In case you were wondering, yes, Jane Lynch can really sing.
The actress, best known for her stint in the insanely popular Fox television hit Glee, took to the Borgata Music Box stage on Saturday evening, along with a bunch of her friends in harmony, to perform her touring set aptly titled See Jane Sing. It was a delightful series of song with quite a punch of darkly humorous sarcasm weaved throughout. Given the downtrodden news that seemed to plague the world during the week, Ms. Lynch’s lighthearted night of entertainment was just what the doctor ordered.
Ms. Lynch, who has taken her show across the country, from New York’s famed Joe’s Pub to Washington’s Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, has perfected a series of songs that are all at once quirky and heartfelt. Her opening act, The Tony Guerrero Quintet, performed a number of jazz and swing infused hits, including a medley from West Side Story and the random theme song from the 1960’s television show Celebrity Bowling. The bandleader, Mr. Guerrero himself, told the audiences that his troupe was giving Jane some extra time backstage so she could “throw up a bit.”
That was the kind of humor throughout the evening: when Ms. Lynch came out to perform her set, she told the audience she just finished her pre-show routine of “binging and purging.” She was joined by The Office‘s Kate Flannery to sing a number of duets, including a jazzy, up-tempo arrangement of “Far From the Home I Love” from Fiddler on the Roof. Also on stage was the dashing and talented Tim Davis, responsible for almost 850 vocal arrangements from Glee. He performed a number of songs on his own, and joined Jane and Kate for some three-way melody, including renditions of “Blood On the Coal” and, my favorite, “Mairzy Doats.”
In short, the evening was fun, light, and demonstrated the versatility of Ms. Lynch as an all-around song-and-sass performer. Here’s hoping that she releases an album that includes many of the totally cool renditions that are being performed during her See Jane Sing tour.
More information about upcoming OUT at Borgata entertainment events is available here.
Bryan Buttler has covered the Philadelphia-area LGBT beat for over two years, and also reviews theater, opera, and classical music. Along with his own writing, Bryan teaches communications at a local college. He lives in Center City Philadelphia. His favorite things at Borgata? The Water Club, the Grapefruit Mojito at Bobby Flay Steak, and the Table Thai Massage. Follow Bryan on Twitter @bryanb82 and Instagram @bryanbuttler.
