Michael Musto-OUT MAGAZINE
I’ve got some other terrific divas for you. Vivian Reed is a two-time Tony nominee (for Bubbling Brown Sugar and The High Rollers Social and Pleasure Club) who’s better described as a force of nature. With a rich voice full of astounding notes and range, she takes a fiery approach, bathing us in the joy of full-throttle musicalizing. I just saw Vivian do her “Standards & More” show at the Metropolitan Room, where she haunted with “Losing My Mind, tore it up with “You Can Have My Husband,” and got a standing ovation after her sizzling “Sweet Georgia Brown (which she did in Bubbling Brown Sugar). How often do you see a standing ovation in the middle of a cabaret act? And when else can a star come into the audience to sing an a cappella “More” (sans microphone) that captivates on command? Vivian—who came from a classical background and is a voice coach by day—also has a direct and natural persona between songs, so her talking is as good as her singing. The whole package put me to thinking that this is our new Nina Simone. But she also scores on “Believe in Yourself” from The Wiz, which was done in the movie by Lena Horne, making me extra excited to know that promoter/producer Daniel Nardicio is going to star Vivian in a Lena Horne tribute show at Lincoln Center next year. (photo by Alan Mercer)
