Patrick Wilson channels Freddie Mercury at Montclair Film fundraiser (WITH VIDEO)

by JAY LUSTIG
Patrick Wilson Freddie Mercury

Patrick Wilson dressed and acted as Freddie Mercury when covering Queen’s “Somebody to Love” at the Wellmont Theatre, Feb. 24.

Tony- and Emmy-nominated actor Patrick Wilson put his professional training to good use at the Wellmont Theater in Montclair, Feb. 24. Singing Queen’s “Somebody to Love” at the ” ’70s Mixtape” dance party and fundraiser for Montclair Film, he didn’t just cover the song, but “became” Freddie Mercury, wearing a fake black mustache and a white, sleeveless T-shirt, and borrowing some of Mercury’s preening, melodramatic stage moves. You can watch a video of the performance below.

The New York-based band The Loser’s Lounge performed two sets at this show, with occasional guest appearances by Wilson and other celebrities. Stephen Colbert — like Wilson, a Montclair resident and a longtime Montclair Film supporter (his wife, Evelyn, is the president of Montclair Film’s board) — rocked out on Cheap Trick’s “I Want You to Want Me” and also performed a sweet and sunny duet with “Late Show With Stephen Colbert” bandleader Jon Batiste on Mungo Jerry’s “In the Summertime.”

On his own, Batiste provided another show highlight with a sizzling version of the classic Stevie Wonder protest song, “You Haven’t Done Nothin’.” Warren Zanes, joined by a quartet of singing and energetically dancing boys (including his sons), gave his falsetto a workout on The Bee Gees’ “Stayin’ Alive,” and ended the Steve Miller Band’s “Take the Money and Run” by having the youngest boy throw fake money into the crowd. After “Somebody to Love,” Wilson returned to sing David Bowie’s “Young Americans,” dressed now as Bowie, and to duet with a Montclair Film supporter — who won the opportunity through an auction on Charitybuzz.com — on the Elton John/Kiki Dee hit, “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart.”

Members of The Loser’s Lounge sang lead on most songs, which ranged from punk (The Ramones’ “I Wanna Be Sedated”) to funk (the Average White Band’s “Pick Up the Pieces”), with lots of disco, particularly in the second set (this was a dance party, after all). The Loser’s Lounge’s four vocalists — Sean Altman, Connie Petruk, Katia Floreska and Trisha Scotti — sang most of the time, with occasional lead vocals from the band’s instrumentalists as well.

This show was a sequel to the 1980s Dance Party, also benefiting Montclair Film, that took place at the Wellmont last year. Proceeds will benefit Montclair Film’s year-round film and education programs

The seventh annual Montclair Film festival will take place April 26 to May 6; the schedule has not been announced yet. Visit MontclairFilm.org for information and updates.

Here is the show’s setlist (with the guest performers, when applicable) and, below that, some videos.

Stephen Colbert, singing with The Loser’s Lounge at the Wellmont Theater.

FIRST SET
“Pick Up the Pieces” (Average White Band)
“Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves (Cher)
“Brandy (You’re a Fine Girl)” (Looking Glass)
“You Make Loving Fun” (Fleetwood Mac)
“Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress” (The Hollies)
Warren Zanes: “Take the Money and Run” (Steve Miller Band)
“Love Is the Drug” (Roxy Music)
“Tie Your Mother Down” (Queen)
“Pump It Up” (Elvis Costello)
“Suffragette City” (David Bowie)
“One Way or Another” (Blondie)
“I Wanna Be Sedated” (The Ramones)
“Rhiannon” (Fleetwood Mac)
Stephen Colbert: “I Want You to Want Me” (Cheap Trick)
Patrick Wilson: “Somebody to Love” (Queen)

SECOND SET
Patrick Wilson and auction winner:
“Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” (Elton John and Kiki Dee)
Stephen Colbert and Jon Batiste: “In the Summertime” (Mungo Jerry)
Jon Batiste: “You Haven’t Done Nothin’ ” (Stevie Wonder)
Patrick Wilson: “Young Americans” (David Bowie)
“More, More, More” (The Andrea True Connection)
Warren Zanes: “Stayin’ Alive” (Bee Gees)
“More Than a Woman” (Bee Gees)
“Lowdown” (Boz Scaggs)
“Lady Marmalade” (Labelle)
“Don’t Leave Me This Way” (Thelma Houston)
“The Groove Line” (Heatwave)
“You Should Be Dancing” (Bee Gees)
“Heaven Knows” (Donna Summer)

PATRICK WILSON: “SOMEBODY TO LOVE”

STEPHEN COLBERT: “I WANT YOU TO WANT ME”

JON BATISTE: “YOU HAVEN’T DONE NOTHIN’ “

WARREN ZANES AND THE ZANES BOYS: “TAKE THE MONEY AND RUN”

SEAN ALTMAN: “BRANDY (YOU’RE A FINE GIRL)”

4 comments

Monica February 25, 2018 - 3:41 pm

The videos don’t seem to have any audio.

Reply
njartsdaily@gmail.com February 25, 2018 - 3:46 pm

Click right and then click unmute

Reply

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