By Michael Barbieri****Running in Place, the title of Sierra Rein’s show at The Laurie Beechman Theatre, might very well be a misnomer, because from what I saw and heard, she is a charming, energetic performer who’s really going places!
Sierra Rein is a multi-talented singer/actor who came to New York from California in 2008. Since then, she’s proven herself adept at singing everything from cabaret, Broadway, pop, and the Great American Songbook. She’s appeared in numerous regional theater productions such as Little Shop of Horrors, The Sound of Music, and The Pajama Game. Most recently, she’s been Disney-fied, performing for Disney Cruise Lines in roles as diverse as Ursula from The Little Mermaid, various Moms and notorious Godmothers, and even a swashbuckling pirate! Additionally, she is a part of the MAC Award-winning close-harmony vocal group, Marquee Five.
At the top of the show, Rein broke beautifully from the starting line with “Right Hand Man,” from Broadway’s Something Rotten. Her strong, confident vocal grabbed me from the first few notes, coming across as warm, engaging and instantly likable. Her next number, “Come On-a My House,” by Ross Bagdasarian and William Saroyan, showed off a playful flirtatiousness, starting with an ad-lib opening that transitioned into a sexier tempo—with the band adding a musical nod to Coleman and Fields’ “Big Spender.” At the end of the number, however, they all kicked into the familiar folksy uptempo feel, with Rein belting out the ending impressively!
Running in Place seemed to be a documentation of her years in New York, with her openness and honesty informing many of her song choices, making them very relatable. She spoke of her ten-year anniversary of arriving in the city and of the adventures and misadventures she’d had. This led into a sweetly self-effacing “Very Good Advice,” from Alice in Wonderland, in which she sang “I give myself very good advice, but I very seldom follow it. That explains the trouble that I’m always in.” And Rein’s acting chops came into play with Craig Carnelia’s “Nothing Really Happened,” a lovely ballad that evoked the sadness, confusion and longing stemming from a missed opportunity for romance.
Rein spoke of how, as children, our parents fill our heads with stories in order to shield us from the realities of the world. She then segued into a jazzy arrangement of Dave Frishberg’s “Bilzzard of Lies,” which illustrated her point with examples of the B.S. to which we’re subjected on a daily basis, such as “Your check is in the mail;” Your secret’s safe with me;” “I’ll love you, darling, ‘til I die;” “We’ll keep your name on file” and so forth. For Dan Martin and Michael Biello’s “Table 3,” she donned a waitress’ apron and a pair of glasses to bring us the often humorous realities of being a server in NYC. Throughout the number, customers drive her crazier and crazier with their inane demands, but the only thing that keeps her sane is fantasizing about the dreamy man at Table 3. This song, in particular, showed off her comedic abilities, her bold, brassy alto, her formidable belt and her excellent diction. Every laugh line in the wordy, uptempo song landed perfectly, making it one of the standout numbers in the show!
We heard Jeff Blumenkrantz’s “Take the Filter Off,” wherein Rein discovered the secret to finding true love: Take a step back and stop being so judgmental! The rocking feel of the number, and the wonderful howl in Rein’s upper register, made this number a showstopper! The comedic “Baltimore,” by Zina Goldrich and Marcy Heisler brought more laughs and her wistfully romantic, yet confident delivery of Dietz and Schwartz’s “By Myself” brought to mind the elegant girl singers of the big bands of the 1940s.
After telling us of her life aboard a Disney Cruise liner, the frenetic pace of Kander and Ebb’s “Running in Place,” from Steel Pier, described Rein’s frustration with constantly working, trying and, yes, running—but never seeming to move forward in life. That was followed, however, by two other notable selections, “The Climb,” by Jessi Alexander and Jon Mabe, and Stephen Sondheim’s “Move On,” from Sunday in the Park with George, both of which spoke to believing in your dreams and then pursuing and achieving them at all costs. In both these pieces Rein surprised me by moving well beyond her normal vocal range into a powerful soprano, and while one of those higher phrases went a bit sharp, the numbers were still powerful, emotional and beautifully sung!
While Rein’s show was a standard tale of a performer trying to make it in the big city, what made Running in Place remarkable and fresh was just how well the show was constructed. Rein’s song choices were inspired and Musical Director Bill Zeffiro’s arrangements were appropriately stirring. They were played superbly by Rex Benincasa on drums, Matt Scharfglass on bass and Zeffiro himself at the keys. Director James Beaman kept Rein’s stage movements varied and visually interesting.
If Sierra Rein stops running long enough to bring back this thoroughly entertaining show, it’s definitely one worth catching. If, however, true to her nature, she moves on to another cabaret project, I look forward eagerly to whatever’s next for this powerhouse performer!
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