David Sabella’s “25Chicago25” Really Razzle-Dazzled ‘Em!

By Michael Barbieri***Will someone PLEASE put David Sabella back on Broadway?! His show, 25Chicago25 at Feinstein’s/54 Below proved beyond all doubt that Sabella is a Broadway caliber entertainer. How lucky for us, then, that he also is such an exceptional cabaret performer!

David Sabella is an award-winning actor, singer, author and vocal instructor who originated the starring role of Mary Sunshine in the 1996 Broadway revival of Chicago. He’s appeared at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center, has toured with the legendary La Gran Scena Opera Company and is the creator and editor in chief of Cabaret Hotspot, an online magazine. His show at Feistein’s/54 Below was a warm, funny, often touching look back at his years starring in Chicago and his journey as a gay adoptive father.

From a confident, sexy “All That Jazz,” a sassy “When You’re Good to Mama,” a gorgeously belted “All I Care About,” and a mashup of “Razzle Dazzle” and “Nowadays,” many of Kander and Ebb’s iconic numbers from Chicago were wonderfully represented. And Sabella’s stories—his audition in which he went up against the likes of Sam Harris and Billy Porter, a description of the first table read with Ann Reinking and Bebe Neuwirth, and an amazing tale of a performance attended by President Clinton—were all hilarious and fascinating!

We also got a taste of Sabella’s impressive male soprano range, which he employed, of course, in the role of Mary Sunshine. Kander and Ebb’s “Yes” became a prayer in which he yearned to get the role in Chicago. The song began in his lower register, but toward the end soared into a shimmering falsetto. He also gave us a lovely, lilting “Those Come Hither Eyes” (J. Kern, S. Greene), a number made famous by early cross-dressing superstar Julian Eltinge, whom Sabella played Off-Broadway in Jules.

While his comedic chops were fully on display throughout the evening—particularly in “Nobody Loves a Fairy Over 40” (A. LeClerq), done as a campy tribute to Marcia Lewis, who had played Mama Morton, he also showed off his dramatic side. His medley of “Roxy” and “Life Is…” from Kander and Ebb’s Zorba, showcased his occasionally rocky experience as an adoptive father. Using projected photographs of himself and his children, he told of love, loss and love regained as a gay Dad. As an adopted kid myself, I found his stories extremely touching and was brought to tears a number of times. He followed this with a simple, heartfelt rendition of “A Quiet Thing” and a pairing of “My Own Space” and “My Own Best Friend” that related his current status as an (almost) empty-nester.

One of Sabella’s finest moments, to my mind, was his delivery of Chicago’s “Mr. Cellophane.” By simply removing his jacket to show the cardigan sweater underneath, and altering his posture a bit, he created the illusion of being slightly rumpled and infused the song with the “unimpressive, undistinguished” character of Amos Hart. As I watched this wonderful, effortless bit of acting, my thought was that Sabella could easily go back into Chicago right now, either as Mary Sunshine or Amos Hart …if he wanted to. But I do feel he’s moved on. Knowing this, his jauntier, jazzier take on “I Move On” from the film version of Chicago ended the evening as a perfect encore!

Musical Director Mark Hartman on piano, Jonathan Michel on bass and Dan Gross on drums created a rich, bright sound that brought to mind a mini-Broadway orchestra and guest singer Jana Robbins gave us a strong, splendid, character-driven rendition of Fraulein Schneider’s “So What?” from Cabaret. As usual, sound and lighting were handled beautifully by 54 Below’s tech staff and Lina Koutrakos, one of the best directors in the business, provided the perfect guiding hand to bring the show together.

David Sabella is an open, honest performer who belongs onstage, where he’s clearly at home. And whether it be on Broadway, Off-Broadway or a cabaret stage, I know he’ll always bring the Razzle-Dazzle!