Reviews of the singer's most recent tribute to the Great White Way were positive: Michael Portantiere of TheaterMania.com wrote that "Mathis comes across with the smooth, rich, velvety vocalism for which he is legendary,"6 noting that certain songs covered on the album "require the kind of breath support, legato, and phrasing that precious few singers of Mathis's age can supply. But this guy still has the right stuff, in abundance."7 Billboard magazine echoed these sentiments: "The legendary performer breathes fresh perspective into songs that might sound overdone in lesser hands."8 And William Ruhlmann of AllMusic goes so far as to say that "the lesser talents among the composers -- Lloyd Webber, Wildhorn, Claude-Michel Schönberg -- owe Mathis a debt for making their music sound so good, while Sondheim can be grateful that Mathis makes him sound so accessible.9
From the liner notes for the original album:10
From the liner notes for the original album:11
"Mathis on Broadway - Johnny Mathis". allmusic.com. All Media Network, LLC. Retrieved 8 February 2015. http://www.allmusic.com/album/mathis-on-broadway-mw0000060336 ↩
"Reviews & Previews". Billboard. 2000-05-13. p. 26. /wiki/Billboard_(magazine) ↩
"Visiting Broadway: Johnny Mathis and Kathie Lee Gifford". TheaterMania.com. TheaterMania.com, Inc. Retrieved 8 February 2015. https://www.theatermania.com/new-york-city-theater/news/05-2000/visiting-broadway-johnny-mathis-and-kathie-lee-gif_712.html ↩
Larkin, Colin (2007). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Omnibus Press. p. 922. ISBN 9781846098567. Retrieved 11 March 2025. 9781846098567 ↩
(2017) The Voice of Romance: The Columbia Original Album Collection by Johnny Mathis [CD booklet]. New York: Sony Music Entertainment 88985 36892 2. ↩
(2000) Mathis on Broadway by Johnny Mathis [CD booklet]. New York: Columbia Records CK 63897. ↩