Excitement is in the air in Morristown, NJ, this Friday, September 20, 2024 evening as theatergoers make their way inside the Mayo Performing Arts Center for tonight’s 30th season kickoff performance by the multi-talented actor/singer Norm Lewis.
Norm Lewis made history on Broadway as the first African-American to play the Phantom in The Phantom of the Opera. Lewis also received Tony, Drama Desk, Drama League, and Outer Critics Circle award nominations for his performance as Porgy in the Broadway production of The Gershwins’ Porgy & Bess.
Lewis was featured in the award-winning NBC television special, Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert, with John Legend and Sara Bareilles. He also appeared on TV on shows including Law and Order, Better Things, The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, The Blacklist, and Blue Bloods, as well as in a recurring role on the hit drama, Scandal.
Outside the 85-year-old Mayo Performing Arts Center — which was originally designed as a Walter Reade movie theater — CEO Ed Kirchdoerffer talks about the venue’s outstanding upcoming season of live productions.
“The 30th Anniversary Season at MPAC has a lot of great events that cover the full gamut of the performing arts from Broadway to rock and pop, jazz and dance, family shows, and so much more,” explains Kirchdoerffer. “In addition to having returning favorites like Chicago in October and Rick Springfield in November, this season we’ll also have some exciting acts we’ve never had before including The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band in October, KC and the Sunshine band in November, and Samara Joy’s Christmas show in December.”
Adding, “Along with 14 performances of The Nutcracker in December, we’ll host theatrical productions including The Cher Show in February, Mandy Patinkin in Concert and Come From Away in March, and Clue Live on Stage in April,” Kirchdoerffer concludes by noting, “No matter what you like, there’s something for you here so we invite everyone to come out and enjoy MPAC’s 30th season of exciting live arts performances.”
Inside the MPAC auditorium, MPAC President and CEO Allison Larena welcomes tonight’s crowd. She acknowledges that, back in 1994, a “snap of the fingers” set in motion a transformational process which made a broken-down Morristown movie house into one of the top 50 theatrical venues in the country. After recognizing and thanking special guests, board of trustees members, business circle members, MPAC staff and volunteers, and Morristown mayor Tim Dougherty, Lorena introduces tonight’s headliner, Norm Lewis.
Pianist Joseph Joubert, bassist Dylan Shamat, and drummer Perry Cavari take their places on stage and begin to play as Norm Lewis surprises concertgoers by entering through the audience, shaking hands, and singing “Don’t Rain On My Parade” from Funny Girl, his rich, baritone voice brimming with poise and power.
The crowd cheers, and Lewis responds, “Well, hello, Morristown!” before suggesting, “This is not a concert or a show — it is you invited to my living room.”
After introducing his bandmates, Lewis talks about his next number stating, “This is such a unifying song — after November 5th, I hope we can all feel this way.” Here, Lewis performs a stirring version of the Barbra Streisand staple, “Starting Here, Starting Now,” singing, “Starting here, starting now/When we walk, we’ll walk together,” deftly accompanied by his trio.
The audience applauds, and Lewis recalls, “I grew up playing tennis but was told I had a nice voice so I started looking into musicals,” prior to diving into a favorite Broadway tune from his teenage years, “Corner of the Sky” from Pippin. Singing with feeling, “Rivers belong where they can ramble/Eagles belong where they can fly,” Lewis expertly floats his falsetto voice on the song’s coda to fervent applause.
Youngsters from the MPAC Performing Arts Company take the stage to join Lewis in a rhythmic rendition of “Ya Got Trouble” from The Music Man and a moving interpretation of “Seasons of Love” from Rent which inspire an enthusiastic standing ovation from the crowd.
Lewis talks about the Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gormé musical, Golden Rainbow, prior to performing the show’s best-known number, “I’ve Got to Be Me,” made famous by Sammy Davis, Jr. As Lewis sings with conviction, “Whether I’m right or whether I’m wrong/Whether I find a place in this world or never belong,” his rich vocal tone draws listeners in while the song’s musical arrangement builds in intensity and dynamics.
