I was able to do interviews with both Rob Fisher and Kelli O'Hara beforehand on their American Songbook shows. Rob's show was on Friday night, and Kelli's took place on Saturday. Both were very, very well performed and excellently conceived as cabaret pieces.
In recognition of the 90th anniversary of Bernstein's birth, Fisher's show looked at about 80 minutes' worth of Bernstein material, with a sharp emphasis on ON THE TOWN and WONDERFUL TOWN. But the moment that really took my breath away from Gavin Creel singing "Simple Song" from MASS. Maybe it's time we revive that, as part of the upcoming Philharmonic/Carnegie Bernstein tribute?
Kelli's show began with Broadway material, offered as a kind of half-time show a duet with Vicki Clark, and concluded with a handful of songs from her new album. Her husband Greg Naughton came onstage to play guitar for the song he wrote for Kelli. She encored with "The Light in the Piazza." Surprisingly, no Rodgers & Hammerstein, and no mention about SOUTH PACIFIC.