In this exclusive peek at his cabaret show Under the Influence, Brian d'Arcy James chatted with Playbill about a choice he made early in his life which caused him to realize how important music was. Looking back at these formative years, Under the Influence features songs by the artists that affected James the most — Steve Winwood, Peter Gabriel, Billy Joel and others. Here, James and band give a sample of the show's set list including tunes made famous by Sting, Genesis and Squeeze. 54 Below performances are Sept 5-7. Visit 54below.com for details.