Nicolas King: Tales from a True Broadway Baby

By Marcia Blondin***Singer-actor Nicolas King began his show business career in grade school, appearing on Broadway in Beauty and the Beast and making his official Broadway debut in 2001 in A Thousand Clowns as he closed out the first decade of his life. So he’s allowed to have a retrospective of a quarter of a century in The Biz! His lovely matinee at The Palm Cabaret was attended by nearly every performer in town who was available to come and celebrate his last solo show in Vallarta.

His perforance began with a short film featuring some of King’s commercials made as an adorable child. Murmurs in the crowd, “OMG! How cute!!!!” and “Wasn’t he darling!!!” And guess what? He is still adorable, cute and darling. Musical director Mark Hartman was, as he is wont to be, perfectly prepared to accompany “Nico” in his final hurrah. A friend and the other “New Belter,” Seth Sikes, joined King onstage for a brief interlude, then back to the beach for Seth. The two have appeared together over a hundred times as a duo, selling out venues across the US and now Mexico.

An aside here: Hartman is the man initially behind so many of these wonderful New Yorkers coming to our fair (warm) city. I remember years ago in the bar at Incanto laughing with him. If all his friends were here, who the hell would be onstage performing in NYC? Thanks, Mark, for expanding and extending our horizons musically!

King, almost embarrassed by his exceptional good luck, told tales of his childhood that included his beloved grandmother, Hal Prince, Carol Burnett, Tom Selleck, Ben Vereen (who gave him a ‘talking to’ when he was little), and his dear friend to this day, Liza Minnelli. All the stuff of fairy tales to the audience and to King too, who clearly believes in the magic that has touched him and his illustrious career thus far.

I make a point to sit in the front row of whatever venue I am in to see shows. I watch the performer’s eyes the whole time, and one or two words will usually cross my brain during a show, making an impression where I will begin my review—at least in my head. King’s eyes twinkle when he sings. His face ignites with joy with every note. He hopes that with each smile, you will get the gift of the song, sung just for you, from his heart and sometimes his soul. He is hopeful, optimistic and perfectly beaming to share his love of musical theater and, with that, share his fantastic talent and his extraordinary, fortunately-blessed journey. And he is still adorable

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