Lillias White and Billy Stritch in Hoagy Carmichael & Friends at Crazy Coqs, London.
Picture: KWPR
Lillias White sings Broadway / Hoagy Carmichael & Friends at Crazy Coqs, London.
Star rating: five stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ (for each show!)
Lillias White is making her cabaret debut in London, with master musical director Billy Stritch on piano. Her first show is Lillias White sings Broadway, appropriately starting with a mashup of ‘Something’s Coming’ from West Side Story and ‘It’s Today’ from Mame.
This is followed by reflections on her childhood and mandatory dinners at her grandma’s house, leading on to Peter Pan songs ‘I’ve Gotta Crow’, with audience participation, and a moving ‘Never Never Land’, affirming her aspiration to become a performer despite the difficulties at that time to gain acceptance.
Full expression comes with a rendition of ‘Don’t Rain On My Parade’, before White explains her strong affinity with composer Cy Coleman that she shares with Stritch, channelled into a spirited duo to ‘Little Me’, from the show of the same title. There’s also a rare song from the Coleman musical the performer was briefly part of in Los Angeles from 2003-4.
A turning point in White’s life was playing Effie in Dreamgirls, first as a standby in LA, then going on many times, confirming her ability as an actress before performing the role in the unforgettable live concert of the musical in New York with Audra McDonald and Heather Headley (although she original auditioned for the role of Lorrell!). White’s climatic rendition of her favourite song from the show, ‘I Am Changing’, led on to banter with the audience about marriage and the song ‘I’m Getting Along Alright’.
Recording another highpoint of her career, winning the Tony Award for her performance in The Life, White re-creates the role of Sonja with the song ‘The Oldest Profession’, both the character and the composition having been written for her.
Looking through the audience for a wonderful new guy to be in love with gives White the opportunity to sing Dinah Washington’s ‘I Wanna Be Loved’, followed by ‘When You’re Good to Mama’ which she performed on Broadway last December, playing Mama Morton for the reopening of Chicago, another part she was born to play.
The second show is a much more intimate affair, paying tribute to the work of Hoagy Carmichael (with the son of the legendary composer present in the audience). White does full justice to the most well-known ballads, such as ‘Stardust’, ‘Skylark’ and of course ‘Georgia on My Mind’, but also explores the work of other composers of the same period. A duet of ‘Two Sleepy People’ from Ain’t Misbehavin’, in which White appeared, celebrates Fats Waller.
Other highlights include a duet to ‘In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening’, Stritch’s ‘Let’s Fall in Love’ and White’s rendition of ‘The Nearness of You’, complete with a rarely heard verse.
The Judy Garland-Barbra Streisand mashup of ‘Get Happy’ and ‘Happy Days Are Here Again’ is also a very good choice, considering the times we are living in, as is the inclusion of ‘Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive’, the perfect antidote to lockdown times.
Lillias White and Billy Stritch are really bringing New York cabaret to London for our greatest pleasure. You don’t want to miss them.
Patrick Honoré
- Lillias White Sings Broadway and Hoagy Carmichael & Friends continue until 23 April 2022
- An Evening with Billy Stritch continues until 18 April 2022
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FEATURE: Broadway star Lillias White takes centre stage at London’s Crazy Coqs
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