Jeremy Jordan: Breaking Character
Jeremy Jordan
Breaking Character
Feinstein’s at the Nikko, San Francisco, CA, June 12, 2015
Reviewed by Steve Murray for Cabaret Scenes
Jeremy Jordan, besides being a very talented performer, can also add heartthrob to his list of credentials. Before a sold-out audience composed mainly of millennials whose adoration knows no bounds, Jordan sailed through material that won him his fame, as well as original material that will solidify his acclaim for years to come.
Jordan and Musical Director Benjamin Rauhala were clearly having a ball, playing games and taking audience questions. While I found the format a bit distracting, once Jordan got to singing, I couldn’t help but be impressed with his vocal talents. Opening with “Everything’s Coming Up Roses” (Sondheim/Styne) from Gypsy (with special lyrics added by Jordan), he performed a few original songs—“Breathe Again” (Jordan/Michael Mott); “Hold On” (Jordan/Matthew Puckett)—that showed off his R&B pop/rock influences. His beautiful “Naked” (also written with Puckett) sings of liberation in “shedding layers of yourself.”
Jordan is youthful and energetic onstage and has the pipes to be a major Broadway player (he’s got one Tony nom under his belt for Newsies). He displayed those talents on a Sondheim medley of “Loving You” (Passion)/“So Many People” (Saturday Night)/“Maria” (West Side Story, with Leonard Bernstein’s music)” and a sweet rendition of “Neverland” (Scott Frankel and Michael Korie) from the original London production of Finding Neverland. (Jordan played the lead in the American Repertory Theater production of the show.)
Category: Cabaret Reviews, Regional, San Francisco, San Francisco Cabaret Reviews
