By Andrew Poretz***The exquisite Melissa Errico–a word encompassing everything she is–brought her latest show, Broadway Baby–from Manhasset to Manhattan & Beyond, to 54 Below for four nights. She had a special guest (and a surprise or two) for each performance. For her second show, she had legendary 
composer Stephen Schwartz as her billed special guest, with surprise appearances by trumpeter Benny Benack III and guitarist JC Mailliard.
The star made her entrance in a wine-colored, sequined gown that appeared nearly copper under the 54 Below lights. Though it was a “cheap” gown (she said), its belt was designed by her friend, the Broadway costume maker Eric Winterling. Errico was supported by pianist Tedd Firth, bassist David Finck and drummer Marc McLean. All three are also accomplished jazz musicians, which lent more of a jazz feel to the evening.
Errico’s opened with an suite of songs with unexpected arrangements, starting with a fast and peppy “Watch What Happens” (Michel Legrand, Norman Gimbel), with Firth’s hands blazing. “Come Rain or Come Shine” (Harold Arlen, Johnny Me
rcer) was played as a rhumba, followed by a surprisingly jazzy medley of “Wouldn’t It Be Loverly” (Frederick Loewe, Alan Jay Lerner) and “My Favorite Things” (Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein II).
With the mood set, the star’s funny opening monologue told of her upbringing as a Long Island girl from Manhasset (“An old Indian name for Exit 36”) with a lifetime love of musical theater, whose Taylor Swift-loving daughter has claimed, “Nobody knows who Sondheim is!”
With marvelous humor and timing, Errico read from a 1927 New York Times article about her Aunt Rose, plucked from obscurity as a waitress to become a Ziegfield Girl at age 18. Continuing in a playful mood, Errico sang “Confession” (Arthur Schwartz/Howard Dietz), a song filled with wonderfully provocative turns of phrase. Her humor and timing were impeccable.
With a Sondheim album coming out, Errico’s coquettish charm on “Can That Boy Fox Trot” (Follies) was delicious, making the title seem positively naughty by her long pause between “fox” and “trot.” Here, Firth and company were at their jazziest best.
Bassist David Finck made Errico’s introduction to Legrand more than 20 years ago, and the star made an album with the composer some years ago. “I have it here,” she deadpanned. On Legrand’s “The Windmills of Your Mine” (lyrics by Alan and Marilyn Bergman), she unwound the song slowly, rubato, then in a Latin-infused rhythm that took full advantage of Mark Mclean’s formidable percussion skills. The song took multiple twists and turns in style and rhythm, a Tedd Firth trademark.
The biggest show highlight came with the presence arrival of Tony-nominated and Oscar and Grammy-winning composer Stephen 
Schwartz for a song trilogy. Schwartz wrote the scores for such Broadway shows as Godspell, Pippin, and Wicked, the latter of which recently celebrated its 20th anniversary on Broadway. Schwartz, an accomplished pianist, took over from Firth to join Errico on “Meadowlark” (The Baker’s Wife) and “For Good” (Wicked). Schwartz is a true accompanist, keenly watching Melissa and supporting her completely. Her dramatic delivery was strong, passionate and sure. Finck’s bass perfectly matched Schwartz’s piano bass clef notes to serve as a powerful tympanic punch to this purportedly unrehearsed gem.
The pair ended this segment with “For Good” (Wicked). An early flub of the lyric “my life” instead of “our lives” prompted Errico to ask for a do-over, “In case this goes viral.” In this stunning, soft ballad, Schwartz sang a duet with her, and she became visibly teary.
Guitarist JC Mailliard joined Errico for a pair of spotlight songs, including Joni Mitchell’s “Night Ride Home.” Errico has been taking flamenco dance lessons, and taught the audience a flamenco clap. She recently learned that Mailliard happens to play flamenco guitar. The dreadlocked guitarist played a magnificent, flamenco-tinged introduction to “Take Me to the World,” from Sondheim’s 1966 TV oddity “Evening Primrose.” The whole thing was a bit inspired, and Errico, who showed off her new flamenco dance shoes, did a bit of dancing mid-song. Mailiard remained on stage for the rest of the set.
It’s always a treat when Benny Benack II shows up. A favorite of this writer for several years, Benack is a terrific trumpeter and vocalist. Fresh off a plane, the young man with a horn swung to the stage for the show’s title song, Sondheim’s “Broadway Baby” from Follies.
After a several more Sondheim numbers to close her set, Errico called back to her earlier Taylor Swift comment with a brief segment of Swift’s “You Need to Calm Down,” then brought back Stephen Schwartz, joined by Benack and Mailliard, to take everyone home with a rousing Schwartz “Day by Day” from Godspell, to which the audience happily sang along.
Photos by David Kenas
