By Marilyn Lester***One of New York’s biggest hits, the New York Pops, presented a rousing concert celebrating some of Broadway’s biggest hits in a 40th season smash of its own—Broadway Blockbusters at the Carnegie Hall, Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage. There was no dramatic swinging chandelier, but the opening orchestra number, featuring selections from Phantom of the Opera, was a boffo mood
-setter. But wait, there was more; following that thrill was the evening’s cast, Nikki Renée Daniels, Jordan Donica, Matt Doyle and Melissa Errico, with a full-out “It’s Today” (Jerry Herman, Mame), further enhanced by the magnificent 60-member
Essential Voices USA chorus (Judith Clurman, Music Director).
With numbers flowing grandly forth from mega-hits such as The Wiz, Les Misérables, My Fair Lady, Oklahoma!, Miss Saigon, The Sound of Music and more, a voice in the audience was heard to comment, “how could they sound bad?” Indeed. As it’s termed in jazz, everyone was in the pocket. Of course, a great deal of the Pops success, generally and specifically in this splendid evening, is owed to Music Director and Conductor, Steven Reineke, who is himself a force of nature. His energy, dynamism and enthusiastic conducting is not only uplifting but plain fun to behold.
Going into the second act of the evening, Reineke conducted the original overture to Gypsy (music by Jule Styne, arranged by Sid Ramin and Robert Ginzler), a special treat of orchestral excellence and a reminder that we don’t hear ’em like that anymore. Another blast from the past was the title song from Oklahoma! sung by the Essential Voices USA. This electrifying anthem with its forward pressing, joyous mood-setting lyric swept us happily up like the wind “sweepin’ down the plain.”
Two crossover artists provided special moments among an evening full of them. Nikki Renée Daniels, of Broadway and opera stages, voiced a lovely “I Dreamed a Dream” (Claude-Michel Schönberg, Alain Boublil, Jean-Marc Natel and Herbert Kretzmer, Les Misérables) in her lilting soprano, and also delivered an ardent rendition of “Home” (Larry Kerchner, attributed to Charlie Smalls, The Wiz). Jordan Donica, a thrilling baritone, has not only graced legit and opera stages, but has dramatic experience on television—and that confluence of talent was on display in a 
breathtaking, stunning delivery of the not-easy-to-sing “Soliloquy” (Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein II, arranged by Don Walker, Carousel). Likewise, Donica delivered “The Impossible Dream”(Mitch Leigh, Joe Darion, arranged by Carlyle W. Hall. Sr., Man of La Mancha) with stunning, inspirational majesty.
Matt Doyle, who won the 2022 Tony Award for “Best Featured Actor in a Musical” for his performance as “Jamie” in the Broadway revival of Stephen Sondheim’s Company, reprised his role with “Getting Married Today” (arranged by Jonathan Tunick), supported by the three other cast members. His rapid-fire delivery of the lyric was not only mind-bending, but his bits of business added a hilarious touch to the comedic thrust of the song. It’s often difficult to offer a song so identified with one specific performer—in this case Tony-nominated Willy Falk, the oriignal “Chris” in
Miss Saigon (Claude-Michel Schönberg, Alain Boublil, Richard Maltby Jr.), but Doyle valiantly put his own stamp on it.
The versatile Tony-nominated Melissa Errico was most delightful in character as My Fair Lady‘s cockney flower girl, Eliza Doolittle (Frederick Loewe, Alan Jay Lerner, arranged by Johnny Green), well-supported by Essential Voices USA members Leonardo Altafine, Alonzo Johnson, Tim Koch and Joey Zook. She also fiercely tackled that uber-dramatic torch song from Follies (Stephen Sondheim, arranged by Doug Besterman), “Losing My Mind.” In his narrative during the evening, Reineke honored Sondheim, who passed on nearly a year ago, in 2021, and Rebecca Luker, who’d died in December 2020. Also cited was Broadway icon Dame Angela Lansbury, as well as Lucy Simon, both of whom passed away recently this year.
The New York Pops is the largest independent pops orchestra in the United States (roughly 78 members), and the only professional symphonic orchestra in New York City specializing in popular music. A Broadway top hat off to founders Ruth and Skitch Henderson, and to Reineke, who has helmed this amazing orchestra into its 40th season.
Photos by Genevieve Rafter Keddy
