Review: VANESSA WILLIAMS Brings Superstar Energy To 54 Below

It takes real superstar power to garner a standing ovation just by walking in the room, and that is exactly what happened last night at 54 Below.   Just the announcement of her name over the microphone, and the bejeweled and dazzling Vanessa Williams entering the doorway had the entire standing room only crowd on their feet.  It was a thrilling response to an entertainer and woman who is, very clearly, adored by the masses.  And for a generous seventy-five minutes, Vanessa Williams was lavished with love, as that adoration rolled up onto the stage where she pranced, danced, shook her groove thang, sang, and smiled, smiled, smiled.  Seeing how much Vanessa Williams loves her work and her audience is a joyful sight, because when an entertainer brings you as much happiness as this one does, proof positive that they are, also, happy in the moment doubles down on the joy factor.  And this was an evening of pure joy, from start to finish.

For her eponymous club act in Broadway’s Living Room, Miss Vanessa Williams runs the gamut of musical material and decades, picking and choosing from hit albums (her first four albums are represented here), from soundtracks on both big and little screens, and from her extensive work on the Broadway stage, and for each and every musical offering, Ms. Williams is backed by the best band you’ve ever heard.  As thrilling as she is, Williams is matched by her band, who (it was remarked upon) have been with her for many years, decades even, which is probably why they are so good together.  The arrangements are spectacular and spectacularly executed by all.  Vanessa Williams is, indeed, fortunate in her association with Bassist Al Caldwell, Guitarist Keith Robinson, Drummer JT Lewis, Vocalist Shelley Thomas-Harts, and Musical Director/Pianist Leo Colon.  Together, these six musical artists made magic last night.

Vanessa Williams has much range as a singer, something that has been documented with her albums (it goes without saying that her hit Christmas records were not represented last night) and in this particular concert.  On the stage to sing her radio hits, the songs we love to dance to, Vanessa Williams can pivot quickly into jazz treatments that purr, some funk that growls, the ballads that give us all the feels, and the musical theater that has made her one of our favorite leading ladies on The Great White Way, a Tony Award nominee who doesn’t just do musicals, but who gets in on the straight play action now and then, too.   Talking freely and jovially with her audience, Vanessa takes fans down memory lane, calling out the years each song was released, sometimes naming the album or a duet partner, occasionally expounding with some trivia or reminiscences, and although we are there to hear her sing our favorite Vanessa Williams song, it is a pleasure to hear the stories, too.   Ms. Williams isn’t putting on the dog, here, she is completely real and down to earth, discussing the young cast members of The Devil Wears Prada (where she is currently appearing in London’s West End) and their somewhat uniformed points of view regarding her career, the Yin and Yang of Oscar rehearsals and performances, the hilarity of Barbara Cook’s verbiage at work, and the honor of working with Stephen Sondheim (when she says “Steve,” the resonance of their personal relationship rings through the air).  Vanessa Williams is an affable storyteller, one that would be a pleasure to listen to for an hour, just in the act of oration.  

But the singing.

There is a smoothness, a silkiness, to the sound of Vanessa Williams’ voice, that is best described as perfect purity.  If you’ve ever run your hands over a piece of Lalique crystal, you’ve had the tactile experience of Vanessa Williams’ singing voice.  Few things in life are actively perfect, but this voice is one of those things.  If you don’t believe me, go to your Spotify and call up “The Sweetest Days” and really listen to the song.  The texture and tone (both on the recording and at last night’s show) are impeccable, with right proper breath control, and an exquisite balance of vibrato.  It’s like listening to a musical instrument, right out of the hands of a master craftsman.  Think Stradivarius in a beaded pantsuit.  Then you layer in the interpretive skills of the actress, with emotion-inducing performances like “Colors of the Wind” and “Who Were You Thinkin’ ‘Bout” - one song a ballad, the other, rhythm and blues, but both inspiring a range of emotional experiences.   And although the evening starts out with the fun stuff, the dance hits like “The Right Stuff” and “The Comfort Zone,” Vanessa Williams wisely orchestrates the evening for a one-two-three punch, right at the very end of the show, that anchors the journey.  In a magnificent display of storytelling, Ms. Williams brings the house down with a searing performance of "Constantly" that features solos by the entire band, solos designed to blow a person’s mind.  She follows this with a stunning and stirring medley from St. Louis Woman (which she played for the Encores! Series in 1998), then brings it home with a Sondheim arrangement that showcases duet partner Shelley Thomas-Harts to great advantage.  It was one of those moments when an audience gets to see an artist take their artistry to the next level, performance after performance after performance.  It is the absolute right way to bring an exciting evening to a satisfying close.  Oh, don’t be misled… there is a finale and there is an encore, both of them just what the doctor ordered, but this writer doesn’t want to give everything away.  Let’s leave something for the lucky folks who have tickets to the next five shows.  And if there are any tickets left to those next five shows, do yourselves a favor and get one.  Nights like this are the reason why we live in New York (actually, my over-the-moon table mates last night flew in from Austin and Atlanta).  Nights like this are the reason why 54 Below is so important to our city’s nightlife.  To see Vanessa Williams live, a person usually has to go to a big concert hall, or sit in a theater with a fourth wall between themselves and this Great American Superstar.  Here, at 54 Below, we get to be in an intimate setting with one of the great entertainers, and it is our obligation (to ourselves, and no one else) to see the greats.  I will never recover from having missed Nancy Wilson at The Blue Note when we were both in New York at the same time.   Go out, friends.  Seek out the great entertainers, seek out your favorite performers, and go see them live.  Get in a room with them and revel in their brilliance.  And start with Vanessa Williams - you won’t regret it.  Get in the room with a Superstar and see just why she is one… and see, too, that she is also just a person with a fun sense of humor, some killer dance moves, and a heart full of love for her colleagues, her art, and her audiences.   The Vanessa Williams 54 Below show is pure medical grade joy.  

That’s all.

Vanessa Williams plays 54 Below all this week at 7 pm, closing on February 21.  Tickets can be accessed HERE.

Visit the Vanessa Williams website HERE.

Photos by Stephen Mosher

Musical Director Leo Colon, at the piano:

JT Lewis on Drums:

Keith Robinson on Guitar:

At the very back, you can see Bassist Al Caldwell:

Shelley Thomas-Harts caught in the act: