Interludes

VIEWPOINTS – A cabaret comparison: MATTHEW MORRISON digs deep for a message, while DEE DEE BRIDGEWATER plays it fast and loose

• By drediman
• January 8, 2026
• No Comments

During the first week of the new year, I ventured out to catch a pair of cabaret acts, together proving the art form’s ability to extravagantly shape shift by performer. As per usual, read on for my reflections on the flexibility of cabaret.

MATTHEW MORRISON: RHYTHMS & REVELATIONS
54 Below
Through January 8

First up is Matthew Morrison’s recent appearances at 54 Below (RECOMMENDED). As with many cabaret acts written and performed by Broadway stars, Morrison’s show, entitled Rhythms & Revelations, is more or less a look back at his career — at least thus far — notably comprised of a series of critical overviews of his time on Broadway (moving with seductive physicality, this portion of the show featured effective musical medleys from Hairspray and Finding Neverland) and the long-running television series Glee (which he potently paired with a captivating rendition of Coldplay’s “Fix You”). From the perspective of this time of transition, Morrison’s observations and commentary were deeply felt and psychologically astute, if a tad on the melancholy side. Indeed, there was an introspective quality to the evening that lent the show somewhat of a therapy session vibe as he endeavored to engage his adoring fans not just as an entertainer, but also as a fellow human being. Morrison has always been an interesting singer, his smooth vocals falling somewhere between old school Broadway crooning and contemporary pop stylings. For his 54 Below shows, he was in excellent voice, effortlessly commanding anthems like “This is the Moment” and “Go the Distance”. Where the show really shined, however, were in the more intimate moments, where he’s given leeway to more fully emote and tap into his deep well of feelings, particularly in songs like “Il Mondo Era Vuoto” (from Adam Guettel’s gorgeous The Light in the Piazza) and “Send in the Clowns”. Eager to impart an illuminating message to the audience, Rhythms & Revelations registers more like a theatrical solo show, especially given how meticulously scripted and performed it is.

DEE DEE BRIDGEWATER & BILL CHURLAP
Birdland Jazz Club
Through January 10

Then there’s the duo of Dee Dee Bridgewater and Bill Charlap (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED), who this week have taken up residency at Birdland Jazz Club. Throughout, there was a free-wheeling, off-the-cuff quality that permeated the evening — from the banter to the music-making — which made for an unpredictable but wickedly entertaining time. Bridgewater is a singularly vivacious singer and personality (she even won a Tony Award for her performance in the original Broadway cast of the musical The Wiz), and her natural knack for organic syncopation was matched blow-by-blow by the ever game Charlap, an immensely generous and astonishingly versatile pianist. Both completely in the moment, the pair created a wonderfully symbiotic and organic musical dialogue that exuded an irresistible sense of fun and play. Bridgewater wielded her elastic voice with the prowess of a true jazz master, complete with ecstatic scat interludes and mischievously adventurous vocal flights of fancy — often to uncharted territories and, admittedly, to some dead ends (which was part of the fun of it all) — which Charlap instinctually navigated, not just merely as an accompanist, but like a true partner in crime. As such, they transformed some of the staples of the American Songbook (e.g., “On a Clear Day (You Can See Forever)”, “Lush Life”, “Just One of Those Things”) into intoxicatingly rambling concoctions that weaved in and out of inspired improvisation. They capped off this Wednesday’s late night set with a deliriously fast and loose rendition of Duke Ellington’s “Caravan”, which left the audience in a breathless state.