REVIEW: NIGHT LIFE EXCHANGE
By Michael Portantiere***Maybe the best news about Sean McDermott: The Best of Me!, recently seen at 54 Below, is that the star’s voice is in phenomenal shape. One might say he sounds amazing for his age, but more accurate phrasing is that he sounds amazing for any age; McDermott’s present vocal prowess would be thrilling even if he were still as young as he was when he burst upon the scene lo so many years ago.
He made his Broadway debut in the late 1980s, cast in the ensemble and as an understudy in Starlight Express. He then had a brief but impressive string of successes as a replacement in the plum roles of Chris in Miss Saigon, Whizzer in Falsettos and Danny Zuko in the ’90s revival of Grease. At 54 Below, McDermott’s tenor sounded, if anything, even richer and more powerful than when I was lucky enough to have seen and heard him live in those shows. He’s a very persuasive interpreter of lyrics, his sense of dynamics is unerring, and his remarkable ability to handle vocal crescendi and diminuendi so skillfully is quite something to hear.
The program opened with a bit of “The Best of Me,” a sweet song written expressly for McDermott, leading into “Once in a Lifetime” from Stop the World…I Want to Get Off (Bricusse, Newley). When he sang a fuller version of “The Best of Me” later in the evening, McDermott revealed that it was tailor-made for him by his partner, Gip Clark, who seems to be quite talented in that area.
Great songs of various provenance were heard as the evening progressed: “The Best Is Yet to Come” (Coleman, Fields) was followed by “Sway,” aka “¿Quién será? “(Ruiz and Demetrio, here sung in the English language version with lyrics by Norman Gimbel), followed by a neat melding of “Lullaby of Broadway” (Warren, Dubin) and “On Broadway” (Mann, Weil) fashioned primarily along the lines of the classic Leiber & Stoller arrangement of the latter.
The next four items offered were all from musicals, but each distinctive in style: “Loving You” from Passion (Sondheim), “Sometimes a Day Goes By” from Woman of the Year (Kander, Ebb), “What More Can I Say?” from Falsettos (Finn), and “Why, God, Why?” from Miss Saigon(Boublil, Schönberg). The Falsettos number was a special delight to hear in McDermott’s voice, since, as he told the audience, he did not get to sing that tender ballad in the show but, rather, had it sung to him by Mandy Patinkin while lying in his arms in bed for performance after performance.
A highlight of the act’s home stretch was a fantastic arrangement by Mark Chait and Ivan Koutikov of “Danny Boy” (originally the traditional “Londonderry Air,” transformed in 1913 when Frederic Weatherly set lyrics to it), in a style that sounded like a bossa nova beat. (That may seem odd, but it worked, at least on a musical level.) Even more successful was McDermott’s takes on “This Is the Moment” from Jekyll & Hyde(Wildhorn, Bricusse) and “Defying Gravity” from Wicked (Schwartz), cleverly presented as yet another melding.
A heartfelt encore, “In My Life” (Lennon, McCartney) capped the evening very well both musically and thematically. Throughout the show, McDermott was expertly supported by musical director-pianist Ron Abel, guitarist Sean Harkness, drummer Ray Marchica and bassist Tom Hubbard.
REVIEW: CARAET SCENES
Sean McDermott: The Best of Me!
Reviewed by Jacqueline Parker
Photo by Maryann Lopinto
With a commanding voice characteristic of legendary Irish tenors, Sean McDermott entered the room from the bar area, almost insisting that the audience turn to see him. From that moment on, it seemed impossible to look at anything else but him. This didn’t require much persuasion; his roguish good looks, replete with dimples and a charming smile, have made his presence on television, film, and Broadway stages virtually inevitable.
McDermott began the evening with the familiar anthem-esque “Once in a Lifetime” (Anthony Newley/Leslie Bricusse), as he walked slowly through the crowd and then finished on stage. His sensitivity to the lyric was especially evident, with emphasis on words that, while familiar, seem to have been neglected after hearing his rendition. For those who have not had the “moment” referred to in the opening number, they were reassured when he sang “The Best Is Yet to Come” (Cy Coleman/Carolyn Leigh).
McDermott peppered the evening with tales of singing with Barbra Streisand and performing with Mandy Patinkin. Several times that he mentioned how much he loved performing for an audience; that was totally unnecessary. He made that point palpably clear from the moment he began; he seemed incapable of not greeting people without a handshake or pat. He was fully engaged with his fans and even selected a lady to dance with him while he sang the seductive “Sway” (Norman Gimbel/Pablo Beltrán Ruiz/Luis Demetrio).
