Review: THE ROOM WHERE IT HAPPENED at Analog

“Politics have no place in theatre,” says a person who has no idea that some of the first-ever plays from Ancient Greece were political. From Antigone by Sophocles to Julius Caesar by Shakespeare, there has been no shortage of bold theatre spreading a message. We spread messages about certain topics so changes can be made and history won’t repeat itself, and theatre is a wonderful place to do that. On July 11th, the Hutton Hotel presented another wonderful entry in its Off Broadway cabaret series titled The Room Where It Happened. Hosted inside the lovely Analog venue by the even lovelier Rachel Potter, glasses and voices were raised. The songs of protest and patriotism came from a variety of musicals about politics and changes from Hamilton to Hair to Les Miserables. However, some inclusions on the setlist came from other shows like Matilda, and some selections didn’t come from musicals at all. No matter where the songs originated from, they were all delivered by a stellar cast. The Room Where It Happened shows that if you can’t say what’s on your mind, then you should just sing it. 

The Analog is already one of my favorite music venues in Nashville. There’s this cozy aura right when you step inside, and the seating circles around the stage. Whether you’re seated by the stage or up on the balcony, every seat is a good seat. The last Off Broadway cabaret show that I saw here, That’s So High School, was pretty immersive with its table decor and the bartender dressed up as a cheerleader. While this show wasn’t as immersive, it was still on brand with the red, white, and blue lighting on the wall behind the stage. Like the last show, this came with a trivia sheet you could fill out and enter into a drawing to win a prize. The questions ranged from what was burned as a form of protest during the Vietnam War to who Hamilton’s friend and mentor was. I was really excited to try the specialty cocktails, with fun names like Good Morning Starshine, Red White Blueberry Collins, and My Shot. I tried the first two, with my favorite being the Collins with the three blueberries pierced with a thick toothpick resting on the edge of the glass. It also contained Condesa Prickly Pear Gin, and I’m a sucker for Prickly Pear. Even if you’re not interested in a specialty cocktail, the bartenders still serve some delicious drinks. I ordered a Manhattan from them at a different event, and it was good. It’s not hard to see why I love coming here. 

What exactly can you expect from a showcase with a tagline like “Songs of Protest and Patriotism”? Given that the title is The Room Where It Happened, it’s obvious that a good number of songs from Hamilton would make the cut. The poster stated that the showcase would also feature music from Les Miserables, Spring Awakening, Hair, Suffs, and more. I wasn’t surprised by the inclusion of those shows, but I was surprised by the medley from Matilda. Granted, it is about the youth standing up to abusive adult authority, but I still didn’t see that coming. Some of the songs weren’t from musicals at all, with the first non-theatre song of the night being “Up to the Mountain” by Patty Griffin. Released in 2006, the song was inspired by Martin Luther King Jr.’s 1968 “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” speech, which was delivered the day before his assassination. I was impressed by some of the mashups in the show. One that I really enjoyed was a mashup of “Children Will Listen” from Into The Woods and “You’ve Got To Be Carefully Taught” from South Pacific. Like Spring Awakening and Matilda, the mashup is a reminder that it’s our responsibility to prepare the next generation for the future that they will create for themselves and others. Of course, I must highlight this one mashup near the end of Act One. When the cast went up to sing “Til We Reach That Day” from Ragtime, the solos and bit parts with the principle characters were replaced with Rachel Potter reciting excerpts of the poem “The Hill We Climb”. Written by the talented Amanda Goreman, it was recited at the 2021 inauguration of Joe Biden. The words speak of reaching a beautiful new day full of hope and new beginnings, even after going through hardship.  The poem ends with, “When day comes we step out of the shade, aflame and unafraid, the new dawn blooms as we free it. For there is always light, if only we're brave enough to see it. If only we’re brave enough to see it.” I won’t be able to mention every single song from the setlist in this review, but I must applaud how appropriate every song choice was.

Before I get to the massive talent of the cast, I must give some shoutouts to a group of people. First off, let’s give a round of applause for the band. This consisted of Brad Williamson on drums, Miles Aubrey on guitar, David Weinstein on bass, and Music Director Chris Brian Davis (CBD) on the keys. Yes, he was featured on the official cast list, but I need to mention him here because he held the band together, assisting them in blending flawlessly together. He also got to sing “You Have To Be Carefully Taught” with Rachel singing “Children Will Listen”. For the Matilda medley, they were joined by two special guests: Rachel’s son, Jude, and her friend’s daughter, Cree. Jude and Cree sounded amazing, and neither of them was even in high school yet. Heck, they weren’t even on the cast list, and they nailed it. Speaking of singers who weren’t on the cast list, one of the performers was Meredith DiMenna, the Director of Marketing and Programming at the Analog. She performed “Frank Mills” from Hair, and she was so charismatic in her delivery. Finally, I need to highlight Dustin Davis. Not only did he serve as the show’s assistant producer, but he also provided vocals for some of the group numbers. Unsurprisingly, he was fantastic. 

