Ben Cameron and Broadway Sessions Beach Party returned with a bang, to the Ice Palace, after a short hiatus, on August 14 with wonderful guests, cabaret’s show-stopping Molly Pope and “The Lion King’s” Jelani Remy. Pianist Brian Nash and DJ Chuck McTague assisted.
After Ben and Brian started off the evening with “Circle of Life,” from “Lion King,” Jelani sang a zesty “Magic to Do,” from “Pippin,” followed by a romantic “All of Me (loves all of you),” to his lover Jesse, who responded with “Waving Through a Window,” from “Dear Evan Hansen.”
Molly took the stage for an unusually swinging “I Dreamed a Dream,” a touching “Royals” as something of a sing-along, and a wrenching “The Man that Got Away.”
To kick off the open mic list, I sang “Losing My Mind,” from “Follies,” in memory of Barbara Cook, and Mike Vasco offered “For Forever,” from “Dear Evan Hansen.” Ben got us all singing “Tomorrow,” from “Annie;” then Josh sang “On the Street Where You Live,” from “My Fair Lady;” and Molly came back to promote “Me and My Town,” from “Anyone Can Whistle.” Tammy Spanx belted out “(One day) Out There,” from “The Hunchback of Notre Dame;” Ben and I assisted Nicky with her “I Am What I Am,” from “La Cage aux Folles;” Sam sang “Santa Fe,” from “Newsies;” and Fred Barton sang and played his lusty “Pour Me a Man.”
Jelani led us in a sing-along of “Can’t Take My Eyes off of You;” Molly returned to “Follies” for an ebullient “Broadway Baby;” Jelani, as Sarah, collaborated with Corey, as Coalhouse, on a terrific “Wheels of a Dream,” from “Ragtime;” and we all joined Jelani, Molly, and Ben for “Seasons of Love,” from “Rent.”