Review: Juan Pablo Di Pace takes us on a musical journey at 54 Below show

Juan Pablo Di Pace. Photo Credit: Manolo Pavon

On Friday, October 4th, actor and singer Juan Pablo Di Pace performed at 54 Below in New York City. Michael Orland served as his musical director on the piano.

“Hello, New York, hello 54 Below,” he said, greeting the Big Apple audience. He noted that it has been seven years since he last performed at this venue.

Di Pace kicked off his set with a “Saturday Night Fever” medley, where he was able to instantly lure the fans into his set (and he sang in both English and Spanish), as he brought out his inner “Tony” (who was played by John Travolta in the original film).

It was followed by instrumental music from “Cats” and he segued into “Stephen Schwartz’ “Corner of the Sky” from “Pippin,” which was one of the highlight songs from the first half of his set. Equally noteworthy were “On Broadway” and “Love for Sale,” where he displayed his controlled rumbling voice.

Di Pace honored “Kiss of the Spider Woman” with “Aurora” and “She’s a Woman” prior to singing the somber ABBA ballad “The Winner Takes It All.”

He praised the ’70s decade for being “the golden age of film” and a time when disco, fashion and musicals were prevalent.

It was followed by the “Rent” classic “Without You” and he picked up the pace with “Luck Be a Lady Tonight,” prior to taking his audience on a musical trip to Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Sunset Boulevard.”

He tipped his hat to three of his biggest influences of the ’80s (Michael Jackson, Madonna and George Michael), with a medley that featured such songs as “Man in the Mirror,” “Live to Tell,” and “Careless Whisper.”

After a sassy and soulful version of his own composition “Matias’ Tango,” he closed on a stirring note with Stephen Sondheim’s “Being Alive,” which earned him a standing ovation.

Di Pace returned to the 54 Below stage for an encore, which included Elton John’s “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me.”

The Verdict

Overall, it was a pleasant and unforgettable evening of music and storytelling at 54 Below thanks to the velvet vocals of Juan Pablo Di Pace. He was able to take his audience on a journey of his life through his music as he covered songs that were important to him growing up and his own recordings.

It is highly recommended that one sees Juan Pablo Di Pace when he comes to town to perform. His live set at 54 Below garnered two giant thumbs up. Bravo.

To learn more about Juan Pablo Di Pace, follow him on Instagram.