Lesli hails as Queen of NYC!

She may be currently starring in Show Boat in East Haddam, CT but last night in NYC, the Queen arrived. Not a drag queen, not a gay guy but a real-live woman, who’s NYC Cabaret debut was a triumph! LA-based performer Lesli Margherita is no stranger to the stage. She’s an Olivier Award-winner for Zorro in the West End (pictured right) and has starred in Kiss Me, Kate, She Loves Me, Little Shop of Horrors and more. When you walk down the stairs to the Midtown Theatre, you have officially entered Queen Lesli’s court, and she won’t let you forget it! Margherita’s onstage persona is a delicious Diva with a capitol “D.” If Karen Walker were royalty, she still wouldn’t be as fabulous as Queen Lesli. As she says in the opening, “You are so lucky to be here tonight, to see me!” 

The evening, written and conceived by the Queen herself, is a wonderful mix of showtunes, standards and pop music, all sung with Lesli’s booming, yet soulful voice. Her adorable onstage keyboardist and MD Brett Ryback provides excellent arrangements to make the evening extra special. Ryback leads four other well-rehearsed musicians, or “The 8-Balls Band.”

In the show Lesli relives funny moments in her life, like when she went on for Ariel last minute (In a Disney Park’s version of The Little Mermaid), and the costume guy kept saying, “I only have Seashells not D-shells!” Or like when she won her Olivier Award [the British Tony Award] and acted super silly at the ceremony. Not to mention the hysterical bit when the Queen provides the “3 Easy Steps to Winning an Olivier.” She ends the evening with a beautiful message while singing a song by Queen. 

And of course like any “gay” show, there are three cute chorus boys, Stephen Carrasco, Ian Liberto and Tim McGarrigal who dance to Connor Gallagher’s uber-gay choreogrpahy, and two fabulous backup singers Robin DeLano and Kat Hennessey. As New Yorkers we should all say “Thanks” to brother-sister producers Jordan and Lauren Bass for bringing this incredible talent to our stage.

This is an evening for gays, theatre people and anyone likes to laugh (a lot). It’ll leave you wondering which show will bring her to Broadway, and when will she win that Tony. Don’t miss her final performance this evening, Aug 9 at 10:00 PM, in NYC. 

[Buy tickets to All Hail the Queen (Hail Yes!) on Aug 9 in NYC]

[See Lesli as Julie in Show Boat at Goodspeed Opera House thru Sept 17]

By Paul Winkler, paulwinklerblog.com