His selections spanned the breadth of popular songs with clarity and purpose, from songwriters such as Harry Warren and Al Dubin to John Lennon and Paul McCartney. Mini-medley selections of “Loving You” (Stephen Sondheim)/“Sometimes a Day Goes By” (John Kander & Fred Ebb), and “This Is the Moment” (Frank Wildhorn/Leslie Bricusse)/“Defying Gravity” (Stephen Schwartz) were thoughtfully and perfectly matched.
Echoing the title of his show, McDermott told the attendees “The best of me is giving all I’ve got,” and he delivered on that statement. He seemed to channel every ounce of energy within himself to give us the performance he wanted us to have, the one we needed. And can that man hold a note! He held the final notes of a few songs held so high and long that it seemed humanly impossible.
He expressed his gratitude throughout the show—to his team onstage (Sean Harkness on guitar, Tom Hubbard on bass, Ray Marchica on drums, and music director/pianist Ron Abel), and several times to his audience as well. It is we who should be thanking him for a memorable and rewarding evening at 54 Below.
Sean McDermott’s THE BEST OF ME at 54 Below
Sean McDermott. Photo credit: Maryann Lopinto
Sean McDermott. Photo credit: Maryann Lopinto
Sean McDermott. Photo credit: Maryann Lopinto
Sean McDermott. Photo credit: Maryann Lopinto
Sean McDermott. Photo credit: Maryann Lopinto
Sean McDermott. Photo credit: Maryann Lopinto
Sean McDermott. Photo credit: Maryann Lopinto
Sean McDermott. Photo credit: Maryann Lopinto
REVIEW: BROADWAY WORLD CABARET By: Rebecca KaplanFeb. 02, 2026
The Broadway veteran (Miss Saigon, Falsettos, Starlight Express, and Grease) returned to 54 on January 18 and 20
He opened the show with “Once In a Lifetime” by Newley and Bricusse from Stop the World, starting at the bar and making his way to the stage and going into “The Best Is Yet To Come” by Coleman and Leigh. We knew we were in for a treat. He told us being an Irish Tenor, he had to sing “Danny Boy” and boy did he sing it, wow!
He sang “Sway” in a Cha Cha beat, danced with a lady in the audience, and if there was room I would have danced the Cha Cha too. His best friend wrote him a song “The Best of Me,” and it was really special.
He treated us to some great Broadway songs. “Lullabye of Broadway” (Warren and Dubin) from 42nd Street, “Loving You” from Passion (Sondheim) together with “Sometimes a Day Goes By” from Women of the Year (Kander and Ebb). He sang “Being Alive” from Company by Sondheim and “This Is the Moment” from Jekyll and Hyde by Wildhorn, Bricusse and Cuden, together with “Defying Gravity” from Wicked by Stephen Schwartz. All but one were performed by male actors, and Sean would be so perfect in all of these roles. He closed the show with “In My Life” by Lennon and McCartney.
We were told his biggest thrill was being part of Barbra Streisand’s show in Europe. The concert featured Music Director Ron Abel on piano, Sean Harkness on guitar, Tom Hubbard on bass and Ray Marchica on drums.
We learned that he made his Broadway debut in Weber’s Starlight Express as a replacement. He replaced the star who played Chris in Miss Saigon, and sang “Why God Why” by Claude-Michel Schonberg and Alain Boubill so beautifully. He also was in Falsettos by William Finn but did not sing a song he sang; it was sung to him by Mandy Patinkin as he was lying in his arms dying – “What More Can I Say” – and it would bring tears in his eyes every performance, and it did to the audience tonight at 54 Below.
Sean McDermott. Photo credit: Maryann Lopinto
The Broadway veteran (Miss Saigon, Falsettos, Starlight Express, and Grease) returned to 54 on January 18 and 20
SEAN MCDERMOTT AT 54 BELOW FOR MY NEW SHOW: “THE BEST OF ME”
ON JANUARY 18 & 20 2026 AT 7PM FOR TICKETS GO TO:
https://54below.org/events/sean-mcdermott-my-broadway-2/
THE BIRDLAND SHOW WAS A SELLOUT!!!
https://birdlandjazz.com/event/sean-mcdermott-cassidy-place-in-the-theater/
My top of the show guest star (role “Griffin Shaw”) on Law & Order SVU Aired Thursday March 14th 10/9c. Check out my episode on my youtube channel. https://vimeo.com/344006503
Sean just off a highly successful production of “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” playing Lawrance Jameson
Sean Jumps into “Hell is for Real” as Lucifer for The 2015 Fringe Festival (go to Video page and see a performance)
Industry readings of Jonathan Van Dyke’s Spring at The Willowbrook Inn will be presented Nov. 19-20 in Manhattan.
The readings will feature the talents of four-time Olympic champion Greg Louganis (Jeffrey), Sean McDermott (Miss Saigon, Silence! The Musical), Jason Patrick Sands (Chicago) and Justin Lore (Forbidden Broadway, Disney’s “Finding Nemo”).
