Review: The Name on Everybody's Lips Is Gonna Be: Sutton Lee

By Michael Block

How do you put on a show if you continually stop the show with number after number? Ask Sutton Lee Seymour. Making her triumphant debut at the Laurie Beechman Theater, Sutton Lee Seymour: The Way Off Broad is a ninety minute festival of song and dance from a broad who loves the stage and screen.
Sutton Lee Seymour: The Way Off Broad unites Broadway, Hollywood, and Disney with fan favorite songs, impressions, and a five minute musical extravaganza. Sutton Lee Seymour is a grounded performer who not only has the talent but knows her persona well. And through that she offers comedy gold. Between her Liza on HSN to the Chicago in five minutes, which includes a spot-on mockery of Renee Zellweger, Sutton Lee Seymour knows how to bring the laughs. With a strong voice, she’s able to transform vocally through song. And that’s ever-present when she has the burnt out booze bags, including Bea Arthur, Joan Rivers, and Bernadette Peters, sing “Poor Unfortunate Souls” from “The Little Mermaid”. And even when she sings as Sutton Lee Seymour, she provides a stunning vocal. What sets The Way Off Broad apart from other shows of this type is just how polished it is. Every beat has its purpose. Every song perfectly selected. Even her costumes are thorough bringing strong continuity. By being deliberate, you can tell how much thought and time was put into building this show.
It’s hard to pick the best number of the night because it truly is an evening of showstopper after showstopper. If you didn’t know Sutton Lee Seymour before you sure will now.