My first experience with MAC and Bistro Award-winning performer and teacher James “Jamie” Beaman was from the showman’s work as Director and Musical Director for theater pieces by such cabaret divas as Becca Kidwell and Goldie Dver. Indeed, there must be a reciprocal relationship between the creative team and the performers for any cabaret piece to be a success: It takes a talented person behind the scenes to optimally collaborate with the talented person on the stage.  Although Beaman’s aptly named biographical show Lived Experience packed a lot of surprises into its tight 75-minute running time, it shouldn’t come as a surprise at all that Beaman knows how to entertain an audience on his own.  The promotional material for Lived Experience teases the tagline, “Everybody Loves a Comeback”– but Beaman has never really left “the scene”.  That said, on the night of Thursday, October 19th at New York City’s Triad Theatre, this self-proclaimed “recovering perfectionist” unabashedly put himself back in the spotlight with a show featuring singing, dancing, storytelling, and more. Jokes about getting older (and not being able to wear 18-inch heels anymore) notwithstanding, many of his choice of songs that evening seemed custom written for Beaman’s celebration of “Zaddyhood”.  These included the underrated gem Stepping Out from the 1991 Liza Minnelli movie of the same name.  Of course, you can’t have Stepping Out without tap dancing, and thankfully we got to see that as well (The choreography was courtesy of Ann Cooley.) Also in Beaman’s well-crafted paylist was the lush An Older Man is Like an Elegant Wine, which is a tribute to “silver foxes” worldwide.  There was also It’s Never Too Late to Fall in Love, in which his longtime friend and creative collaborator David Maiocco joined him with vocals.  If the first reward of longevity in showbiz (In Beaman’s case, it’s a bragworthy 33 years) is self-assuredness and a new insight into one’s craft, then Beaman has the right to sing songs like A Terrific Band and a Real Nice Crowd, from the 1978 musical Ballroom, with genuine conviction. 

Beaman has a lot of stories to tell, but how many performers can actually bring those stories back to life on a big screen?  Via surprisingly clear vintage video, the audience at the Triad got to re-live Beaman’s days as in-demand drag performer who channeled such legends as Lauren Bacall and Marlene Dietrich, set to The Girl Who Used to Be Me segueing into This Was Me.  We see glimpses of Beaman partying with such celebrities as Bea Arthur and Quentin Crisp; there’s even a clip from Jamie-as-Lauren on the talk show Geraldo.  At some points in the video, it’s hard to believe we are not watching the real Ms. Dietrich. At a time before the newest generations seemingly record every moment of their lives for social media, Beaman was prophetic; seeing this delightful flashback from a pre-internet era is no less than astonishing.  

If the aforementioned first reward of longevity in showbiz is self-assuredness and a new insight into one’s craft, then the second is finally being able to say what you really WANT to say and not giving a “dayuhm” about it. In Lived Experience, Beaman lets loose– in a hilarious way– about the many idiosyncrasies of the overly sensitive world we live in, with references including but not limited to (Trigger warning ahead…!) cultural appropriation, cancel culture, and the tyranny of pronouns. He’s unafraid to venture outside the realm of political correctness, even throwing in a song from what was possibly the most deliciously disrespectful musical ever to seduce the mainstream: Avenue Q. Beaman also adds some delightfully sarcastic new lyrics to Gilbert and Sullivan’s I’ve Got a Little List from The Mikado.  It’s the comedic highlight of the show. Later on, he shares some juicy “blind items” about a few, shall we say, misbehavers in the current entertainment landscape (I’m proud to say I knew EVERYONE he was talking about!).   Beaman then launches into Noel Coward’s Why Must the Show Go On?, the song that Beaman was truly born to sing.  After hearing Jamie’s version, no other interpretations become necessary to hear.

This may be a good time to give a shout-out to James Beaman’s supporting cast.  David Maiocco is the show’s Musical Director and Arranger– and like Beaman, Maiocco is also a MAC and Bistro-Award winner.  The banter between Beaman and Maiocco is no less than priceless.  Maiocco is also the show’s pianist, and when we get the rare chance to hear his bare piano skills, he steals the show.  The musical team is completed by Matt Scharfglass on bass and David Silliman on percussion. Backup singers Sierra Rein and Goldie Dver helped James kick off the show with the high-energy And You Don’t Even Know It, from the fittingly named West End musical Everybody’s Talking About Jamie. The synergy between Beaman, Rein, and Dver is so wonderful that we hope these two pretty ladies return. Thankfully, they do come back for the triumphant finale… but sorry, I won’t give that away! As funny as Lived Experience can be– and this show gets VERY funny– Beaman’s return to the stage has its truly heartfelt moments, the most predominant one being the performer’s stories about his late mother, with whom he was very close.  His musical tribute to her is the oft-redone Williams/Ascher classic You and me Against the World.  Beaman’s version is achingly soulful without ever getting heavy handed. Near the end of the show, Jamie’s take on Stephen Sondheim’s Loving You becomes a musical love letter to his audiences, past and present.  

Lived Experience is perpetually funny, often inspiring, occasionally naughty, titillatingly timely, and undeniably entertaining throughout.  Add this show to your own “lived experiences”!

James Beaman’s Lived Experience continue on Thursday, October 26th at 9:30PM at The Triad Theatre, 158 W. 72nd St, NYC. For tickets and more info, visit. James Beaman: Lived Experience, New York, NY – InstantSeats