Directed by Scott Wojcik and conceived by Doug Evans, Willowbrook Inn was the winner of the Outstanding Production Award as well as Outstanding Lead Actor in a Play (Jason Patrick Sands) at the Fresh Fruit Festival 2012.
The play, according to press notes, “follows the lives of Cooper Stanwyk and Joshua Hill from their first meeting in 1967 at a motivational conference. This unlikely pair develop a deep relationship based on mutual understanding and love as their lives unfold separately. Through correspondence and decades of meeting at the Willowbrook they become a pivotal role in each other’s lives, supporting each other through the unpredictable events each one faces.”
Murder. Greed. Corruption. Violence. Exploitation. Adultery. Treachery. Set amidst the razzle-dazzle decadence of the 1920s, CHICAGO is the story of Roxie Hart, a housewife and nightclub dancer who maliciously murders her on-the-side lover. Desperate to avoid conviction, she dupes the public, the media and her rival cellmate, Velma Kelly, by hiring Chicago’s slickest criminal lawyer to transform her malicious crime into a barrage of sensational headlines, the likes of which might just as easily be ripped from today’s tabloids.
Sean will be playing high powered defense lawyer BILLY FLYNN in North Shore Music Theater’s Production of CHICAGO September 23 thru October 5 2014
March 7, 2014
On March 20th Sean will open as Mike Brady in this hysterical new comedy “The Bardy Bunch”
A New Musical Situation Comedy of Errors!
Written by Stephen Garvey and Directed by Jay Stern
In the summer of 1974, the Brady and Partridge Families, recently canceled by ABC and no longer under America’s watchful eye, met in a blood-soaked, passion-filled, vengeance-fueled, very special episode of Shakespearean proportions.
Please go to http://www.thebardybunch.com/ for show times and tickets.
January 14, 2013
Sean is recreating the famed role of Hannibal Lecter in the award winning Off-Broadway hit Silence! The Musical.
Performances begin on January 19,2013 at Time Scare NYC’s
ElektraTheater 673 8th Ave, between 42nd and 43rd street in NYC.
For showtimes and more info go to http://www.silencethemusicalnyc.com/
July 6, 2012
Hello everyone,
I will be heading to New York in couple of days to do two readings at the New York Musical Theatre Festival (see below). I am excited to be back in New York and hope to see some of you there.
Sean
AFFAIR OF HONOUR
A new musical by William F. Reed
New York Music Theatre Festival reading
July 15 and 17, 2012
AFFAIR OF HONOUR is an epic historical musical that centers around the relationship between Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton, who are both caught up in the maelstrom of the American revolution. Their story, which culminates in the infamous duel, is a rich saga of friendship, contempt, and envy. Their personal stories, and their personal grief, is absolutely mindboggling. Paul Anthony Stewart (CYRANO – THE MUSICAL, FIDDLER ON THE ROOF) and Sean McDermott (MISS SAIGON, FALSETTOS) star as Burr and Hamilton, alongside Linda Balgord (THE PIRATE QUEEN, CATS), Catherine Blades (BYE BYE BIRDIE), Summer Broyhill (HAIRSPRAY), Josh Adam Davis (ODYSSEY), James Judy (INTO THE WOODS, SCARLET PIMPERNEL), Rob Lorey (BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, ASPECTS OF LOVE), Zal Owen (FIDDLER ON THE ROOF tour), Robert Sella (CABARET, SIDE MAN), and Elena Shaddow (LA CAGE AUX FOLLES, NINE). Leah Bonvissuto is the Associate DIrector. Milton Granger (MARY POPPINS, THE WOMAN IN WHITE, CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG, LOVEMUSIK) rules the pit.
HUNGARIAN NIGHTS
A new musical by Cheryl Kemeny and Mariner Pezza
New York Music Theatre Festival reading
July 24 and 26, 2012
Cheryl and Mariner have merged the worlds of 19th century Hungarian aristocracy, the last fleeting days of traveling gypsy troupes, reincarnated love, and the mystery of the undead into an improbably romantic musical that soars to the highest Carpathian mountaintop. Sean McDermott (MISS SAIGON, FALSETTOS) and Josefina Scaglione (Maria in WEST SIDE STORY) star as the ill-fated lovers whose search for each other’s souls spans five centuries. Jennifer Sanchez (GHOST, WEST SIDE STORY), Dan Sharkey (THE MUSIC MAN, THE FANTASTICKS), and Dave Anthony Vogel (CHICAGO), star alongside Cidalia Alves, Adam Bashian, Joe Longthorne, Elizabeth Markow, Robert Lance Mooney, Christiana Rodi, Benjamin Edward Simpson, and Julie Thomas and under the baton of musical dynamo Aaron Gandy (THE LION KING, URINETOWN). Leah Bonvissuto is the Associate Director.