ADRIENNE WARREN IS, INDEED, SIMPLY THE BEST
The second of a three Beyond Broadway concert series was headlined by Tony-winner Adrienne Warren. I have followed Warren since 2016 when I saw her in Bring It On: The Musical and continued singing her praises after catching her electrifying and star-making performance as Tina Turner in Tina: The Musical, both in London and on Broadway. Imagine my delight when it was announced she was coming to Houston for a one-night-only concert, an intimate evening of music. Think “54 Below” cabaret meets one-woman show, with Warren there to play. Blending a lovely and lyrical combination of pop, jazz, Broadway and personal reflection, I was delightfully enchanted by the one-of-a-kind songstress.
A minimalist set consisting of a single Steinway & Sons piano and a few scattered area rugs, pianist Michael Mitchell and Warren opened with George Benson’s “On Broadway,” setting the tone for an evening of covers, showtunes and personal anecdotes. Not bad for a self-described “girl from Chesapeake, Virginia” whose parents were great music lovers. A stunning rendition of Etta James’ “At Last” and the standard “My Funny Valentine” quickly followed. Two weeks to the day before cupid shoots his arrow, that date wasn’t lost on the entertainer.
Between each number, Warren shared stories from her childhood, career and family. Her parents were both coaches who dutifully drove their daughter to countless rehearsals, dance and voice lessons and games—she was a basketball player. She described her father as a “six-foot-two, big, beautiful Black man, also a fan of Elton John and James Taylor.” She titled the next vignette of her show “Parents’ Radio” as she delighted with a subtle version of Taylor’s “Fire and Rain”, a stunning rendition of Anita Baker’s “Sweet Love” and teased Tina Turner’s familiar rasp on Al Green’s “Let’s Stay Together”. An impromptu audience sing-along concluded that particular classic. “My parents are so cool” she cooed, and also shared they were instrumental in her “falling in love with the arts and music.”
Known as a soprano, Warren described herself as an alto, which inspired her father to exclaim “you’re a jazz singer.” As a thank you, Warren recently appeared at The Carlyle Club in New York City, singing a night of jazz for her father. “Listen to your parents” Warren shared before singing enchanting renditions of Billie Holiday’s “Good Morning Heartache” and Lena Horne’s “Stormy Weather.” In a reference to Wicked and The Wiz, the star quipped, “I love you Ariana, but Lena Horne was MY Glinda.”
Proving herself human, there was an unintentional misstep in the lyrics of her next song, “Music and the Mirror” from A Chorus Line. Stopping in the middle of the second verse she exclaimed, “I did this wrong. Crap. Michael, start over.” After a quick giggle and an effortless restart, Warren did songwriters Ed Kleban and Marvin Hamlisch proud.
“Being an athlete gave me discipline” the singer shared; however an unexpected injury took her from basketball to Broadway. “Everything works out” she exclaimed. Before her next song, “A New Life”—first sung by Linda Eder for Frank Wildhorn & Leslie Bricusse’s musical Jekyll & Hyde—Warren shared she “fell in love with Linda Eder’s voice” and spent hours singing along to the cast recording. She said her “parents gave me a singing curfew, 9 pm” on school nights.
This concert was performed on February 1, a date whose significance was not lost on the artist. It is, after all, the first day of Black History Month. Warren shared the story where, as a child, she ended up being the first African-American to play “Annie” in a national tour in the United States. “At 10, I made Black History”—a statement met with great cheers and applause. The sun really did come out “tomorrow” for this talented chanteuse.
Warren sang lead on the holiday tour of American heavy metal band The Trans-Siberian Orchestra—no small feat at just 19 years old—and worked it for college credit, no less. Brimming with chutzpa, Warren next shimmed across the stage belting Damn Yankees‘ “Whatever Lola Wants”, blending the Gwen Verdon and Bebe Neuwirth versions with her own unique flair. Next up professionally, she was the understudy for Dorothy, covering for pop singer Ashanti in a restaging of The Wiz. While not getting to perform that role much—Ashanti rarely missed a show—Warren engaged the audience with a captivating rendition of the show’s signature ballad, “Home.”
After graduation, Warren was cast in 2012’s Bring It On: The Musical and 2016’s Shuffle Along but didn’t perform anything from either show at The Hobby Center as she didn’t have the “requisite cheer squad or tap shoes” to do either show justice. Keeping a flapper’s flair, next up was a jazz-fused version of “Keepin’ Out Of Mischief Now” from Ain’t Misbehavin’.
During her time at Shuffle Along, a script was sent to her for a new show titled Tina. After workshops, and an extended trip abroad to play the part on The West End in London, it was time to return to Broadway, this time as the lead. Warren said she knew this sounded pretentious, but—after a rousing version of Turner’s classic “Simply the Best”—proudly exclaimed “Tina Turner was my mentor” and an “incredible human being”
Warren’s world changed overnight due to the pandemic. “COVID shut everything down.” During her off time, she filmed Women of the Movement playing Mamie Till-Mobley to solid reviews, if not ratings. She quipped “oh, you were the two who watched” when scattered applause broke out at her mention of the ABC televised project.
Once Broadway productions resumed almost two years later, Warren returned to Tina; for her Herculean efforts, she was awarded the Tony for Best Actress in a Musical in 2020. “At the Tony’s with my parents, and they called my name, it all made sense.” A lifetime of work to be an “overnight sensation.” Each stepping stone leading up to this moment. You could still see the sense of pride on her face as she recalled the experience.
Performing one more song from that show, “River Deep Mountain High”, it was time for playful audience participation. Mimicking some of the show’s choreography, there was a collective of singing and dancing from the stage to the isles. “It’s good to know I’ve still got it” Warren proudly exclaimed at the song’s conclusion.
Warren ended the evening and her show with “The Impossible Dream” from the 1965 Broadway musical Man of La Mancha. “This is my quest, to follow that star. No matter how hopeless. No matter how far.” Well, from “impossible” to possible, Warren certainly proved her worth center stage. Charming from start to finish, this proved a fantastic night of music and musings for this this unique series of one-shot concerts. She did Beyond Broadway proud. To paraphrase a lyric from Turner herself, Adrienne Warren is “Simply the Best.”
photos by Stephen Best
Adrienne Warren in Concert
presented by Beyond Broadway Series
The Hobby Center for the Performing Arts in Houston
reviewed on Saturday, February 1, 2025
for more tour dates, visit Adrienne Warren