review - New York's Finest, The Leading Men of Broadway

david burnham

"The Joint Was Jumpin" is no better way to describe the Ford Amphitheatre Friday September 16 for Chris Isaacson Presents: New York's Finest - The Leading Men of Broadway. Handsome Broadway tenor David Burnham, Tony winner Levi Kreis, sexy Ace Young, Brandon Victor Dixon and hot mama Frenchie Davis sang their lungs and hearts out on some of the great Broadway pop standards. Dynamic performer Sam Harris directed the show with musical direction by the fabulous Brent Crayon leading a six-piece onstage orchestra.

levi kreis

When I asked Harris about the concert, he said "I've directed so many of these, I wanted to put on a show." And that he did - replete with a couple of comedy numbers destined to become classics. When Davis began singing "My story is much too sad to be told...", the first line of "I Get a Kick Out of You" from Anything Goes, she stopped abruptly after this verse and made a big dramatic exit, dragging her very long red boa behind her. What an unexpected hoot! In the first act finale, Burnham, Kreis and Young danced out as ballerinas in hot pink tutus essaying "Everything Is Beautiful at the Ballet" from A Chorus Line in an especially over-the-top, campy style. Usually sung passionately and straight out, the number's new look may be appallingly irreverent to some, but overall blessedly entertaining thanks to Harris' vivid imagination.

ace young

brandon victor dixon

Other highlights of the evening included: Kreis' "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" followed by "Not While I'm Around" from Sweeney Todd -  displaying his incredible range, Young's Hair medley, as he made his way through the audience dressed skimpily in a loin cloth, Dixon's rhythmic "What'd I Say", Burnham's gorgeous "Il Mondo Era Vuoto" from The Light in the Piazza, Kreis and Burnham deliciously dueting on "For Good" from Wicked and just about everything Davis did including a beautiful rendition of Kander and Ebb's "A Quiet Thing", "It's Raining Men" and the eleventh hour show stopping "I Am Changing" from Dreamgirls. There was also a wonderful segment where each of the 4 men sang his own musical composition backed up by the other 3 and including two lovely female backup singers.

frenchie davis

This was truly a great memorable evening of singing under the new banner of Chris Isaacson Presents. Don't miss any of his cabaret engagements in SoCal and hopefully he'll bring music back to the Ford next season!