Interludes

VIEWPOINTS – Nightlife roundup: SAMANTHA PAULY at Joe’s Pub, JOE ICONIS & FRIENDS at 54 Below, and an OSCAR PETERSON centennial celebration at Birdland

• By drediman
• September 2, 2025
• No Comments

In recent weeks, I made the rounds and caught up with the latest offerings at some of New York’s premiere cabaret and jazz clubs. Here are my thoughts on these nightlife outings, which often came as a welcome and balming cap to these sultry late summer New York days.

SAMANTHA PAULY
Joe’s Pub

Over at Joe’s Pub, I had the opportunity to take in one of Samantha Pauly’s two sold out shows (RECOMMENDED). Possessing a big voice and a confident stage presence, it’s no surprise that the singing actress was cast to originate sassy characters in such Broadway musicals as Six (where she took on the role of Katherine Howard, Britney Spears-style) and The Great Gatsby (where she can currently be seen as Jordan Baker at the Broadway Theatre) — roles that have garnered her adoring fans, as evidenced by the enthusiasm that frequently erupted at Joe’s Pub. In her cabaret showing, she didn’t disappoint with an eclectic set that encompassed both the Broadway and popular songbooks. In terms of the former, she delivered a commanding “Don’t Cry for Me, Argentina” (across the pond, Pauly originated the title role in Jamie Lloyd’s production of Evita, even before Rachel Zegler did), a soaring “I Can Do Better Than That” from The Last Five Years, and an heartfelt “Waving Through a Window” from Dear Evan Hansen. But where her real personality shined through was in her pop song selections, namely Ariana Grande’s “needy”, Miley Cyrus’s “Flowers”, Sabrina Carpenter’s “Slim Pickins”, and Dua Lipa’s “Don’t Start Now”. Indeed, these turns showcased Pauly as a strong and self-defined woman; in other words, a terrifically uncompromising role model.

JOE ICONIS & FAMILY
54 Below

Rarely do I miss the chance to catch the rejuvenating and immersive cabaret shows of musical theater writer Joe Iconis and his “family” of loyal singing actors. Their most recent outing was at their frequent home 54 Below (RECOMMENDED), where Iconis was just named as the renowned cabaret club’s Artist in Residence (hopefully, this means we’ll be seeing much more of him and his works at the venue). Arguably, his vivid songs — a deep chest of fascinating characters studies that are often deft dramatic scenes unto themselves — work better in a cabaret setting than they do within the context of the musicals for which they were written (for those of you unfamiliar with his output, Iconis is perhaps best known for penning songs for the cult favorite musical Be More Chill). In a refreshing change of pace, he’s opted to present less trodden material this time around. Some of these were “Ammonia” (featuring the voracious Lorinda Lisitza), “Meditations in an Emergency” (featuring Iconis and cast), and “Headshot” (featuring Liz Lark Brown). That’s not to say that the show was devoid of reliable favorites, which included rousing performances of “Everybody’s at the Bar (Without Me)” (featuring the animated Lauren Marcus) and of course the predictably crowd-pleasing closer “The Goodbye Song” (as always, generously featuring Jason SweetTooth Williams and the entire cast).

OSCAR PETERSON CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION
Birdland Jazz Club

Last but not least, Birdland Jazz Club recently embarked on a centennial celebration of the jazz pianist Oscar Peterson’s landmark 100th birthday (the legendary musician revolutionized the industry’s approach to jazz piano playing, as well as accompanied fellow jazz icons such as Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong). One of the headliners of Birdland’s mini-festival was the concoction put together by the pianist Makoto Ozone, bassist John Clayton, and Jeff Hamilton (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED) — each hugely accomplished jazz musicians in their own right. Unsurprisingly, the trio delved into some inspired renditions of some of Peterson’s greatest compositions — imbuing them with their own special flair — in addition to their own compositions that were inspired by Peterson’s aesthetic and legacy. Interestingly, this series of performances at Birdland was the first time the trio had performed together (although they did know of each other), which is particularly astonishing given their effortless and uncanny rapport; hopefully, these won’t be the last collaborations between these superb artists. Throughout the evening, the hourlong concert was interjected by vignettes from each player about their respective personal association with Peterson; especially endearing was Ozone’s reflection of Peterson’s overwhelming impact as a mentor and overall influence on the trajectory of his career.