In his return to NYC nightspot Feinstein’s/54 Below, actor and singer Mauricio Martínez, renowned in his native Mexico, on Broadway, and beyond for his concerts, albums, and acclaimed appearances on the stage and screen, made it clear that he was happy to be Back at 54th Street, a few blocks from his home, before a live audience and livestreaming followers around the world (including his mother in Spain) after having been unemployed for eighteen months during the pandemic. His fans were equally excited to have him back!
Appropriately, Martínez opened the show with an upbeat disco medley of “I’m So Excited/I Wanna Dance with Somebody,” switching it up and making it his own. Into that he inserted a snippet of “Rhythm Is Gonna Get You” (referencing his starring role as Emilio Estefan on Broadway and in the National Tour of On Your Feet!) and ended with a verrrrrrrry looooooooooong note that affirmed not only his amazing vocal control but also his charismatic personality and sense of humor, as he then jokingly gasped for breath and laughed.
Directed by Robbie Rozelle, who also co-wrote Mau’s open and honest between-song repartee, the show soon shifted to the heartfelt emotion of romantic ballads (feelings the singer compared to missing people and physical contact during the period of isolation, and to his own personal experiences of loving and losing), with a set list of twelve additional numbers (including an encore), encompassing pop music to show tunes and a duet segment with two special guests.
Among the evening’s highlights were “Til I Hear You Sing” (his mother’s favorite) from Love Never Dies, which he performed in Unmasked: The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber at NJ’s Paper Mill Playhouse – noting it was his last pre-pandemic show and making the witty observation, “Who knew?” Surely no one could have predicted that soon he would be masked, walking around NYC’s empty theater district, the memories of which launched him into a wistful bilingual rendition of “The Way We Were” (an iconic hit by his own favorite singer Barbra Streisand) followed by “The Impossible Dream” from Man of La Mancha.
And his signature passion and expressiveness kept on coming, through the heartrending break-up song “All I Ask” to the ebullient “Simply The Best” and the rest of his resonant solos on the beautiful “Walk with Me” from the new show Joy, Rodgers and Hammerstein’s slow-tempo “Something Wonderful” from The King and I (usually sung by a woman and still sung by Mau to a man), and more, backed by his simpatico five-piece band (Jerome Jennings on drums, Michael Blanko on bass, Craig Mangano on guitar, Eleanor Norton on cello, and Music Director Brian J. Nash on piano).
Between his numbers and direct-address interactions with the audience, Mau also welcomed two dear friends and frequent collaborators to the stage – composer, pianist, and fellow Monterrey, Mexico native Jaime Lozano (considered his mentor and “familia” by Mau); and singer, songwriter, and actor Marina Pires (his cast-mate from the National Tour of On Your Feet!) – for a pair of Lozano’s songs: “Morena, Cariño” from Children of Salt, with music by Lozano and lyrics by Lauren Epsenhart; and “DJ Can You Hear” from a new work in development, with music and lyrics by Lozano.
Aside from the trio’s affecting piano and vocals, the camaraderie they shared brought even more meaning and intensity to their performance. It should also be noted that Pires was a last-minute replacement for the originally scheduled guest vocalist who was ill, stepping in with just a few hours’ notice, relying on her sheet music for the new song, and still delivering an intimate and harmonious duet with Martínez. The show must go on, and thankfully it did! At the end of the concert, the enthusiastic audience requested “otra,” and Mau obliged, leaving everyone “Levitating.” It was the perfect conclusion to his glorious return to 54th Street.
Running Time: Approximately 70 minutes, without intermission.
Mauricio Martínez: Back at 54th Street played on Thursday, March 4, at 7 pm, at Feinstein’s/54 Below, 254 West 54th Street, cellar, NYC.
