By SHARON EBERSON
Rise up, Pittsburgh. You can now boast, “George Washington sang here.”
Hamilton Tony nominee Christopher Jackson is best known for his role as the USA’s Revolutionary War hero and the president who taught us how to say goodbye. At the Greer Cabaret Theater on Monday night, he went in another direction and saluted his personal musical heroes, channeling the likes of Sammy Davis Jr. and the Rat Pack, Stevie Wonder and Donny Hathaway in a Trust Cabaret charm fest.
The theme of the night was his life as a performer and the impending Valentine’s Day holiday – no mention of Presidents Day, but that is, appropriately, right around the corner, too.
Tony-winning musicals Hamilton and In the Heights, and their creator, Lin-Manuel Miranda, got their due, of course, as Jackson walked the 9:30 p.m. crowd through his stage and TV career, but, as he made perfectly clear, that “skinny Puerto Rican kid” he first met in the basement of New York’s Drama Book Shop was stingy with solos. “He only gave me duets. With him. Think about it,” Jackson said.
Jackson did deliver the one Hamilton song, with a little help from the Greer audience. Pittsburgh stepped up for the General, providing a ready, willing and adept chorus for “History Has Its Eyes On You.” Jackson’s appreciation was evident when he put the mic out to the crowd and got back an unexpected choir of theater fans and pros.
As he marveled about our City of Bridges, Jackson revealed that in his research to play Washington, the actor first came upon mentions of Fort Duquesne and his service under General Braddock – not mentioned specifically in the song, but what it refers to, Jackson said.
Who lives, who dies, who tells your story …
A musical journey through his life starts in the small town of Cairo, Illinois, where the Ohio River meets the Mississippi, Jackson points out, and his hard fought two college years in New York City, before he found his first job in an off-Broadway show.
What you may not know about Christopher Jackson is, before the LMM connection, he spent seven years with the Broadway production of The Lion King – first as a wildebeest, and then as the adult Simba. The roles made him long for a chance that never came, with the company across the street: He always wanted to be in Rent, where he could wear street clothes instead of burlap, and not have to paint his face every night.
Jackson sang songs from both at the cabaret: He Lives in You, which in my family has special significance, and Seasons of Love.
His personal love story began at “a chemistry audition” with the actresses who would play opposite his Benny in In the Heights. Mandy Gonzalez played Nina, but Jackson married Veronica Vazquez.
In his role of old-timey crooner for the night, Jackson pretended or referenced that it would be appropriate to have a glass of bourbon and a cigarette. His versions of “You Are the Sunshine of My Life,” “Just the 2 of Us” and “For All We Know” were silky smooth, with a bit of a jazzy flair.
His trip to Pittsburgh for the two-show night included a sugar high from Oakmont Bakery fare and inspiration to return for a Pirates game, as well as professing his admiration for Steelers great Jerome Bettis.
While here, he decided to drop a gift of his own. Jackson introduced a song from an upcoming album that showed off his vocal range and his songwriting skills, with his collaborator and guitarist for the night. “The Tide” was in keeping with the Christopher Jackson of the night, although his composing skills range from Freestyle Love Supreme to Sesame Street. The new song deserved its place among those paying tribute to the pop, Broadway and American songbook standards that Jackson delivered on Monday.
Also known as an actor on TV series Bull and And Just Like That, Jackson said he was inspired at a very young age by a fiery Presbyterian minister to be a live performer and to spread love as he does.
And that’s just what Christopher Jackson did in Pittsburgh on Monday night, and got plenty back in return.
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