Interludes

VIEWPOINTS – Nightlife divas in full bloom: Falling for ORFEH at 54 Below and NICOLE HENRY at Birdland Jazz Club

• By drediman
• September 27, 2026
• No Comments

This past week, I fell for a pair of nightlife divas in the full bloom of their womanhood. Here or my thoughts on Orfeh and Nicole Henry at, respectively, 54 Below and Birdland Jazz Club.

ORFEH: UNBOUND
54 Below

Although Orfeh is largely known for her accomplished resume in musical theater, in my mind she truly comes into her own during her concert/cabaret sets. In such a setting, the outspoken Tony-nominated singing actress is given free rein to let her singular voice and uncompromising personality to fully take over a room. The same thing is true of her latest act Unbound (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED) — which I recently caught at 54 Below — during which she brought an especially fierce energy to the show, the first of hers I’ve caught without co-starring with her ex-husband Andy Karl. That separation loomed large over the setlist — tightly overseen by music director Steven Jamail — fueling some rather punchy and pointed renditions of songs that were drawn liberally from both the musical theater and popular songbooks. To be sure, pop songs like “Irreplaceable”, “No Scrubs”, and “You Oughta Know” took on powerful specificity, as did musical theater selections like “Ireland” (Legally Blonde), “I Know the Truth” (Aida), and “Make Like a Nail” (The Great American Trailer Park Musical). That’s not to say that her show was a downer. The mood in the room was instead infused with empowerment and defiance, as summed up by her thrilling closer “Piece of My Heart”. A fabulous time was had by all. Throughout, Orfeh was in stellar voice. Indeed, whenever she unleashed her soulful powerhouse belt, it was an absolute adrenaline rush — especially when harmonizing with such talented and idiosyncratic vocalists as Nikki Kimbrough and Marissa Rosen (the latter brought down the house with a stunning “Bring on the Men” from Jekyll and Hyde). As always, she looked absolutely fabulous, this time in a form-fitting dress that shimmered like a mirrorball.

NICOLE HENRY: A NIGHT WITH NICOLE HENRY
Birdland Jazz Club

Also last week, I had the great opportunity to nightcap with veteran nightclub singer Nicole Henry at Birdland Jazz Club. In a set simply entitled A Night with Nicole Henry (RECOMMENDED), music fans had the privilege of vibing with the versatile singer, who throughout the evening effortlessly straddled jazz, soul, and pop. I’m happy to report that she sang with solidity and control during her set, channeling Whitney Houston, Vanessa Williams, and Diana Ross — but without losing sight of her own unique vocal abilities nor pushing her instrument past its comfort zone. Suffice to say, it all amounted to a confident smooth jazz session that the largely sold out one-night-only Birdland audience was able to just sit back and enjoy without hesitation. There’s also the matter of Henry’s elegant yet uplifting stage presence, an inspiring beacon that — like her voice — had a genuinely comforting effect. As usual, last Monday’s set was eclectic yet accessible, mixing in her own material (e.g., her new single “Everything Is Fine”) with such standards as Irving Berlin’s “What’ll I Do” and Nancy Wilson’s “(You Don’t Know) How Glad I Am”. Fun times were also had, particularly as exemplified by an upbeat rendition of the classic pop hit “Love Potion No. 9”, which was cleverly mashed with “Lady Marmalade”. Fans of theater music were also treated to some lightly jazzed up interpretations of the Gershwins’ “Summertime” (from Porgy and Bess) and Charlie Smalls “Home” (from the Tony-winning musical The Wiz). As you can probably gather, it’s hard not to have an uncomplicated good time at a Nicole Henry show.