After ironically forgetting the opening lyric from The Fantasticks’ “Try to Remember,” Lewis impresses as he sings a cappella before Joubert’s cascading piano, Shamat’s soft bass line, and Cavari’s use of brushes on drums join in to support Lewis’ compelling vocal.
Revealing that he once had to appear “half-naked” as King Triton in Disney’s The Little Mermaid, Lewis sings the villainous character, Ursula’s, musical number, “Poor Unfortunate Souls.” Then, dancing as he croons, he performs a joyful rendition of “Waiting for Life” from Once On This Island.
Following the powerful Les Miserables ballad, “This I Swear By the Stars,” Lewis drops jaws with his haunting interpretation of the Les Miz classic, “Bring Him Home.” Demonstrating his superior range and artistry, his voice glides over the audience on this emotion-packed number which has concertgoers leaping to their feet in appreciation.
Next up is “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going” from Dreamgirls where Lewis sings with style and soul as he performs long vocal lines in a single breath and concludes with a powerful and raw, “You’re gonna love me,” to avid cheers and applause.
“I love being here! Thank you for being so welcoming!” responds Lewis. Reminding the audience that he was the first African-American to play the role of the Phantom on Broadway — joking, “It was a black job” — Lewis gives a tour de force performance of The Phantom of the Opera’s “Music of the Night.” Joubert’s solo piano accompaniment sounds like a symphony orchestra as it accompanies Lewis’ enchanting performance where he seduces his willing subjects with his captivating voice and stature.
Concertgoers stand and cheer, and Lewis takes a bow before leaving the stage. Returning, he thanks tonight’s lighting, sound, and backstage crew members by name for their efforts, in addition to thanking the MPAC Performing Arts Company singers, their parents, and family members, as well as his accompanying musicians and patrons in the audience tonight.
For an encore, Lewis renders a jazzy interpretation of On the Town’s “Lucky to Be Me,” prior to announcing, “Thank you all so much!” as audience members stand and applaud while Lewis waves goodnight and exits the stage.
As theatergoers make their way out of the MPAC auditorium, several share their thoughts on tonight’s 30th Season Anniversary Gala performance. Declares Grace from Parsippany, “I loved Norm Lewis — he was wonderful! The range of his voice was amazing, and the selections he chose were terrific!”
Maggie from Caldwell insists, “Norm Lewis was amazing!” explaining, “This was an adventure for me — I’ve seen concerts and I’ve heard live music but I’ve never felt a performance the way I felt this one tonight. Every single song Norm Lewis performed spoke to me and I felt it.”
Tom from Bridgewater confesses, “I didn’t know who Norm Lewis was before tonight, but after he sang ‘Bring Him Home,’ I was speechless — I don’t know that I’ve ever felt that way after a concert performance. It was a blessing to be here, and even though this was my first time at MPAC, I’m planning to come back again and again.”
Recalls Connor from Hillsborough, “The first time I ever saw Norm Lewis was on the Les Miserables: The 25th Anniversary Concert Blu-Ray my parents bought me for Christmas, and I instantly became a fan. I’ve seen him in several Broadway shows but this was the first time I’ve ever seen him in a concert setting and it was a stunning experience I’ll never forget; his performance sent shivers down my spine! It was also my first time here at MPAC and I plan on coming back — the performance space is incredible, the staff is excellent, the sound is great, and the seats are super comfortable. I had a fantastic time!”
Lastly, while Tom from Hillsborough asserts, “Norm Lewis took my breath away! I’ve seen many people live on stage, but I think this was the best performance I’ve ever seen,” Debbie from Hillsborough suggests, “People are longing to be touched by their emotions, and Norm Lewis did that with the depth and breadth of his repertoire and his music. He was a fantastic choice for MPAC’s 30th Anniversary Gala performance!”
For more on Norm Lewis, please click on normlewis.com. For information on upcoming MPAC 30th Anniversary Season performances — including The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band on October 9, Chicago on October 26, Rick Springfield on November 2, KC and the Sunshine Band on November 22, Samara Joy’s A Joyful Holiday on December 4, The Nutcracker from December 13–26, The Cher Show from February 7–8, Mandy Patinkin in Concert on March 24, Come From Away from March 28–30, and Clue Live on Stage from April 25–27 — please go to mayoarts.com.
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