Stephanie Pope: All About Love
Cabaret 313, The Cube at the Detroit Symphony Orchestra
Detroit, Mich.
Nov. 7, 2026
“Is there anything better than being in a Broadway show?”
After hearing about the life and career of award-winning Broadway veteran Stephanie Pope, I don’t know if there is. Pope asked the question during her “All About Love” performance Saturday in Detroit presented by Cabaret 313. The 75-minute show was part concert, part memoir. Backed by a fantastic jazz band — pianist Ian Herman, drummer Sean Dobbins, and bassist Marion Hayden, the 2025 Kresge Eminent Artist — Pope sang a lineup of uplifting music, sharing corresponding stories about her life in between.
Pope’s songs ranged from jazz to show tunes to pop, all enhanced by the rich, full sound of her masterful backup musicians. But it was her charm, warmth, and humor that elevated her belting. The depth of her love for music and performance was palpable and infectious; it was impossible for me not to share in her joy.
One of my favorite parts of the night was a medley of songs from each of the 11 Broadway shows she’d performed in throughout her career, which included “Pippin” and “Chicago” — two of my favorites — as well as “Fosse,” “Thoroughly Modern Millie,” and “Smokey Joe’s Café,” among others. Pope fondly recalled her grueling Broadway schedule, rehearsing for a new show during the day before performing in her current show in the evenings.
Her stories included work and run-ins with some of the most legendary figures in show business (like Chita Rivera and Sammy Davis Jr.), brought to life through her full-body, animated storytelling — and video and photo evidence.
In one of her stories, Pope said she flew to New York from her home in Los Angeles to audition for a new show from legendary choreographer Jerome Robbins, who had personally requested her. But after performing the simple audition dance combination — which Pope demonstrated for us on stage — she was casually dismissed along with a sea of other dancers who had apparently also been personally invited by Robbins.
The trip, however, had a happy ending. After learning of a separate dance audition next door, Pope was successfully cast as a backup dancer for Whitney Houston for the 30th Annual Grammy Awards. We then got to watch a video of Pope dancing in the deliciously ’80s performance of “I Wanna Dance with Somebody” on the projection screen and listen to Pope sing her own version of the hit song as well. Her performance was part of a tribute to legendary singers like Whitney Houston, Tina Turner, and Diana Ross, which was another highlight of the show.
Pope ended with a moving, seated performance of “Pure Imagination” from “Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory” — which nearly brought me to tears — followed by an uplifting encore singing Des’ree’s “You Gotta Be.” The throughline of the evening was a celebration of love and an encouragement to spread positivity in the world, and Pope captured that spirit beautifully.
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