The Best Is Yet to Come

The Best Is Yet to Come is a stupidly charming evening of jazzy performances of the late Cy Coleman’s songs. There is no script. There is no concept. There are just six very game performers, an old school glittery jazz club set, and an eight piece band. Oh, and enthusiasm. There is A LOT of enthusiasm. One imagines the only advice ever offered by the director of the show was, “Smile bigger. Noooo, BIGGER!”

The result is a 90 minute dash through 30 songs with little room for reflection and even less for nuance. It is, however, a damned good time.

Listen, I will turn up at any event at which Lillias White will sing. Seeing her as Sonya in The Life, the musical about Times Square hookers in the 80’s (which I attended instead of going to my junior prom—say no more) was one of my best and most favorite early theater experiences. She won the Tony for the role, and I spent the 14 years since then religiously listening to the cast recording, particularly her number “The Oldest Profession” which was literally a showstopper. She sang it seated at a table, nursing her tired feet, and turned the song into a three act show of its own with big heart, lots of a humor, and her tremendous voice. She sings the song again in this show, and having the chance to see it from the second row (I was in the last row for The Life) was pretty damned remarkable. If she had also done that show’s “Someday is for Suckers,” I would have passed out.

She also does a duet of “Little Me” with Billy Stritch that showcases her in a much more restrained vocal performance and highlights just how much character there is in her voice and how she doesn’t need to depend just on powerhouse belting. Okay, she’s just flat out my favorite Broadway singer, so it’s no surprise that I think she overshadowed the rest of the cast. That said, the other folks were still very winning.

It would have been lovely if there was a bit more (read: any) information about Coleman strung throughout the evening. And the song selections were wonky: Sweet Charity’s “Big Spender” gets sandwiched into a medley for about 60 seconds, but we get full songs from musicals he never completed? And the whole evening does reek of cheese. And yet…I was delighted. I’d happily sit through it again.