Mama’s Boys Will Have You Cheering for MORE!

Brian Kalinowski, Tommy J Dose, Paul Pilcz, Jon Satrom

By Michael Barbieri****Mama’s Boys are the perfect blendship! Four talented guys, fabulous harmonies, an eclectic mix of musical styles and warm onstage camaraderie make this a show that will have you smiling, tapping your feet and cheering for more!

Tommy J. Dose, Brian Kalinowski, Paul Pilcz and Jon Satrom are all part of the singing staff at Don’t Tell Mama’s famous piano bar, but for the last few months they’ve been working with Musical Director Elliot Roth to put together a show that features contemporary pop, 1980’s and 1990’s radio hits, Broadway show tunes and classic rock. Each of these boys is accomplished in their own right—Dose is a multiple MAC Award winner; Kalinowski has appeared as Edna Turnblad in Royal Caribbean Cruise Line’s production of Hairspray; Pilcz has been seen on Broadway as well as in HBO’s “Mildred Pierce” and “Boardwalk Empire;” and Satrom has toured with Mamma Mia! and Rent. Together they demonstrate the magic that a combination of talent and friendship can bring to a cabaret stage!

The show began quietly but powerfully with the existential crises and regrets encapsulated by “Some Nights” (J. Bhasker, N. Ruess, A. Dost, J. Antonoff). Bathed in golden backlighting, each boy took a solo line at the top of the number, but soon their voices joined in gorgeous four-part harmony and a driving rhythm kicked in. This rhythm then cleverly carried them into “Home” (D. Pearson, G. Holden), a song with an almost country music feel and a message of hope that countered the regretfulness of the opener with lyrics like “Pay no mind to the demons…if you get lost, you can always be found.”

After a little playfully bitchy banter about their friendship, how they like to hang out and drink together, and how they each got hired at DTM, they launched into a fun mashup of Stephen Sondheim’s “Old Friends” and Cole Porter’s “Friendship.” In their hands, the medley became an ode to amity and alcohol, with the boys drinking shots throughout the number and showing off Sean Bernardi’s simple, amusing choreography.

At various points in the evening, each of the boys had a chance to take the lead on a song or two: Satrom moved us with his sweet, mournful vocal on “Just So You Know” (M. Demers, P. Drennen, D. Scott) as he sang about the loss of a true love. There was a lovely sense of hopefulness in Kalinowski’s rendition of Paula Cole’s “Me,” about crawling out from under the self-hatred and defeatism many of us experience in life. Dose’s soulful tenor was showcased in “Have a Little Faith in Me” (J. Hiatt), about trusting your lover to pull you through the hard times, and Pilcz shone on “Bed I Made” (A. Stone), which dealt with trying to fight one’s inner demons, but not being able to leave those problems behind. With each number, the solo vocals were supported beautifully, but never overpowered by the backing harmonies provided by the other singers.

Their Doo-Wop Medley, which included songs like “Lollipop” (Julius Dixson, Beverly Ross), “The Book of Love” (W. Davis, G.Malone, C. Patrick), “Rockin’ Robin” (Leon René as Jimmie Thomas) and “Runaround Sue” (D. DiMucci, E. Maresca) was a ton of fun, with the boys trading off lead vocals and rotating their positions at each of the four mic stands—a bit like musical chairs. Their Broadway Medley was a campy crowd pleaser, with selections like “Dreamgirls” (H. Krieger, T. Eyen) and Hairspray’s “Mama I’m a Big Girl Now” (M. Shaiman, S. Wittman)—both of which had the boys sporting fabulously terrible wigs. The medley also featured, among others, songs like “Everybody Ought to Have a Maid” (S. Sondheim) from A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, “The Schuyler Sisters” (L. Miranda) from Hamilton and The Mikado’s “Three Little Maids From School Are We” (W.S. Gilbert, A. Sullivan). Harmonies, camp and bad wigs? Yes, please! I was all in and so was the rest of the crowd!

One of my favorite moments involved Cher’s hit, “Song for the Lonely” (M. Taylor, P. Barry, S. Torch), which started softly, but soon built up to its dance club tempo. This fabulous pop selection demonstrated the boys’ strong belt voices beautifully and ended with a huge ovation from the audience. After they explained that they don’t always see eye to eye, but always have each other’s backs, they presented a lovely mashup of “The Story of Tonight” from Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton and “You Will Be Found,” from Benj Pasek and Justin Paul’s Dear Evan Hansen. Here, the boys acted the material masterfully—and even with the intricate harmonies, the emotions were played simply and perfectly.

Beyond the voices, Dose, Kalinowski, Pilcz and Satrom had solid musical support from Elliot Roth on piano, Brian Fishler on drums and Matt Cusack on bass. The band’s tight musical arrangements and skilled dynamics merely enhanced the emotions of the boys’ vocals. Additionally, Technical Director Adam Decarlo provided sensitive lighting and well-balanced sound; the latter being most important for a vocal group like this.

I discovered my first piano bar in 1981, where the staff and customers soon became like a family to me. The feeling of friendship I experienced watching Mama’s Boys—not only from the boys themselves, but from the audience who clearly adored them—brought back that sense of family that makes me happy to be a part of the piano bar and cabaret community. The boys have one performance left in this run, so take it from me… whether it’s this time around or in a future run, this is an act worth catching. Mama’s Boys will make you feel like family!