Sarah Anne Fernandez Brings Down the House at Chelsea Table and Stage

Sarah Anne Fernandez had the walls of the theater shaking with those powerful vocals at her solo performance, Don’t Forget Me at Chelsea Table and Stage on March 18, 2024. Clad in a strapless black gown with minimalistic jewelry, she described how this show was dedicated to the women in history who have been remembered for their depiction in theater and film musicals over the century, whether it was truthful in content or not.  

Beginning with Annie Oakley (Annie Get Your Gun -1946),  Sarah Anne Fernandez began a belting rendition of “You Can’t Get A Man with a Gun” to the filled to capacity audience.  Continuing down the timeline, she covered every famous, as well as infamous woman in musical history.   This reviewer was mesmerized and thunderstruck by the amazing vocal range and intensity of this powerhouse performer.  Barbra Streisand had better watch out, because Sarah Anne Fernandez is on her way!  

Additionally, Fernandez included previously unknown stories of these renowned women and their musical counterparts.  Theatergoers were astounded to hear the actual harsh voice of a dying Eva Peron as she pleads for her people to support her husband, Juan Peron after her death - a far cry from the serene and sweet version of Evita’s signature song,  “Don’t Cry For Me Argentina.” Singing with such an intensity of emotions and vocals, Fernandez truly owned this acclaimed song that evening (sorry, Patti LuPone).  Other standout performances included “When It All Falls Down” (Hedda Hopper in Chaplin), “Burn” (Eliza in Hamilton), “Heart of Stone” (Jane Seymour in Six) and “Woman Is” (from the soon-to-open Lempicka).  

Throughout the evening, theatergoers embarked on a remarkable journey through the evolution of how actual women were portrayed in musical history through the mores of each decade.  From 1946’s Annie Oakley (Annie Get Your Gun) whose ambition is to get herself a man, through 1979’s Eva Peron (Evita) who was recognized as the undisputed brains and means behind her husband’s success to the present interpretation of Tamara De Lempicka (Lempicka), an artist who only lived for her work. Along the way, there were the inevitable villains such as Hedda Hopper (Chaplin) and Bonnie Parker (Bonnie and Clyde) as well as the weak and fragile good ones, Marilyn Monroe (Smash) and Jane Seymour (Six).

Ending the night with “It All Fades Away” (Bridges of Madison County), the potent performer announced that the theme of her show was about legacy.  The legacy of the women who history remembered in musicals as well as the memory and legacy of those in her life she lost - her beloved grandparents and her best friend.  

This reviewer looks forward to seeing Sarah Anne Fernandez in the future as she travels the path that leads her right to the bright lights of Broadway.

Don’t Forget Me at Chelsea Table and Stage featured the commanding voice of the incomparable Sarah Anne Fernandez, guest vocalists Lila Coogan and Barnaby Reiter, Director Rebecca Aparicio, Musical Director Sheela Ramesh, Matt SanGiovanni (guitar), Nic Mrakovcic (bass), Elena Bonomo (drums), Sasha Ono (cello) and Hannah Cohen (violin).

Find great shows to see on the Chelsea Table and Stage website HERE.

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