Interludes

THE HANGOVER REPORT – At the fabulously rebooted Laurie Beechman Theater, RACHEL POTTER returns to her musical theater roots

• By drediman
• August 12, 2025
• No Comments

Last night at the fabulously rebooted Laurie Beechman Theater, I had the privilege of catching Rachel Potter in her first New York solo show in approximately a decade. Having just turned forty, the baby-faced, Nashville-based singer seems to be turning a new leaf, returning to her first love of musical theater by releasing Stages, an album made up mostly of Broadway show tunes. Culling largely from that album, it was quite the treat to hear Potter wrap her clarion voice around some iconic songs of the stage. Over the course of the one-night-only event, she was joined by some of her closest friends, many of whom have led accomplished careers in show business themselves (e.g., Potter’s close friend Tony-winner Ali Stroker).

The concert was divided roughly into three thematic sections, the first being focused on her time as a young performer in Disney World (where she was cast, unsurprisingly, in such princess roles as Ariel in The Little Mermaid and Belle in Beauty and the Beast). Highlights here included a lovely “Part of Your World / Disneyland” medley, as well as a stirring rendition of “The Animazement Trio” with her friends Jamey Ray and EJ Cardona. The second leg of the evening was comprised of the musicals Potter has appeared in, namely The Addams Family (Wednesday), Wicked (Glinda), Evita (the Mistress), and Les Misérables (Eponine). From these shows, she sang an upbeat “Pulled” (with fellow Wednesday alum Courtney Wolfson), an affecting “For Good” (with Christine Dwyer, the first and final Elphaba with whom she appeared), and an an inspired “On My Own / I Dreamed a Dream” mashup (oddly missing from this lineup was any material from Evita). But perhaps most memorable of all were the selection of Broadway songs that inspire her today, namely the unlikely union of “Come what May / The I Love You Song” from Moulin Rouge and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, “My Days” from The Notebook, and a moving medley from Waitress.

For her New York return, Potter was in sterling voice, sounding every bit as youthful and meticulous as ever (even despite a couple of sound issues, which didn’t distract at all from her vocal performance). Interestingly, the concert stayed distinctly clear of her country music career, a tangental foray of hers that has actually amassed a not insignificant following beyond her musical theater fans. Her banter throughout was both witty and honest, particularly with respect to her endeavor to recenter and reorient herself at this juncture of her life. Potter was supported expertly by her music director Chris Brent David on piano, who led an excellent band comprised of Damien Bassman on drums, Yuka Tadano on bass, and Eric Davis on guitar.

RECOMMENDED

RACHEL POTTER: STAGES
Cabaret
The Laurie Beechman Theater
1 hour, 30 minutes (without an intermission)
One-night-only on August 11