Review: Telly Leung Kicks Off the 2024 TR In Concert Series at Theatre Raleigh
“What I would love is for the audience at Theatre Raleigh to go ‘You know what? After that 70 minute show, I really know this person. I sort of know who Telly is and what makes Telly tick and what his sense of humor is, what music he enjoys. I can feel his heart after 70 minutes.’ That to me is always the objective of doing shows like this, and being able to share my story.”
-Telly Leung
Known for his work both on stage and screen, Leung’s Broadway & national tour credits include Aladdin in Disney’s Aladdin on Broadway, In Transit, Allegiance (with George Takei & Lea Salonga), Godspell, Rent (final Broadway company), Wicked (Boq, original Chicago company), Pacific Overtures, and Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Flower Drum Song. His film and television credits include Glee and HBO Max’s Warrior. A further discussion of his career and concert at Theatre Raleigh can be found in an interview here.
Leung is the first performer in the 2024 season of Theatre Raleigh’s TR in Concert series, and this one night only performance featured songs and stories from his life and career.
Leung as the titular character in Disney’s Aladdin on Broadway; photo by Matthew Murphy
Leung started the show off with a bang, thanks to an ode to the late great Stephen Sondheim with a jazzy, bluesy rendition of “Back in Business.” This jaunty number gave Leung an immediate vehicle to showcase his range as he brought a lovable energy to the stage. This lighthearted optimism was a central theme of the night as Leung dazzled with quite a few jaunty renditions of what we now consider classic musical theater songs, including a shockingly snappy (but fabulously fun) version of The King and I’s “Hello Young Lovers,” a spot on impression of Carol Channing’s “Before the Parade Passes By” from Hello, Dolly! and “Nowadays” from Chicago, ending the production with some extra razzle dazzle.
It is worth noting that nearly all of the musical theater songs Leung performed were originally sung by some of Broadway’s best and brightest leading ladies. Interesting choice, but it works in his favor as he puts his own unique spin on these beloved musical numbers, thanks to Gary Adler’s flawless arrangements. Adler also served as the evening’s musical director and piano player.
Leung proudly spoke about being the son of two Chinese immigrants and shared his parents’ harrowing story of escaping China during the Cultural Revolution and eventually making it to the United States. With just the right balance of comedy and authenticity, Leung told his audience that American pop music was a powerful tool in helping his parents learn English and spent a segment of his show singing songs from his childhood (and artfully hitting the high notes), including a soft, sweet rendition “Bridge Over Troubled Water” by Simon and Garfunkel.
“These songs always remind me of my parents’ very unique journey to the United States. They are right out of my dad’s record collection that is now covered in crayon because I thought it was a coloring book as a child.”
Leung then circled back to theater with two numbers from Sondheim’s musical Company and discussed performing in the show as Bobby during his senior year of college. His performance of “Being Alive,” was rich with incredible control, range, and tone as he brought the song to life. In that moment, it was no longer about the plunk, upbeat numbers from the beginning of the show. Instead, it was a moment of powerful storytelling and embodying the emotional connection audiences seek when they attend a theatrical production.
“Singing this at 21, I don’t think I really got it. But singing it now at 44? I get it. I really get it.”
Leung also performed Company’s “Getting Married Today,” known for not only being one of the most difficult patter songs in theater, but one of the most difficult songs in all of theater in general. The song not only requires rapid fire singing (and I do mean rapid fire), but the breath support and comedic timing to go with it. Telly does not miss a beat (I think) while still maintaining the neurotic and chaotic energy needed for such a number.
“The last time I saw Steve Sondheim was right after I had performed this song in a Sondheim showcase. There are so many Sondheim shows and performances out there, and you never expect him to be there, but he was there that night. While I was literally in the dressing room with my pants around my ankles, there was Stephen Sondheim walking around the corner.”
The rest of the evening was filled with hope, love, and positivity as Leung spoke about his marriage, his time on Glee, and how proud he was to be a part of the show and the profound cultural impact it has had.
But Leung may best be known for his time as Aladdin on Broadway, and no such cabaret performance would be complete without a dose of Disney magic. Leung ended his show with a dreamy, princely rendition of “A Whole New World” but with a surprise twist - he sang it in 10 different languages. As Adler called out different languages from the piano, Leung flawlessly bounced from one to another as he flowed through the song, quite literally showing his audience a whole new world, even if just for a moment.
Feature Photo: Photo by Benjamin Rivera
More information about Theatre Raleigh and future performances can be found here.