Review: NORM LEWIS at Feinstein's At The Nikko

It was family night at the intimate Feinstein’s as Broadway stage star Norm Lewis asked us to think of his show as a cozy living room affair with friends. The sold-out audience certainly acted like friends, singing along when required and eating up his often-humorous anecdotes about his storied career. Singing songs from his many roles and a few he might have, Lewis sailed through his set with the assistance of musical director Joseph Joubert (The Wiz, Pirates of Penzance) and special guest Craig Cady, a longtime friend and current member of Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons.

Lewis is a baritone with a wide range, able to hit high tenor notes like in “Music of the Night” from his defining role as the Phantom and his rendition of “Corner of the Sky” from Pippin. In a tribute to the recently retired Johnny Mathis, Lewis sang “Misty,” a song he said is responsible for more births than any other song. Another tribute to the great Sammy Davis offered “I Gotta Be Me” from the popular show Golden Rainbow with music by Walter Marks. Performing the first rap song on Broadway, the Music Man’s “Trouble” and his audition song from Hamilton (“Right Hand Man/One Last Time”).

Lewis graciously shared the stage with Cady who delivered two popular Four Seasons songs, “Cry for Me” and “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You.” From The Little Mermaid, where he played King Triton, Lewis sang Ursula’s number “Poor Unfortunate Souls,” honoring friend Faith Prince, who co-starred with him and was in attendance. It was all good fun, and Lewis had his fans eating out of his hand. From another of his many roles came “Stars” from Les Misérables, a crowd favorite.

Lewis has had a dream career: Emmy, SAG, Grammy and Tony-Award nominations, Broadway roles, touring productions, and numerous concert appearances. His charm and voice win over audiences and he’s grateful. He closed the show with the very appropriate “Lucky to Be Me,” the optimistic and upbeat tune from Our Town (Adolph Green, Betty Comden, and Leonard Bernstein) which mirrors his sentiments.