The notes of George Gershwin’s “Summertime” filled Birdland Jazz on March 23, as Anika Larsen took the stage to celebrate the release of her first album, Sing You to Sleep, a collection of standards Larsen considers lullabies, “more Norah Jones than The Wiggles” as she explained with a giggle. The Tony-nominee performed every song featured in the album, ranging from classics like John Denver’s “Annie’s Song” to contemporary pop pieces like Bruno Mars’ “Count on Me” which she turns from an uptempo reggae-infused piece, into a deliciously warm confection. Joining her in the Mars number was her longtime friend Kenita Miller, the two met when they starred together in Xanadu on Broadway and have remained close since, Miller provided backup vocals in the album.
Miller, who also stopped the show with an electrifying version of “God Bless the Child”, was just one of many notable guests in the concert, which also included Tony-winner Jessie Mueller, with whom Larsen performed the Carole King song “You Can Close Your Eyes”, which then led to one of a few “pee breaks” for Larsen, as Mueller jokingly called them (in reality she was sitting at the bar watching her friends perform and cheering them on). Mueller performed a rendition of “Being Alive” that went from raising the hairs on everyone’s necks, to becoming an anthem-like inspiring number that made people wish they could sing along.
Other guests included Larsen’s Beautiful “shusband” Jarrod Spector, with whom she performed the Cynthia Weil/Barry Mann-penned “Somewhere Out There” from the beloved animated classic An American Tail, and her five-year-old nephew with whom she sang “Four-Leaf Clover”, a lullaby her mother sang to her as a child, which she keeps singing to her grandchildren. This moment, was one of a few, in which Larsen made the audience feel like they were being part of a very intimate family celebration, she also paid tribute to her late brother Peik with “Fields of Gold”, which she also sung at his wedding and at his memorial, after his unexpected death. With teary eyes, she certainly delivered one of the most moving renditions of the song in recent memory. Larsen’s husband, Freddie Maxwell, played the mournful trumpet in the Sting song, making for an altogether more moving homage.
The visibly pregnant chanteuse, also sang for her unborn child, with her hand on her belly she closed her eyes and almost seemed to whisper through all of “Baby Mine”, the heartbreaking number popularized in the film Dumbo. Other movie songs included her stunning rendition of Jorge Drexler’s “Al Otro Lado del Rio”, which she fell in love with after watching Drexler accept his Oscar for Best Original Song in the 2005 telecast. In all, it was a night filled with love, memorable performances and Larsen’s unique talent. We can bet no one left the venue without taking home a copy of “Sing You to Sleep”, if they haven’t already worn down the one they own.
Read our interview with Anika Larsen here.
