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# REVIEW: Lillias White Sings Broadway @ The Crazy Coqs
- URL: https://www.scenemag.co.uk/review-lillias-white-sings-broadway-the-crazy-coqs/
- Published: 2022-04-25T14:00:38.000Z
- Updated: 2022-04-25T12:39:43.000Z
- Description: Brian Butler worships at the court of Broadway Royalty
- Author: Brian Butler
- Tags: Arts, Cabaret, Reviews, Crazy Coqs

I had never come across Tony Award-winner **Lillias White** before I saw her streamed cabaret from London’s **Crazy Coqs** last week. ‘Accompanied by’ doesn’t do justice to another legend – pianist **Billy Stritch** – who chats to her, sings with her and plays amazing piano to complement her prodigious singing talent.

The next surprise for me was some of her showtune choices. We get some standards like *Don’t Rain On My Parade* and *When You’re Good To Mama* but also the delightfully ingenue *I’v Gotta Crow* from *Peter Pan*, and the wickedly outrageous *The Oldest Profession* – a world-weary sex-worker’s lament from **Cy Coleman**’s *The Life*.

![](https://www.scenemag.co.uk/content/images/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/img_0805.jpg)

Sliced in between anecdotes of her career and love life, we get a marvellous rendition of *Never Never Land*, and *I Wanna Be Loved*, the latter from the **Dinah Washington** bio-musical *Dinah Was*.

Lillias’ great skill is her characterisation of songs, plus the breadth and depth of her vocal range. She can go from softly whispered love lyrics to full-on diva with all vocal guns blazing. It’s no surprise to learn in her chat that she was chosen to re-open Broadway post-Covid by reprising her role as Mamma Morton in *Chicago*. What a joyous night that must have been.

There are times when there’s more than a nod to Streisand, but in *Don’t Rain On My Parade*, she has in my mind more of an edge and sharpness to her voice that makes the song stronger. *Those Hands* is another Cy Coleman number which shows both her vocal dexterity but also Stritch’ s fantastic keyboard skills.

*I Am Changing* from *Dreamgirls*, which she appeared in to great acclaim, and *I Wanna Be Loved* are just pitch perfect and her rendition of *Somewhere* from *West Side Story* tears the heart .

A wonderful First Lady of musical theatre who needs to bring more shows to London for sure. Five-star evening of pure entertainment.

**Lillias White live stream is available to purchase until Thursday, April 28 with this link [https://tickets.artist-tix.com/tickets/series/CC22LWSB/lillias-white-sings-broadway-430201](https://tickets.artist-tix.com/tickets/series/CC22LWSB/lillias-white-sings-broadway-430201?fbclid=IwAR3Rp5xDLZd4S7rKa0JDPXVYtvkq6vncQWYMOox-WsmyiJmvvlDbhtqCaqU&ref=scenemag.co.uk)**