By Marilyn Lester and Maryann Lopinto***In August, 1992, with her long-time musical director, Brian Lasser, too ill to perform (he died of AIDS at age 40 that November), Karen Mason was paired with music director-pianist-arranger, Christopher Denny. That partnership happily still continues, now hitting the 30-year mark, and showing no signs of letting up anytime soon. Shortly after the team became a team, director Barry Kleinbort joined, thus making the celebration of an enduring musical collaboration more the richer.
The original celebration show, 30… And Counting, took place in August in Birdland Jazz Club (click here to read that review), but to keep the party going, Mason and Denny spread the wealth at 54 Below, over two nights (November 1 and 2). In this smaller room, the atmosphere was relaxed and collegial. 54 Below is, after all, “Broadway’s living room.” Needless to say, the talent was off-the-scale. With Tom Hubbard on bass, the musicianship was glorious, plus Denny and Hubbard also contributed vocals—a total treat. As for the diva herself: her passion, intensity and ability to completely inhabit a lyric and tell the story, plus her own authenticity and likeability added up to one of those “glad to be alive nights,” and gratefully in our wondrous City of New York.
Enjoy these delightful photos by Maryann Lopinto:
