Esta publicación también está disponible en: Español
Tony Award Winner Levi Kreis Brings His Show to The Palm For A Limited Engagement
Tony Award Winner Levi Kreis has just arrived in town, and you don’t want to miss his must see performance at The Palm Cabaret & Bar. A longtime Puerto Vallarta favorite, Levi has returned for a limited time to share his uniquely amazing talents with fans old and new.
I attended his opening night extravaganza on Monday February 26th 2024, and what a performance it was. As Levi took the stage to thunderous applause, he looked stunning in a beautiful sky blue suit paired with dark brown foot stomping cowboy boots.
Taking his seat at a piano placed in the center of the stage, he beamed “It’s so good to be back in PV.” Harkening back to his upbringing in East Tennessee, he ad-libbed, “when you come from a town with a graduating class of five, you too can be a valedictorian with a C average,” as the crowd erupted in laughter.
A lively rendition of “Love Potion Number Nine” followed, as Levi sang with gusto, played the piano, and connected with his audience all in one simultaneous rhythm. Song after song was performed with relish; “Stand by Me,” “I Go To Rio,” and “Georgia on My Mind,” just to name a few. One of the many high points of the evening was Levi’s rendition of “Piano Man,” the hugely popular hit from Billy Joel released in 1973.
The whole audience joined in at Levi’s suggestion singing in harmony the melancholic song celebrating life and the loneliness that goes with it. Levi spoke about his “military Dad,” and growing up in the American South of yesteryear. He had the audience in stitches as he shared a story about his Dad, telling him “if your cussing or naked, I’m not gonna come and see it,” Levi then intoned, kiddingly and with a mischievous smile, “well, my Dad has never seen one show in my twenty year career.”
Levi then segued into an emotion filled piece entitled “Lost in the Wilderness,” a song he described eloquently as reflecting on many of the struggles those in the LGBT world share.
As the evening neared its conclusion Levi confided that he has been writing his own musical for the last eighteen months, and he is shooting for an opening sometime next year in New York.
Everyone was thrilled to hear two songs that have never been performed before in front of a live audience. The first was titled “Deliver Me,” followed by a deeply personal song named “Proud.” “I think maybe all of us may have unresolved issues with those who’ve passed on, Levi said with emotion, before singing the song which brought tears to many, and culminated in a heartfelt standing ovation from a grateful audience.
I had the pleasure to be seated next to well known Puerto Vallarta “woman-about-town,” Marcia Blondin, who is also the Owner and Editor of the Vallarta Mirror. She mentioned to me early on, “I hope Levi plays some Jerry Lee Lewis.” Her wish came true, as Levi, apparently channeling her thoughts, ended the evening with a rousing rendition of a combo of “Real Wild Child,“ and “Whole Lotta Shakin ‘Goin’ On,” the latter made famous by the aforementioned Jerry Lee Lewis, who Levi played the role of, so brilliantly, in Broadway’s Million Dollar Quartet.
As we all filed out into the late February night, I thought of how lucky we are to have a talent of this magnitude come to PV, and how lucky as well to have such a vibrant and yet comfortable space as The Palm Cabaret & Bar to welcome it.
Be sure to catch the remaining Levi Kreis Productions, An Evening With Tony Award Winner Levi Kreis, at The Palm Cabaret & Bar. Showtime is at 6:00 pm on the following dates; February 28th, March 1st, March 4th, March 6th, and the final performance on March 8th.
Click here to purchase tickets
The Palm Cabaret & Bar
Olas Altas 508, Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco 48380
Box Office Open Daily from 11 am to 10 pm
+52 322 222 0200
thepalmcabaret@gmail.com
Related Stories:
