Feeling a little Scrooge-like these days? Ready to say “Bah, humbug” to the thought of holiday cheer? The perfect solution awaits you at 54 Below, where Norm Lewis is celebrating his 10th anniversary performing at the venue with his show The Best of Christmas. This uplifting evening is the cabaret equivalent of putting on your favorite tacky Christmas sweater, pouring yourself a cup of spiced eggnog, and sitting by a roaring fire.
“This is not a show. This is not a concert. It’s a party,” Lewis informs us at one point in the show, and it proves an understatement. He’s the sort of performer who thoughtfully instructs a patron sitting down front to adjust her chair so she won’t get a crick in her neck. He gives gifts to several fans who have been faithfully attending his shows for years. He begins the evening singing “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” not from the stage, but rather making his way through the room and pausing to shake hands. He’s wearing a blue sequin jacket, but he might as well be clad in a Santa Claus costume.
Lewis has the sort of soothing, gorgeously modulated voice that proves the aural equivalent of settling into a comfortable easy chair with the lights turned low. In an earlier era, he would have ruled the pop charts like Nat King Cole and Johnny Mathis or, years later, Peabo Bryson and Luther Vandross. Instead, he’s become theatrical royalty thanks to his starring turns in such shows as Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserables, Porgy and Bess, and The Little Mermaid, among others.
True to its title, his show features plenty of songs associated with the holiday, ranging from secular numbers like “Santa Baby” and “The Christmas Song” (“That old chestnut, really?” he jokingly asks musical director/pianist Joseph Joubert) to religious ones like a beautifully sung medley of “Ave Maria” and “O Holy Night” that well merited its mid-show standing ovation. He brings special guest Michael McElroy (a 2004 Tony nominee for Big River and the founder of Broadway Inspirational Voices) for a swinging rendition of “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer,” complete with both men wearing antler headpieces. He also affords the gifted McElroy a solo spot with a gorgeous medley of “The First Noel, “Christmas Time is Here” and “What Child is This?”
Lewis also throws some non-Christmas songs into the mix, including a version of “Fever,” made famous by Peggy Lee, that showcases his wide vocal range. There’s a snippet of “Razzle Dazzle” from Chicago, in which he once played Billy Flynn, that mostly serves to punctuate an amusing anecdote about posing for sexy publicity pix for the show that were never used. He delivers a rousing version of “Home” from The Wiz, taking pains to point out that Joubert is currently Grammy-nominated for his arrangements for the recording of the recent Broadway revival. He pays tribute to show business figures we’ve lost in the last year, including Gavin Creel and Maggie Smith, with David Friedman’s moving “We Live on Borrowed Time.” And, of course, he brings down the house with “The Music of the Night” from Phantom.
Throughout the show’s generous running time, Lewis proves such a warm, convivial presence that the alcoholic drinks delivering a gentle buzz feel redundant. At the end, he provides a reassuring reminder, via an obscure song by Walter Marks (best known for “I’ve Gotta Be Me”) to “Just Be Kind.”
Norm Lewis: The Best of Christmas opened December 18, 2024, at 54 Below and runs through December 24. Tickets and information: 54below.com
