On June 3, as part of its Thursday evening sunset sets, Cherry’s on the Bay presented high quality entertainment, imported from Club Cumming in the East Village. Club Cumming artists had also played the Cherry Grove Community House several seasons ago.
The company here consisted of Maestro Lance Horne, at the Casio Privia keyboard and on vocals; Mark Aaron James, on guitar and vocals; Mya Byrne, on guitar and vocals; singers Genesis Collado, Chris Ruetten, and Ryan Ortega; Mark Olesko, on vocals, flute, and Privia; and Daniel “Shevy” Shevlin, on cello and vocals.
The performers' intense, rousing overture was Horne and Shevlin's ferocious title song from "Sweeney Todd," with contributions from Ruetten and James. A no-less wonderful "Belle," from "Beauty and the Beast" featured Horne and Shevlin, with assistance from Byrne and Collado.
The wide, baritenor range of "Finishing the Hat," from "Sunday in the Park with George," did not faze Ruetten. In her determined solo from "Mulan," Collado assured us "(There's no telling just) How Far I'll Go," with Olesko at the Privia and Shevlin on cello. Accompanying himself on guitar, with Byrne, on guitar, backing him up, James sang a yearning "Jolene," by Dolly Parton, and Byrne's solo, with soul, was "I Want a Little Sugar in My Bowl," by Nina Simone. Ortega, with drive, observed "(I've got a singular impression things are) Moving too Fast," from "The Last Five Years." Shevlin sang a moving "Alone," Heart's song, with Horne at the keyboard.
Others who joined the show and sang with Horne were this writer, with "Someone to Watch over Me," from "Oh, Kay!," and Jack, offering enthusiasm and bright sound in "Sing Happy," from "Flora the Red Menace."
Ruetten gave us "Out There," from "The Hunchback of Notre Dame," another song of intense yearning. Collado's next song was an expressive, beautifully sung "Part of Your World," from "The Little Mermaid," with instrumentalists Horne, Shevlin, and Olesko. "(Take me to your) River," Ortega exhorted, with Byrne on guitar and Shevlin on cello. "Help Me Make It through the Night" was singer and guitarist Byrne's lyrical request. Olesko's uplifting songs, sung in a polished light baritone, from the Privia, were "Magic to Do," from "Pippin," and in honor of Pride, "Rainbow High," from "Evita," with Collado, Shevlin, and the audience joining in.
James and Reutten favored us with their tender original song about "two boys ... fallen in love," which James, with Horne followed with a bravely loving "Fifty Percent," from "Ballroom." In an original song, Byrne proffered an encouraging word, about making it through the pandemic, thanks to taking things "on faith." Horne and Shevlin played a graceful "Le Cygne" (the swan), from Camille Saint-Saëns' "Carnival of the Animals," to lead into Collado's wistful, then plangent "Not a Day Goes By," from "Merrily We Roll Along," with Olesko, on flute. Ortega and Collado had the last word with "Suddenly Seymour," from "Little Shop of Horror," with Horne, along with Olesko, Shevlin, and the audience.
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