Not all Broadway singers can make the transition to the nightclub or concert stage. Sometimes their voices are too big. Oftentimes they can't take the dramatics out of their performances. They act, rather than sing, the songs.
At first, that seemed to be the case with Marisha Wallace in her Minneapolis debut Wednesday night at the Dakota. The overly animated vocalist came on strong, maybe too strong, with the first two numbers feeling like showstopper finales. Whoa! Slow down.
But, as the night wore on, Wallace warmed to the intimate environment, displaying her wondrous voice in all its range, power and subtleties.
In her 95-minute performance, she let people get to know her, with stories about her childhood on a North Carolina pig farm, her big break at London's West End in "Dreamgirls" and her recent performance for the Queen (not Beyonce but Elizabeth II). It didn't feel like a diva bragging or basking but rather an eminently personable newcomer sharing, like on a first date.
As with most artists who have knockout voices but no hits, Wallace's material was familiar — lots of Broadway favorites, a TV theme song and tunes associated with Tina Turner, Prince and Amy Winehouse.
Regardless of the selection, what makes the 35-year-old London resident special is not just her magnificent voice but her commitment to each number and her ability to reimagine things.
Backed by a sometimes too-loud quartet, she turned Winehouse's "Valerie" into a fun sing-along icebreaker on her first U.S. tour. In Wallace's hands, "Tomorrow" — the "Annie" warhorse that she sang for the Queen — was nicely understated, a gospel-lite gem. Billie Eilish's hip 2021 single "My Future" started with electronic minimalism before becoming alluringly bossa nova-ish.
Wallace nailed "Somewhere" with Streisandesque richness and made "Memory" from "Cats" — a voice and piano rendition — memorable with her small girlish closing notes. "I Know Where I've Been" from "Hairspray" showcased her smoky blues voice, and "Night Time Is the Right Time" — "the only good thing from the Cosby show," she said — was time for Wallace to be a blues screamer.
The newcomer was chatty in a likable get-to-know-me way. After talking about the challenges of the pandemic including her ex-husband reaching out to her from a mental-health facility, Wallace offered an ode for optimism, "Purple Rain." Many artists have performed the Prince classic in his hometown, but no one quite like Wallace. She transformed it into a slow, reverent piano tune before taking it to the Black church she grew up in. Goosebumps!
This diva-in-waiting knows how to close a show. Wallace kicked off her encore with the "Dreamgirls" signature "And I'm Telling You I'm Not Going," a roaring tornado from start to finish. And, then, without missing a beat, she segued into "Proud Mary," going full-on Tina, complete with the hammy faces and lightning-let-out-of-a-bottle dancing.
It was one of those nights where clubgoers will regale with "I was there when" because Marisha Wallace is a major voice to be reckoned with.
Twitter: @JonBream 612-673-1719