Now, let’s finally get to the cast. Man, where do I begin? Let’s start with Deejay Young, who joined the First National Tour of Hamilton as a principle standby before making a massive switch to his Broadway debut in the role of Aaron Burr. When Rachel asked him what it was like playing the role on Broadway, he described it as “very humbling”. Fittingly, he kicked things off as Aaron Burr, Sir, as he and the cast opened with “The Room Where It Happens”.  He also wowed the audience with “Make Them Hear You” from Ragtime and a lively rendition of “America the Beautiful”. With a voice and stage presence like that, it’s no wonder he got to play Burr. Next up is Justin Sargent, who also appeared in a touring production of Hamilton as King George III. Unsurprisingly, he just had to entertain the crowd with “You’ll Be Back.” While he is a funny entertainer, he also provided some emotional deliveries with “Bring Him Home” from Les Miserables, which was done as a mashup with Rachel singing “Welcome Home” from Bandstand. The mashup served as a tribute to veterans, as well as those who sadly never made it home from war. Fun Fact: Rachel and Justin met while working as performers at SeaWorld. Very interesting. Anyway, next up is yet another Hamilton alum; Stephanie Umoh, who got to play Angelica just in time for the show’s tenth anniversary on Broadway. Of course, she had to reprise the role in a rendition of “The Schuyler Sisters” with Piper Jones as Eliza and Rachel as Peggy. She also played Sarah in the 2009 revival of Ragtime, but she got to perform “Back To Before”, which is traditionally played by Mother. I love seeing performers do songs in roles that they’d traditionally wouldn’t play (like in miscast cabarets), and this was no exception.  Her voice is so heavenly, even when she’s being sassy as Angelica. 

Next is the talented Diana DeGarmo, who had finished as the runner-up in the third season of American Idol before appearing in touring productions of Little Shop of Horrors and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Funnily enough, I remember hearing her interview on Radio Disney’s 60 Seconds With around the time her song “Emotional” was released all the way back in 2004. I also remember back when she provided the singing voice for Cosmo in the “Fairy Idol” episode of The Fairly Oddparents. It was quite a full circle moment to finally see her live, and she was magnetic as she performed “Easy To Be Hard” from Hair. Next is Matt Boyd, a rising country star who has already worked with the likes of Lady Gaga and U2. After the opening number, he serenaded the crowd with “Up to the Mountain”. He sounds amazing, but he doesn’t just sound good solo; he teamed up with Justin Sargent, Deejay Young, and Omar Cardona to perform “The Story of Tonight” from Hamilton. They all blended so nicely together. Speaking of Omar Cardona, he’s a killer vocalist who was one of the finalists on the 22nd season of The Voice. It’s not hard to see why he made it that far, given his renditions of “Empty Chairs at Empty Tables” from Les Miserables and “Change Is Gonna Come” by Sam Cooke. I was blown away.

In the second act, Rachel was joined by a trio of artists to perform “Testify to Love”. Originally performed by Christian pop group Avalon, it celebrated love, faith, and inclusion. One of the founding members, Michael Passons, has since come out as gay (although he did jokingly come out as lactose intolerant to the audience), and he had recently re-released the song as a queer anthem. He joined Rachel onstage with fellow Avalon member Melissa Greene and Ty Herndon, who was the first major male country artist to come out as gay. I actually got to sit with him and his husband during the show, and they were really sweet. In terms of the song, I swear I could feel the smiles of the audience, even those whom I couldn’t see. 

Next up in the spotlight is local artist Piper Jones, whom I had seen in shows like Nashville Rep’s production of Waitress. As soon as I saw her on the cast list, I knew it was going to be good. Unsurprisingly, I was right, given her solos in “The Schyler Sisters” and “Till We Reach That Day”. Funnily enough, her Waitress co-star Annabelle Fox was also in the cast. I wasn’t shocked by her inclusion either. Her angelic and heartbreaking vocals were perfect for “Mama Who Bore Me” from Spring Awakening, and she played off the other ladies so well in both the reprise for that song and “Keep Marching” from Suffs. One of the ladies she sang with in both group numbers was Jada Wasserman, who was just such a delight to talk to after the show. My face lit up when it was announced that she would be singing my favorite Hamilton song, “Burn”. I’ve heard countless renditions of that song, but I liked this one just as much as the original by Phillipa Soo. Even when dolled up in a stunning gown, her voice brought this pain and intensity that I just couldn’t ignore. Bravo. 

Finally, we’ve got the hostess herself, Rachel Potter. Just like in That’s So High School, she coordinated everything so well. Even when her mic didn’t work, she played along with the blooper before jumping into the song. Not only did she show off her star power, but she also hyped up her fellow performers. I especially loved how supportive she was to her son as he sang, which I’m sure was nerve-wrecking for a boy his age. She had plenty of highlights in the show, but I need to bring up her performance of “Better Than We Found It” by Maren Morris. The song was made in response to the BLM protests of 2020 and addresses social division and the urgent need for positive change. It’s fitting that this served as Rachel’s big solo because the meaning of the song fits the meaning of the show. This country is so divided, and nothing is going to change if we don’t come together. We need to stop promoting division, which is sadly better said than done. Still, changes have been made because people didn't give up, and we shouldn’t either. 

The Off Broadway series’ next show will be The Addams Family Musical as a concert on October 30th and 31th, with Rachel reprising her role as Wednesday. She also took the time to announce that she will be playing Elsa in Frozen by Nashville Rep December 4-20. Mark your calendars!

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