Sutton as in button

​I had my first girl crush on Sutton Foster during  the  initial release of the criminally underrated “ Bunheads”, and by the time she starred in “Younger,” I think we were having some serious discussions about a “thruple.” 

She’s tall and  lanky and while she’s way  above average looking, she’s not exactly Zendaya-level beauty, but she’s as effervescent as Mary Richards with just as much stage presence. 

You simply cannot take your eyes off of this beacon of light as she turns the world on with her smile. 

We were so excited to get tickets last spring to her show  tonight at Count Basie, about a fifteen minute drive for us, where she’d share  the stage with Tony winner Kelli O’Hara ( “The King and I”) but neither of us were prepared for the spectacular event that ended about thirty glorious, show stopping minutes ago. 

From those first few  jazzy notes of tubas, trumpets, and trombones, courtesy of the Count Basie Orchestra, to the  exhilarating appearance of this dynamic duo, I don’t think the audience members ever stayed seated for more than a few moments.

The masses were floating on air.

I’ve witnessed long standing ovations before, sure, but they come at a show’s conclusion, not a half dozen times DURING the live performance!

The audience members were positively orgasmic, and those big O’s seemed never ending. 

Most of their numbers were a loving tribute to their girlhood idols, Dame Julie Andrews and the legendary Carol Burnett,  particularly  for their 1962  appearance at Carnegie Hall. 

I think audience members actually anticipated surprise guest appearances from these idols, that’s how much these Broadway superstars inspired us to  actually feel the presence of these two grand dames of Broadway. 

The witty repartee was worthy of a new category for next year’s Tony awards, and their combined comedic timing should earn them starring roles in the next big hit to stream on Netflix.

Audiences were on fire as they exited the doors, still singing, still dancing, (still tolerating my eavesdropping,) but general consensus is the biggest highlights were their salute to divas from the nineties( which is not in the duo’s usual Rodgers and Hammerstein wheelhouse) or the sing-along at the show’s conclusion to “ Til There Was You” a hit from Broadway’s “ The Music Man” that was revitalized by the Beatles a few years later. 

And who could resist Kelli O’Hara showing off her dancing chops, waltzing to “ Shall We Dance?” with partner Sutton ,a salute to arguably the most memorable scene from the movie of the same name which won Yul Brynner his Oscar. 

Our personal favorites, aside from what we gathered by listening to the audience chatter at the show’s conclusion, had to be Kelli’s magnificent solo, “ If I Loved You” from  “ Carousel “ 

( you could hear hearts beating in every row of the packed house) 

Or perhaps Sutton’s mesmerizing choreography  in her Tony winning performance as Reno Sweeney from “ Anything Goes.” 

She tap danced her way into everybody’s hearts tonight, that’s a guarantee.

There wasn’t a dry eye anywhere in sight with that  finale that paid the deepest homage  to one half of their idolized duo. 

They tugged at our hearts and tugged at their earlobes.

Because we, too, were “ so glad we had this time together. Just to have a laugh or sing a song.. seems we just get started and  before you know it.. comes the time we have to say.. so long.”