‘Secretly Strouse’ – A Musical Patchwork

By Alix Cohen

Charles Strouse (1928-2025) composed music for 14 Broadway musicals, garnering three Tony Awards. An additional 16 musicals were produced elsewhere. Just out of school, playing at cocktail lounges and accompanying singers, he met lyricist Lee Adams at a cocktail party and a new seed was planted.

Hosted by (unintroduced ) director Jeffrey B. Moss (Mayor, The New Golden Boy, Rags), this evening features mostly lesser known songs from Golden Boy, Bring Back Birdie, Mayor, The Likes of Us, Mayor, Rags, Dance a Little Closer, Martin and revues. Unfortunately not a single collaborator, song title, or musical is identified, so the succession of songs arrives somewhat of a blur without context.

Reliably warm and in character, Lenny Wolpe offers “Baby, You Can Count On Me” (Bring back Birdie, the sequel to Bye Bye Birdie written with Lee Adams.) Vocal is smiley with slight gravel. Reprising his role in 1985’s Mayor (Koch), the artist is jaunty and sympathetic. “I Don’t Wanna Grow Old”… unless you are here with me…(revue) is touching.

“Lorna’s Here” (Monet Sabel from Golden Boy with Lee Adams) is longlined and earnest; Sabel’s “Blame It On the Summer Night” (Rags with Stephen Swartz), lush and swept away. ‘Lovely vocals, lovely performance. Sabel and Anthony Wayne are shy and awkward during “Me Too” (revue). Song and chemistry is sweet.

From Dance a Little Closer (with Alan Jay Lerner), Robert Cuccioli gives us an appealingly haunted “There’s Always One You Can’t Forget.” “I’ve worked with a couple of characters in my life, Alan Jay Lerner being three of them,” Strouse quipped. “The Perfect Day for Sailing” and “Home Movie” (revues) arrive so story-like, they’re almost recitative. Strouse takes us on a musical
journey, Cuccioli conjures a resonant, theatrical one.

Three overlapping songs from Golden Boy feature Anthony Wayne as boxer Joe Wellington, Tony Perry as his dad and Lenny Volpe. The vocalists lean into character, but Wayne’s reading lyrics leaves us once removed and Perry sings too much to audience. The vocalist’s “Night Song” (Golden Boy with Lee Adams), however, is palpably lonely and lost.

The revue song “Emily” finds Wayne at a wedding. Music is all over the place. The vocalist keeps up and adds apt anxiety. His duet of “Me Too” (revue) with Monet Sabel is wonderfully shy and awkward on both parts.

“Everything’s Lovely in the Morning” (Bring Back Birdie with Lee Adams) verges on Gospel in the hands of Aneesa Folds’ pithy voice. “White Folks” (revue) is an observation from grandma. “Can’t live with ‘m/Can’t live without ‘m/They’ve got terrible rhythm…” she sings with southern lilt, unfortunately also reading lyrics.

A duet of “Gimme Some”with Monet Sabel (Golden Boy with Lee Adams) is infectious fun: “Beer and whiskey/Whiskey and beer/ …Makes your brain go numb/Gimme some…”

Jeffrey B. Moss sings a splendid ode to New York whose title I can’t share.

A patchwork evening of both grand and secondary songs made difficult by omissions.

Secretly Strouse
Produced/Hosted by Jeffrey B. Moss
Music Director/Piano- Harry Collins
54 Below 254 West 54th Street
Calendar https://54below.org/calendar/?month=March+2026