This new cabaret‑style musical is a full‑bodied theatrical experience in the lineage of Starting Here, Starting Now, Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and Living in Paris, Jerry’s Girls, and the great Sondheim evenings. What sets it apart is the repertoire: the theatre songs of Marty Silvestri and Joel Higgins are still largely undiscovered, giving the evening its charge of surprise. It belongs in a legitimate theatre and merits an original cast album.
Christine Andreas casts a spell every time she steps forward — consistently mesmerizing. James Harkness proves himself a star in the making, and an inventive choreographer as well, finding more uses for a simple stool than anyone since Bob Fosse. Casey Borghesi brings flash and heat; George Dvorsky anchors the quartet with a rich, resonant voice.
The piece is shaped with finesse by Mark Nadler, who creates and directs.
Nuts and Bolts
“A 75‑minute theatrical revue exploring the immense color and range of Silvestri’s and Higgins’ music and lyric style — a sung‑through story of chasing thrills, longing for escape, and ultimately finding peace in coming home.”
—Joshua Ellis, former Broadway press agent
Spotlight Reviews
★
“The emotions were strongly expressed through the lyrics, the melodies, and the expressive acting of the
brilliant cast.”
“James Harkness offered pure charisma and sex appeal.”
“The electric Casey Borghesiwas a sultry seductress who possesses pyrotechnic vocals.”
“George Dvorsky was the epitome of a Broadway leading man, suave and in charge.”
”Christine Andreas delivered a performance of elegance and emotional resonance, serving as the show’s heart”
“The score was entertainingly varied with its emphasis on assorted Latin rhythms. The intoxicating environment they created perfectly framed the tales of adultery and shifting alliances.”
—Bart Greenberg, Cabaret Scenes
★
★
“A journey through their canon is a voyage of discovery, where can be found intricate melodies easy to listen to (and easy to want to sing) and lyrics that paint visceral pictures full of imagery and emotion, poetry and profundity.”
“Together, Higgins and Silvestrihave built pictures in song and stories through shows, pictures reminiscent of Edward Hopper and stories that harken back to Carson McCullers.”
“No mere collection of intro-verse-chorus compositions have we here: these are layered, nuanced, complex
musical monologues with which director Mark Nadler has played a theatrical game of chess, arranging every
vignette in a specific order so as to create a story arc and characters, all sent to breathe life into The Beat of a Wandering Heart.”
“The songs are being sung to absolute perfection as the actors move fluidly about the theater, the
audience, and the stage like ice skaters moving about the mill pond on Christmas Day.”
“From start to finish, The Beat of a Wandering Heart is a piece of cabaret theater to be enjoyed on artistic, emotional, and intellectual levels, with so many standout moments that it becomes hard to single out highlights.”
“Sophisticated, sensual, intelligent, intellectual, sexy, silly, and blissfully theatrical - all things that serve,
well, any storytelling effort.”
—Broadway World
★
“The show was seamless as one song led smoothly into another as the actors came in and out of scenes.
The sung-through story was a compilation of individual songs that each told a tale of love and loss, the
excitement of connection, the desire to wander, and the comfort of coming back together at last.”
“It was a truly magical evening witnessing the collaboration of Mark Nadler, Marty Silvestri, Joel Higgins,
and the four stars and the band.”
-Theater Pizzazz
“The Beat of a Wandering Heart is Cabaret Perfection”
“A 90-minute, captivating and marvelous cabaret entitled, The Beat of a Wandering Heart.”
“A heartfelt night of songs that chart the highs and lows the human experience-with love being the common denominator.”
“This quartet is so exquisite one wishes that the experience would last longer.”
“Silvestri and Higgins are masters of melody from various genres.”
“Borghesi is a revelation.”
“The title song, written exclusively for this show infuses reggae flair and is reprised throughout in various
contexts-each time equally as compelling.”
“The show and this impeccable cast are too good to miss.”
- Manhatten Digest