By Ron Fassler . . .
Although Avery Sommers is coming to town doesn’t quite scan the same as Santa Claus is coming to town, the talented singer/actress will undoubtedly be spreading her special brand of cheer all the same. This coming Tuesday September 16 at 7pm, for one night only, she will be performing at 54 Below, New York’s premium supper club. At present a staple in the world of Florida theatre and cabaret, Sommers is also a veteran of Broadway (Ain’t Misbehavin’, Showboat) and national tours (Chicago, Best Little Whorehouse in Texas). In her new cabaret show, “Showstoppers,” Sommers will include selections from some of those musicals as well as roles and songs that remain on her bucket list. The evening will also feature the interspersing of her own showbiz story with television clips and anecdotes on a journey of the good times and bad times. To paraphrase the title of song that should be in her extensive repertoire, she’s still here.
I had the chance to chat with Avery Sommers this week and here are some excerpts from our conversation, condensed edited for and clarity:
Ron Fassler: I imagine it’s exciting coming back to New York and playing a room like the one at 54 Below
Avery Sommers: Very much, yes. My show is called “Showstoppers,” songs that used to be called eleven o’clock numbers and came out of a conversation with a friend that I had a few years ago about what kind of material I should do in cabaret. And he said, “You really should do a show about all the songs in the shows you’ve done.” So, I grabbed the kernel of that idea and decided that I wanted to do a show about the shows I have done, but also the shows I have not done. That’s how “Showstoppers” came to be and it’s really kind of fun. Lots of shows these days are autobiographical and these songs I have a lot of history with and just love doing, or have really wanted to do. So, that’s what it is. Seventy-five minutes of me! (laughs).
RF: Correct me if I’m wrong, but didn’t you plan on doing this show at 54 Below a while back?
AS: Oh yes. March of 2020, and we know what happened then. But not this specific one, no. This is a new one that I’ve only done once before, this past March, at the Maltz Theatre in Jupiter, Florida. So, this will only be my second outing with this show. And I’m very happy that my musical director, Phil Hinton, will be joining me along with Boots Maleson on percussion and Howie Gordon on bass.
RF: Because of your long list of credits in theatre, I’m wondering if I should ask you the age-old question of whether you consider yourself a singer who actor or an actor who sings?
AS: An actor, though it’s hard for me to distinguish. I feel that when I’m singing and if I’m getting over to an audience what I want to convey properly, then I’m an actress also. I sing first, because that’s really where I live in my heart. But I have been so lucky as an actor to have been mentored by Burt Reynolds, who gave me the wisdom of all that he knew (or at least what I can absorb).
RF: What are some examples of the sort of songs you’ll be singing?
AS: The opening of the show is a medley (my musical director, Phil Hinton, is a big one of medleys). I begin with “With a Song in My Heart,” then I go into “Once in a Lifetime,” “Cabaret,” “Maybe This Time,” and “I Love Being Here with You.”
RF: Is “I Love Being Here with You” from a musical?
AS: No, it’s a Peggy Lee song that is a song I love. It serves so well as an opener. The lyrics are:
I love the East, I love the West.
And North and South, they’re both the best.
But I only want to go there as a guest
‘Cause I love being here with you.
Says it all.
RF: What are some of the songs you’re including that feature roles you’ve played on stage?
AS: Well, Ain’t Misbehavin’ and Showboat, of course, because those songs are ones I absolutely love doing all the time. And I’m also revisiting “I Know Where I’ve Been,” because I loved doing Hairspray. I put the show together myself and it’s got a good flow to it. I usually wait with Phil to put the shows together, but this time he was busy, and time was of the essence, so I scripted it myself. And the good thing that I love about it is that when the musicians tell me that they liked my show. Can’t get better praise than that. I mean, they work with everybody all the time!
RF: Let’s go back for a moment to your time with Burt Reynolds. I’m fascinated by that because most people aren’t aware he created a thriving theatre scene at his Jupiter Theatre in Florida. He got all his pals to come down and do shows and it must have been a very rich moment in time for to have been a part of.
AS: Oh, it was! One of my all-time favorite people that Burt introduced me to was Charles Nelson Reilly. Oh, my God, I loved him. He directed me in Who’s Life Is It, Anyway? with Gary Burghoff. And we would just laugh and laugh and laugh. He would come into rehearsal with some old hat on his head and cup in his hand (I don’t know what was in the cup!) and he would regale us with these stories! And then he’d start yelling at us, “People, people! You’re wasting my time!”
RF: Please include a Charles story or two in your show at 54 Below on Tuesday night, won’t you? I promise you won’t waste anyone’s time.
AS: Please come! I can’t wait to do this show.
“Avery Sommers: Showstoppers” will be at 54 Below, 254 W 54th Street, NYC on Tuesday, September 16th at 7pm. For tickets, please visit: www.54below.com.
