One Night Only with Norm Lewis and The NY Pops Was a Master Class in All That a Concert Should Be

By Marilyn Lester***In the way that royalty is preceded by a fanfare, the entrance of Norm Lewis on the Carnegie Hall Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage was ushered in by the majestic sound of The New York Pops, under the baton of Steven Reineke. This eye-popping opener used the full-force of the orchestra with a powerhouse Broadway rock arrangement of “Pinball Wizard” from The Who’s Tommy. From there it was a veritable Master Class in all the moving parts that make a performance and a concert all it can be.

In One Night Only: An Evening with Norm Lewis, the Emmy, SAG, and Tony Award-nominee celebrated his lustrous career with highlights from an extraordinary body of work spanning three decades. From start to finish, the evening brimmed with delight after delight, with an ending that seemed to come all too soon.

Lewis has it all—charm, personality, stage presence and of course a huge talent. He may be show business royalty, but there are no airs and graces about him. His humility, humor and graciousness makes him as authentic as can be, and in this personal reflection on career and life, glimpses of character came through time and again. He not only pays homage to those who came before and upon whose shoulders he stands, but he’s a champ at making a meaningful connections with his audience. Lewis never forgets to play to the balcony as well as those in the orchestra seats.

With consummate storytelling ability, his “Music of the Night” from Phantom of the Opera was one of the best interpretations these ears have ever heard, delivered with intensity of meaning and masterful vocal dynamics. Ditto regarding two classics from Les Miserables: “Stars” and “Bring Him Home.” The latter was a superb illustration of Lewis’ vocal range. He can glide from notes that touch on deep bass to countertenor with ease. High energy and splendid animation, with a command of the real estate of the stage, came with the demanding “Ya Got Trouble” from The Music Man.

Fun was part of the well-paced evening in a gender bender rendition of “Poor Unfortunate Souls” sung by Ursula the Sea Witch in The Little Mermaid. Lewis has played King Triton in the Broadway version of the musical. Reaching back into his young years, Lewis told of singing in his church choir and being inspired by The Wiz as a high schooler in central Florida. From that musical he offered a touching “Home” (attributed to Charlie Smalls, but one of three Wiz numbers written for Smalls by songwriter Larry Kerchner).

Closing out the evening, Lewis was mindful of a current world in turmoil. As the first groundbreaking African American to star in iconic roles, such as The Phantom, Lewis, is clear that inclusiveness is the way forward. Singing Ragtime’s “Make Them Hear You,” he advocates for an America that includes all people. A rousing, deeply heartfelt “What’s Going On” (Marvin Gaye, Al Cleveland, Renaldo Benson), written in 1971 and inspired by a specific act of police brutality, had the audience responding in equal measure to this impassioned musical prayer.

Most stirring though, was Lewis’ encore of “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” The hymn was written in 1905, first as a poem by James Weldon Johnson and set to music by J. Rosamund Johnson. These two Black brothers created a powerful work of beauty that became known as “The Negro National Anthem.” Dedicating the song to all people, Lewis sang it a cappella and unplugged, taking advantage of the remarkable acoustics of Carnegie Hall. The rousing standing ovation was one of many that occurred during the night. Returning to the microphone, the finale “What the World Needs Now Is Love” (Hal David, Burt Bacharach) closed out a concert that filled the Hall with music, joy and a good measure of rejoicing.

The very charismatic Steven Reineke, with a pizzazz all his own, led the Pops with aplomb throughout. Several exquisite instrumentals, such as selections from Jesus Christ Superstar and Sweeney Todd, allowed Lewis costume changes, while demonstrating the crisp, tight playing of the orchestra. Another plus in the high level of performance that the orchestra achieves includes the arrangements, which are consistently not only well-suited to the instrumentation, but which offer zest to each selection no matter the genre or tempo. Finally, a big bonus of One Night Only was the delightful chemistry between friends Lewis and Reineke, which included a short scene between the two from Les Miserables. When Reineke descended the podium and engaged with Lewis, it was astonishing; who knew he could act and sing like that! What an absolute treat.

Photos by Richard Termine