Fans of the überpopular HBO series The Gilded Age-– and, judging by the show’s viewership stats, there are MANY– got to know actor-singer Claybourne Elder from his role as the recurring character John Adams IV.  That character was a descendant of President/Founding Father John Adams, as well as being the love interest of the character Oscar van Rhijn.  But before Elder got the enviable chance to be styled in those delectable, custom-made three-piece suits of that bygone era, he had already established himself as a Broadway star.  Elder has originated several pivotal roles on the stage, and has been nominated for a Drama Desk Award in 2012 and a Lucille Lortel Award in 2015– both for Outstanding Leading Actor. Claybourne Elder’s debut album If The Stars Were Mine, released by Center Stage Records, promises to gain him an even wider range of fans beyond the stage and screen. The new 13-song album features a wide variety of well-chosen musical selections, ranging from a cover of Whitney’s I Wanna Dance With Somebody to songs from assorted Broadway musicals such as My Fair Lady, Into the Woods, and Sunday in the Park With George.  The charismatic star is celebrating the album’s release with a three-show run at New York City’s iconic venue 54 Below.  The Musical Director of the show was Elder’s longtime creative collaborator Rodney Bush, who was also the hardworking pianist of the evening.  At one point, Elder and Bush even combined their vocals– and quite well at that– for the song Lonesome Goodbye, where Elder unexpectedly whipped out his… fiddle!: “I told you I was from Utah!” (More about that later…)

Of course, it goes without say that any artist having an album release party would be expected to, well… perform songs from the album.  But Elder’s show was more than that.  Far, far more.  Enhanced by the patently intimate setting of 54 Below, Elder’s show was an appropriately intimate evening. The performance combined music with Elder’s fascinating stories, both professional and personal.  These stories were always candid, frequently inspiring, and often laugh-out-loud hilarious. In fact, humor is a big part of this show.  Even when Elder touched upon a deeply personal issue, such as when he shared about the struggle to become a father, it was accompanied by a truly hilarious anecdote.  (It must be heard live to be fully appreciated, but I’ll just say that it involves making a “special delivery” to Quest Labs…) Claybourne Elder was a gay boy who grew up in a Mormon family in Utah:  a background which indisputably colored every aspect of his life and, subsequently, this show.  The naughtily over-the-top Han Solo, written by Elder’s friends Will Aronson and Bill Nelson, is entirely about a childhood crush on the titular fictional character.  I Want to Be Evil, a song perhaps made most famous by Eartha Kitt, becomes a fantasy about envying the so-called the “evil people” of New York City who he was warned about in Church when he was a “good Mormon boy”.  I Wanna Dance With Somebody takes on the perspective of a young man who’s hungry for love.  Is this THE I Wanna Dance With Somebody?  Yes, it is.  While Ms. Houston’s version was bouncy and upbeat, this version is one of longing, unrequited desire: Elder can REALLY work that lyric, “When the night falls, my lonely heart calls…”  It’s a real stunner of a performance.  Part of Your World, from The Little Mermaid, was not only a flashback to his budding love of musicals as a child, but also– maybe– a metaphor for wanting something more than what he’d find in his hometown in Utah.  (Can you say “New York City”?) Later on in the show,  fatherhood took musical form with Hey Kid, from If/Then.  It was provocative piece, adorned perfectly by piano work by Mr. Bush.  The song slowly turned  frenetic and powerful, and it was perhaps the finest example of Elder’s impressive vocal range throughout the show.  Toward the conclusion of the evening, there was another song inspired by fatherhood, and also perhaps inspiring to ANYONE, regardless of age: Paving the Runway by JJ Heller.

Early on in the show, Elder admitted to the audience that he has a delightfully sick sense of humor.  So, the “innocent” On the Street Where You Live from My Fair Lady took on a V-E-R-Y different tone, with Elder even throwing in a few tasty memorable lines from Every Breath You Take by the Police and Baby, It’s Cold Outside.  As Elder brought up, it’s all about the “tone!”– where a love song can easily turn into an anthem about… uhm, let’s say, “obsession”! (Never say “stalking”!) In a show that had the audience laughing for a great deal of the 90-minute running time (in between being left in awe at Elder’s voice), this piece was the comedic highpoint of the show– but later on, that anecdote was rivaled by the story of how the actor got through a certain “outré” scene in the musical Company with the help of the alphabet (!). Speaking of Company: Stephen Sondheim played a major role in Claybourne Elder’s own trajectory as an artist.  Elder honors the legendary composer and lyricist not only with some of his song selections (Finishing the Hat), but also with stories about his own personal/professional relationship with Sondheim.  Elder also shares the now-legendary story of a random act of kindness by a total stranger, when Elder was new to New York City. This act not only played a part in his pathway to stardom, but also motivated Elder to co-found City of Strangers, a nonprofit that provides theater tickets to people who cannot afford them.

And oh yes: There WAS an encore, but I won’t give it away. But I will say that Elder indeed got to release his inner Judy Garland, which was ostensibly one of his many long-gestating childhood dreams.

Claybourne Elder is used to playing huge crowds on Broadway.  But I can say with certainty that this one-man cabaret show in an intimate space couldn’t be a more perfect showcase for the star’s particular gifts of story and song.  At the risk of sounding cliched, I frequently mentioned in this review that to fully appreciate Elder’s talents, you “had to be there”.  But in this case, he is indeed an artist who is best experience live.  Let’s hope his current and soon-to-be superfans will have more opportunities to do that in the future!     

The third installation in Claybourne Elder’s three-show run continues on April 15, 2026 at 54 Below,254 West 54th St, NYC. Visit Claybourne Elder | 54 Below for tickets and more information. Buy Claybourne Elder’s If The Stars Were Mine on in digital format, CD, or vinyl here: Claybourne Elder: If the Stars Were Mine