Review: Patina Miller Charms at Kean Stage

Patina Miller thrilled the full house audience at Kean Stage's Enlow Recital Hall on Saturday night, March 23. Her 90-minute show featured a well-selected, varied repertoire of songs, all wonderfully performed. The show was presented by United Talent Agency and PRM Entertainment.

Patina Miller has an impressive background. She can currently be seen as press coordinator, Daisy Grant on CBS' hit show, Madam Secretary. She has starred as the Leading Player in the Broadway revival of Pippin, directed by Diane Paulus. For her performance, Miller received a Tony Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical and an Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical. Miller has performed in multiple Off-Broadway productions and made her NYC concert debut in Lincoln Center's American Songbook series that later aired on PBS. She holds a degree in musical theater from Carnegie Mellon University.

Miller's brilliance as a songstress was evident as she performed songs that were soulful, amusing, spirited, and sentimental. She also charmed the audience with some reflections of being a new mother. Some of the many favorites that Miller performed included, "Maybe This Time" by John Kander and Fred Ebb; "My Baby Just Cares for Me" by Nina Simone; "Fever" by Eddie Cooley and Otis Blackwell; "Let's Fall in Love" by Harold Arlen and Ted Koehler; and "Wild World" by Cat Stevens. She returned for an encore and sang a beautiful arrangement of "God Bless the Child" by Billie Holiday and Arthur Herzog, Jr.

Four remarkably talented musicians accompanied Miller. They included James Sampliner on Piano and Synthesizer. Samplinger is also the Conductor and Arranger. The ensemble also featured Rich Mercurio on drums; John Benthal on acoustic and electric guitar; and Mark Vanderpoel on acoustic and electric bass.

Patina Miller's fans and all those who enjoy excellent music were delighted by the captivating show at Kean Stage.

Kean Stage presents top professional theatre, dance companies, concert artists, and family-focused shows all year round at venues on the Kean University campus. They have three more shows coming up this season that we are sure our readers will like to know about.

-Classical guitarist Sharon Isbin with special guest jazz guitarist Romero Lubambo (April 5 at Enlow Recital Hall)

-The Doo Wop Project featuring stars of Broadway's Jersey Boys, Motown: The Musical and A Bronx Tale (April 14 at Wilkins Theatre)

-Latin pop singer Jon Secada (May 4 at Enlow Recital Hall)

(Gene & Shelley Enlow Recital Hall)

For more information, please visit http://www.keanstage.com/.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Kean Stage

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