Anthony Nunziata – Photo by Tom Alvarez
Maintaining an easy rapport with an enthusiastic sold-out audience, Anthony Nunziata was dazzling in his cabaret act “Anthony Nunziata: An Italian Broadway Valentine’s Day!” on Monday at Feinstein’s at Hotel Carmichael. For the Brooklyn-born singer-songwriter, it was a return engagement (he last appeared in December) to the club named for Michael Feinstein, who gave Nunziata a major break early in his career, booking him at the former Feinstein’s at the Regency in NYC.
Feinstein’s artistic influence as Nunziata’s mentor was more than evident, not only in his vocal presentation, but in his styling as well. Making the most of his appealing tenor voice, used to his best advantage, the crooner performed a setlist that consisted of classics, but also songs he collaborated on with others. Accompanying Nunziata on piano and doing the Indianapolis Symphonic Choir proud, was David Ducan, who plays regularly for the ISC.
Connecting with the audience throughout the show with his breezy banter and soulful delivery, Nunziata opened with “Will You Be My Everyday?” co-written with Jeff Franzel and Tom Kimmel. Replacing “New York” with “Carmel” in “New York State of Mind,” he next sang a parody of the classic from Billy Joel, to whom Nunziata is often compared. There were many more highlights, including moving renditions of “When I Fall in Love,” made famous by Nat King Cole, Richard Rodgers’ “This Nearly Was Mine” from “South Pacific,” and “Proud of You Boy” from “Aladdin” by Alan Menken, whom Disney-film fan Nunziata calls his favorite composer. Showing his expertise at jazz interpretation, Nunziata shined in “Fly Me to the Moon,” a Great American Songbook classic popularized by Frank Sinatra.
Anthony Nunziata – Photo by Tom Alvarez
Midway through his show, Nunziata proudly expressed his belief in paying it forward by supporting young talent prior to introducing Avon High School senior Jonathan Grimes, who sang “If I Sing” from the musical revue “Closer Than Ever.” Exhibiting poise and charm in his professional debut, Grimes showed affability as he sang in a voice rich in tone and expressive in delivery, informing Nunziata during his intro that on that very day he had been accepted to Indiana University’s prestigious Jacobs School of Music. A former Songbook Academy All Star, Grimes demonstrated the sky is the limit if he chooses to pursue a career as a performer.
As noted in the title of his show, Nunziata paid tribute to his ancestry (his family on his father’s side is from Naples, Italy), showcasing his gorgeous tenor voice, as he hit high notes, and sustained them with ease while singing “That’s Amore,” that featured some fun audience participation and “’O sole mio,” in flawless Italian.
Nunziata’s future as a songwriter holds great promise as evidenced by the original songs in his program that included “Just One Prayer Away,” co-written with Maria Christensen and inspired by his experience during the pandemic, “I Found a Home,” co-written with Jeff Franzel and Tom Kimmel, and “The Greatest Wish,” co-written with Jim Brickman and Victoria Shaw from his “Together for Christmas Album.”
Nunziata concluded the evening with David Foster’s solemn “The Prayer”, which served as his deeply affecting encore. It followed a spontaneous standing ovation from a crowd that had not only been touched by his prodigious talent and artistry, but also a sincerity and authenticity that shone through during storytelling that was undeniably spellbinding.
