of hits that only The Beatles could compete with in prolificacy. His combination of hard rocking and classical theory and harmonies gave him and his band a theatricality that set the bar for the later hair bands of the 1980s. His vocal instrument was a miracle encompassing four full octaves. In 2016, a research team led by Professor Christian Herbst conducted a study to understand the appeal of Mercury’s voice. They discovered that he had an unusually fast vibrato and was able to sing in subharmonics lending his voice a richness that is unique in the annals of rock. His death at the age of 45 robbed rock music of one of its greatest trailblazers.

If anyone on the modern scene is equipped to take on Mercury’s imposing legacy, it is singer/songwriter/actor Reeve Carney. He was playing professional guitar gigs by age 15. By 22 he had a band, also called Carney. He is best known as the star of Broadway’s Spiderman: Turn Off the Dark and the Tony award-winning Hadestown. He was also seen on Showtime’s Penny Dreadful and Fox’s The Rocky Horror Show: Let’s Do the Time Warp Again. His skills as a rocker are impressive. He has cords of steel and a range similar to Freddie Mercury’s. Watching him sing is to marvel at what the human voice is capable of. As Carney explained to us, thanks to the film Wayne’s World he was introduced to Freddie Mercury, and Queen and Mercury quickly became his most prominent musical influence. It was inevitable that the two men would meet, at least musically.

And that’s exactly what happened the other night at Chelsea Table and Stage. Reeve Carney: A NIGHT AT THE OPERA was everything a Freddie Mercury fan could ask for in a tribute show. All the hits were there. The show itself was a simple, no-frills affair. Just Mr. Carney, a piano, a couple of guitars, and a couple of pieces of rock technology that made one performer sound like a full band. There was no flashy showmanship. Just Reeve Carney and Freddie Mercury, together at last. The result was an alchemy of souls.

Carney began with a big hit, “Don’t Stop Me Now.” What followed was a soundtrack of the 70s, delivered to perfection. “Play the Game,” “Somebody to Love,” “Another One Bites the Dust,” “Love of My Life,” “ Bohemian Rhapsody,” “ The Show Must Go On,” “We Will Rock You,” “Killer Queen,” Who Wants to Live Forever?” “We Are the Champions,” and “Under Pressure” all flourished under Carney’s artistry. There was very little banter between songs, and that was ok. The music spoke for itself. Reeve Carney is a first-class guitar player and also plays a mean piano. He is a one-man band, compelling even when some of the technology had a mind of its own.

For someone with such accomplished gifts who has headlined some very large shows on Broadway, Carney is a rather unassuming performer. He doesn’t rely on any stylistic tricks or personal ticks. He simply inhabits whatever tune is coming out of his fingers. It was clear that I was in the presence of a truly inspired musician. He was particularly effective in his fantastic reading of “The Show Goes On.” The song is theatrical even by Freddie Mercury's standards. Carney turned the small stage of Chelsea Table and Stage into an enormous arena by the sheer force of his commitment, delivering the aria with the passion and heart that Freddie Mercury deserves. And that was only one moment in an evening of beautiful moments. If you weren’t there, you missed out.

For more information on Reeve Carney, follow him @reevecarney on Instagram.

To find more great acts at Chelsea Table + Stage, go to chelseatableandstage.com.

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