Interludes

VIEWPOINTS – Broadway talents take on 80s rock and jazz: ANTHONY RAPP & ADAM PASCAL at 54 Below, DEZ DURON at Joe’s Pub

• By drediman
• August 28, 2026
• No Comments

This past week, a couple of Broadway talents took to the cabaret stage to show off their prowess beyond the bounds of musical theater. These would be trailblazing Rent stars Adam Pascal and Anthony Rapp, as well as Maybe Happy Ending‘s original and ongoing jazz crooner Dez Duron. As per usual, scroll down for my thoughts.

ADAM PASCAL & ANTHONY RAPP: IN RESONANCE
54 Below

This week, Adam Pascal and Anthony Rapp – original stars of Jonathan Larson’s seminal 1996 rock opera Rent – have reunited once again for a late summertime residency at 54 Below. Entitled In Resonance (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED), this latest edition of their two-hander concert basks in the 1980s rock songbook, showcasing the influences that must have surely shaped them as budding performers when they were cast in Jonathan Larson’s Pulitzer Prize-winning musical. Their strong bond and friendship, which they’ve nurtured since debuting in Rent three decades ago, was evident from the get go. Indeed, there was an appealingly jovial ease and comfort to their rapport, which brought an infectious authenticity to the evening. To boot, they both looked and sounded terrific. It’s clear from their polished and controlled performances that they’ve taken good care of themselves and have figured out how to foster sustainability by knowing exactly how hard to push themselves vocally (unlike the Rent days, when I feared for the longevity of their singing careers). Harmonizing with power and confidence and accompanied by a terrific band, the nostalgia-fueled concert was a well judged overview of the 80s rock era, covering a lot of ground in a relative short amount of time. Some highlights included muscular, crowd-pleasing covers of the Talking Heads’ “Once in a Lifetime”, U2’s “Where the Streets Have No Name”, and New Order’s “Bizarre Love Triangle”. There was also a moving rendition of Elton John’s “Empty Garden (Hey Hey Johnny)”, which served as the duo’s elegy for the hard-hitting loss of Dolly Parton and Tim Curry this week. Not to alienate Rent fans, they closed out the evening singing a handful of the musical’s most iconic songs (e.g., “Glory”, “I’ll Cover You”, “What You Own”, etc.) to, in turn, stirring, comedic, and unexpected effect.

DEZ DURON
Joe’s Pub

Ever since being cast in the Tony Award-winning musical Maybe Happy Ending, Dez Duron has amassed an enthusiastic fan base, easily selling out solo concert engagements he’s headlined (he also continues to appear in Hue Park and Will Aronson’s musical over at the Belasco Theatre). The same was true of his back-to-back shows at Joe’s Pub this past Monday (RECOMMENDED). Although far from being the lead in Maybe Happy Ending, Duron makes an indelible impression with his Frank Sinatra-esque way with songs and matinee idol good looks. These qualities translate themselves well in a jazz-infused show where his talent and charisma are featured front and center. Although not used to being the sole object of focus of the spotlight, there’s a certain charm to his unassuming and bashful “aw shucks” persona in concert. Vocally speaking, Duron is in possession of a smooth yet textured sound – an attractive huskiness unveils itself when musical passages push him harder – and a natural way of phrasing lyrics to jazzy, syncopated rhythms. Although his show covered the American Songbook, Broadway standards, and the Pop canon, the songs were invariably and expertly interpreted through a jazz lens (e.g., “Almost Like Being in Love”, “There Are Worse Things I Can Do”, “Happy Together”). The featured vocalist of the evening was Stella Cole (who will be covering the Duron’s crooner role in the national tour of Maybe Happy Ending), who delivered deliciously vintage renditions of the haunting “Why Love” from Maybe Happy Ending and the Gershwins’ “They Can’t Take that Away from Me”. Duron also regaled the audience with performances of his own accomplished compositions (“Somebody Like You”, “Even Better Than I Dreamed”, “If Ever I Loved You”, “Today Could Be the Day”), before sending us off with a tender version of Burt Bacharach’s “Alfie”.