Review by Ron Fassler . . .
Whenever Isacc Mizrahi comes up with a new edition of his cabaret shows, no matter how he might advertise them with clever titles like “Movie Stars & Supermodels,” “Does This Song Make Me Look Fat?,” or, as last evening’s show at 54 Below is billed, “Isaac Mizrahi Survives Democracy,” they all traverse the same territory. Debuting his first show of a four-night engagement, Mizrahi indulges in a bit of political theatre in between performing ten songs, but for the most part, he’s all about his love for three things: Xanax, bodily functions, and show biz gossip. As Ira Gershwin once wrote, “Who could ask for anything more?”
A few years ago, I described Mizrahi as “a fashion designer, singer, stand-up comic, and bon vivant extraordinaire.” Not only does all that still hold true, but he isn’t any less energetic, quick on his feet, or shy about getting up in front of people and sharing his talents as well as the intimate details of his personal life. If anything, he’s gotten bolder. Dressed in an outfit that he said was “an ode to Barbra Streisand or Judy Garland, but is more like Jo Anne Worley on a good day,” Mizrahi’s ability to bring the audience into his confidence and create personal relationships with those in the front row, add a charm that is impossible to resist. As he told the sold-out crowd at the top of the evening, “Darlings, we are safe in here. Serenity now, dementia later.” He asked us to please make things easy on ourselves these days and to “drink your heads off!”
Declaring the basement at 54 Below the “first meeting of the resistance!”, he went on to label us as “Ground Zero, baby.” Threading that throughout in glib ways, he took things more to heart towards the very end when he talked about how he listens to friends who tell him they want to move to Portugal and get away from the current U.S. government. He implored us, as he does them, to “Stay here and be brave. They can’t take us from each other.” If felt as if those in attendance appreciated wise and calming words like these amidst the storm.
Mizrahi’s usual cronies in his band were present and accounted for: droll music director Ben Waltzer on piano, Neal Miner on bass, and Joe Strasser on drums. This time, trumpeter Kellin Hanas, was on board adding a tremendous talent on the horn to this estimable quartet. Trust me: this twenty-two-year-old woman is someone to watch out for.
With eclectic musical tastes, Mizrahi can as easily dig deep into the past with “I’m Through with Love” (1931) or be contemporary with Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell’s “Everything I Wanted” (2018). And by sprinkling in some Kander & Ebb and some Rodgers & Hammerstein, he manages to bake it all into a very tasty piece of pastry. Finishing the night with an arrangement of “I Whistle a Happy Tune” that was as upbeat and in swing time as anything written by Cole Porter in the 20s, the crowd was bathing in the warm glow of the good vibes emanating off the 54 Below stage.
And making sure that people didn’t go home empty handed; this was one of those nights where Mizrahi extracted out his Santa-style bag things that have been given to him that he has no intention of keeping and that desperately need re-gifting. A pair of fresh unworn sneakers (size ten) was tossed out to the audience, as was a dog scarf, a man’s tie, and a classical music CD (“I don’t own a CD player anymore, darlings”).
If you’ve never seen what this born entertainer can do onstage, it’s really a trip. And an easy one at that if you find yourself midtown the next three nights with nothing to do and a desire to sit back, relax, “drink your head off,” and settle in for a good time with the close-to-irresistible Isaac Mizrahi. For ticket information, see below.
“Isaac Mizrahi Survives Democracy” is at 54 Below, 254 W 54th Street, NYC. Please visit: www.54Below.com.
Photos by Ron Fassler.
