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ON MONDAYS THIS MONTH....Over at The Triad on West 72nd Street, the Broadway star LILLIAS WHITE is holding court. With plenty of musicals on her resume (Once On This Island, How To Succeed, Dreamgirls, The Life---she won the Tony for that last one) she is an exciting performer. The big-voiced lady does not rehash her Broadway bonanzas, however---at least she didn't go there the night I went there---though I heard she changes the set list almost as often as some people change their sheets. Sassy, earth-mother-y, funny, friendly and having a whale of a time, she clearly loves performing and has the confidence and class and mega-talent that spell "star." Whether wailing through the blues or getting down and dirty, doing schtick or touching the heart strings in a serious and open moment, she is a blast. You feel royally entertained. Unlike some singers who just blast you away with power, she's a blast because there's heart and joy in what she does.
It's not about showing off, though Lord knows she could just strut and belt and soar and get huge ovations. Her show is part of a series called JUST A PIANO -- communicative singers with only..you guessed it, piano accompaniment. She bites into her songs; the night I happily attended, we got everything from a heartbreaking "Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans?" to the rowdy, big fat song called "Big Fat Daddy" tale of the chubby chaser to That's All" and that's NOT all. As a special treat, Lillias shared a song written by her dear collaborator, the late Cy Coleman from a show he was working on at the end of his life, with lyrics by Marilyn and Alan Bergman. Also: a Stevie Wonder medley and "Summertime" (it's always Summer's Time in this series put together by the Triad's enthusiastic host/Renaissance man Lee Summers). Lillias also playfully told tales of being in an early bus and truck tour of The Wiz, being on Rosie O'Donnell's cruise with her little grandson, and tossed out other tidbits with a big, life-loving grin and ever-ready laugh.
The electric-bright White gives you a socko show that is also very life-affirming and, in moments, moving. She's highly recommended as is keeping an eye on the Triad and their eclectic offerings of all kinds of music and theatre. See www.TriadNYC.com.
