norman lebrecht
June 14, 2026
One of the happiest experiences of my working life was a show called American Rhapsody: Songs of the Gershwins.
It was a revue starring two of the leading performers in New York’s cabaret world, KT Sullivan and Mark Nadler. Mark and I wrote it, I directed it, they played it brilliantly and it ran off-Broadway for nearly a year. Making that show with them and our very small production team was the most fun I ever had working in the theatre.
Now KT and Mark have a new show – Always: The Love Story of Irving Berlin. I’m not involved in this one, living on another continent, but I wish I could be in New York just to be in the audience at The Laurie Beechman Theatre on June 14th to see and hear the immortal songs of the great Irving Berlin brought to life by these two wonderful performers.
Mark Nadler and KT Sullivan tell, sing and reenact one of the great American love stories — that of Irving Berlin and his wife, Ellin Mackey, using Berlin’s songs to tell the tale.
It turns out that I can be there, and so can you. Well, it’s not quite the same as being in the theatre but it’s the next best thing as they’re livestreaming the show and, best of all of for those of us not in the same timezone, making it available online “On Demand” for 3 days following the performance. The “On Demand” replay will become available approximately 12 hours after the live performance, from June 14-17.
The show features a smorgasbord of Berlin tunes – many well-known, many rarely heard – with a slice of American history thrown in. If you’re in New York, go in person but, if not, this is a show worth watching. And happily, online we can all see it too.