Following her first full concert in Paris at Bal Blomet, a sold-out concert at the Crazy Coqs, and a stop at the Litchfield Jazz Festival, Melissa Errico was finally back where she belonged, on Broadway, at 54 Below, recalling memories from her many shows there, while paying tribute to her two principle musical mentors, Stephen Sondheim and Michel Legrand—the first one with mostly upbeat numbers such as the tongue-and-cheek “Can That Boy Foxtrot,” cut from Follies, “What More Do I Need” from Saturday Night, the more reflective “Take Me to the World,” and a closing medley with “Broadway Baby” and “Move On”; and the second one with “Watch What Happens” from The Umbrellas of Cherbourg starting her opening suite, the haunting “Windmills of Your Mind,” and on November 4th “I Will Wait For You” as a duet with Charles Bush. Apart from a bit of folk with “Night Ride Home” by Joni Mitchell, the rest of the evening was pure jazz and Broadway, with nods to the shows she starred in, “It’s Alright with Me” from Cole Porter’s High Society in 1998, “Wouldn’t It Be Lovely,” and “I’ve Grown Accustomed to her Face” from Lerner and Lowe’s My Fair Lady and “Hurry, It’s Lovely Up Here” from Lerner and Lane’s On a Clear Day You Can See Forever, in which Melissa starred at the Irish Repertory Theatre in 2018.
Following this electrifying with Melissa at the top of her game, perfectly accompanied by Tedd Firth on piano, bass player David Finck, and drummer Mark McLean, I had the pleasure to ask her a few questions:
1) What are the differences between a London and a New York audience?
Hmmm, all audiences in the long run are the same – they crave romance, excitement, and want their hearts bent by the singer. But in my experience, if there is any difference, it’s surprising: the supposedly cool British audiences are very intimate—they treat you as a friend, come back for more shows, write and introduce themselves and greet you on your return. New York audiences tend to be more impressed by the glamour of distance. They want you to be a little bit of a star. But New Yorkers are my family, they could be scary but lately I feel so in love with my city and want to make everyone feel at home. We’ve all been through a LOT. I want all my shows to feel like family time. We’ve all grown up together and will stick together!