Review: RETURN TO ROMANCE: THE METROPLEX BIG BAND FEATURING MARK ROMEO at Mark Romeo

Though not the typical type of performance I cover for Broadway World, Return to Romance: The Metroplex Big Band Featuring Mark Romeo offered just as much entertainment—and just as much of a connection to Broadway—as any musical I have seen.

The show, which ran a little over an hour, featured many beloved big band standards, including “Come Fly with Me,” “The Way You Look Tonight,” and “I've Got You Under My Skin.”

Performed in Judson's Live, one of four venues within the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, the lounge setting added an intimacy that perfectly complemented the music.

The Metroplex Big Band, consisting of nine instrumentalists, opened the evening. From my seat, I could identify several brass instruments, including saxophone and trombone, as well as bass, drums, and piano. For approximately twenty minutes, they performed a selection of songs that, while unfamiliar to me, captured the classic sound and energy of the big band era. Following their set, Mark Romeo took the stage and entertained the audience with a collection of timeless crooner favorites.

Throughout the performance, Romeo paid tribute to Broadway shows from the big band era, including The Roar of the Greasepaint, The Smell of the Crowd and Guys and Dolls. While I appreciated these nods to the Great White Way, the evening resonated with me on a more personal level.

As an English teacher, I naturally gravitate toward stories. This performance may not have told a traditional narrative, but it stirred memories of my own past. Growing up, I spent a great deal of time with my grandparents. They owned a music store that sold instruments, sheet music, and other essentials for musicians, and my grandfather was both a musician and songwriter. I was also a performer growing up—and still dabble in community theater today—and any talent I possess, I credit to him.

My grandfather loved the music of this era, and listening to Romeo and the Metroplex Big Band brought back fond memories of him. He passed away in 2009, just shy of his 91st birthday, and the performance served as a touching reminder of the joy that music can bring and the connections it can preserve across generations.

If you enjoy nostalgia, classic standards, and the timeless sound of the big band era, Return to Romance is well worth seeking out the next time Mark Romeo takes the stage.