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NY Cabaret Review: Susan Hasho

 

 

 

Randy Graff from Brooklyn, from Broadway, is best defined by her onstage presence which is spontaneous and genuine. You don’t have a career like hers without a great voice, but what she also offers is great fun and sense of friendship. You really do have the sense that you know her. At 54 Below, she talked about growing up in Brooklyn “tough.” —which of course she isn’t—just frank.

She sang songs of Brooklyn songwriters. On the Sunny Side of the Street was her opening number (McHugh/Fields); Remember/Never Neverland (Nilsson/Comden and Green); and the medley (written by the Brooklyn all-star team of Carole King/Doc Pomus/ Barry Mann/Neil Sedaka) One Fine Day, This Magic Moment, Blame it on the Bossa Nova, Breaking Up is Hard to Do. And we do know that Burt Bacharach and Hal David also hail from Brooklyn—they were represented by a gorgeous medley of Close to You/I’ll Never Fall in Love Again with a knockout performance of Alfie.

She has the distinction of being the first American Fantine in the Broadway musical Les Miserables; and she sang I Dreamed a Dream in an arrangement that was original and beautifully personal. Her husband Tim Weil is her musical director and provides first-rate arrangements and support with John Miller on bass and Jared Schonig on drums.

She ended with People (Jule Styne) and a reference to the daring use of a Streisand anthem— “what the f*##.”

Love her and go see her. She returns October 7 and 21 at 7pm.

54 Below – 254 W 54th Street Cellar – New York, NY Tickets & Information 646-476-3551 www.54below.com