“Could Kate Baldwin, the redheaded firecracker who detonated in the 2009 Broadway revival of Finian’s Rainbow have been a rock star? That possibility was broached on Friday evening at 54 Below, where Ms. Baldwin opened her new cabaret show... The show cast an unusually wide stylistic net that encompassed Irish traditional songs (“Parting Glass”), the Dixie Chicks’ wild, freewheeling “Sin Wagon,” (sung with her special guest, Katie Thompson) and Stephen Sondheim’s weightier reflections. As the show proceeded, her voice steadily opened up and crested with near-operatic renditions of “When Did I Fall in Love?” and “How Are Things in Glocca Morra?” The show’s high point was “I Don’t Need a Roof,” Andrew Lippa’s profession of devotion through thick and thin from the short-lived Broadway show, Big Fish, in which Ms. Baldwin co-starred with Norbert Leo Butz.””

“Baldwin delivered a masterful performance of the title song from “Sunday in the Park with George,’’ in which Dot chafes at her immobility (in every sense) while modeling for her lover, Georges, a painter... Baldwin brought a tremulous edge of heartache to her rendition of “In Buddy’s Eyes,’’ from Follies. ”

“With beautiful vocal control, Kate Baldwin delivered impeccable renditions of two of Gershwin’s most famous romantic tunes. “Someone to Watch Over Me” from Oh, Kay!, received a poignant delivery. Baldwin gave a soul searching take on “The Man I Love” that was full of anticipation, and the showstopping “I Got Rhythm” from Girl Crazy was bright and full of life. She also performed three lesser known tunes with the same skill and depth of emotion: the snappy “(I’ve Got) Beginners Luck” from the film Shall We Dance; the comical “By Strauss”; and “He Loves and She Loves” from Funny Face. ”