Review: Rex Smith Rocks the Big Apple at 54 Below

The clock turned back 40 years last evening, Saturday August 16, at 54 Below with the energetic performance of Rex Smith: Confessions of a Teen Idol.  Yes kids, Sexy Rexy, the 1970’s teen heartthrob, was live in person and bringing the filled-to-capacity audience on a time travel experience back to those fabulous days!  The crowd, who it seemed was filled with many of his loyal fans from their teen days, were exuberant, some crying real tears, while others danced joyously along with the Tiger Beat cover legacy.

Instead of a live band, Rex Smith chose to have a prepared musical compilation of his musical journey accompany him on screen.  Thus the past and present merged with the two faces of Rex Smith being presented to the public at the same time.  Wild!  Clad in a white shirt, black pinstriped jeans and a grey vest, Smith is still the blond (now greying), blue-eyed southern boy from Georgia who set young girls hearts on fire all those years ago.  Rocking “Love With A Perfect Stranger” he leaped up on stage belting out one of his famous songs.   The years seemed to melt away for many.  

Smith then proceeded with his story.  From graduating High School in Buckhead Georgia in 1973 when he formed his first band to his making a recording deal when things took off.  In 1977 he and his band toured with Ted Nugent, and even played at the famed Madison Square Garden. Ironically, Jon Bon Jovi could be seen on screen during an interview saying how his manager said if he could only strive to be as popular as Rex Smith.  What a world.  But it was in 1979 that he hit big time audiences when chosen to play the romantic lead in a for-television movie, Sooner or Later where last night he reprised his  hit song, “You Take My Breath Away”  that had many young hearts aflutter.  Teen Idol mania had hit for Rex Smith.  

Broadway now had come a calling as he won the part of Danny Zuko in the original show, Grease. Onward to his amazing lead performance in The Pirates of Penzance.  This reviewer remembers going to see this  on Broadway. Here Rex Smith dazzled alongside Kevin Kline, Linda Ronstadt, Angela Lansbury and George Rose.  From Rock to Gilbert and Sullivan - that is quite a change.  Smith did reveal that during rehearsals it was his good friend Kline who unceremoniously slapped him and said “Pronounce it correctly, this is Gilbert and Sullivan not Hee Haw.”  The 1983 film adaptation of Pirates of Penzance further cemented his title as musical star. Other shows followed including The Scarlet Pimpernel and Sunset Boulevard.  Television stardom as Street Hawk and The Daredevil, As The World Turns, Love Boat as well as Solid Gold kept his fame growing, but it was always music that pulled Rex Smith back.  In 1981, he hit the charts with “Everlasting Love” a duet with Rachel Sweet.

Additionally, Rex Smith told the audience of the joy “finding his first born son”, Brandon, whom he fathered with record executive Karen Lakey.  Brandon joined the family of four other siblings.  

Last night, Rex Smith showed he still has his musical chops.  He can hit those notes and vibrato the songs to the back of the room and envelope his devoted fans.  Highlights included renditions of: “Love With A Perfect Stranger, Rock And Roll Dream”, “Call Her Easy”, “Never Too Old To Rock And Roll” ,”You Take My Breath Away”, “Forever”, “Superhero”, “Falcon In The Dive” (Scarlet Pimpernel), “Sunset Boulevard” (Sunset Blvd), “Sweet Caroline” (Neil Diamond) and finally the intensely tongue-twisted “The Major General's Song” from Gilbert and Sullivan.  Closing the show with the poignant melody “This Is The Moment”  and the message of treasuring your journey over time.  If anything, last evening proved that he is still that 1970’s “Sexy Rexy” to his millions of devoted followers.