On October 19th, 2002, John performed his cabaret act part of the Amercian SongBook Series at Lincoln Center. Doing two shows back to back in the Stanley Kaplan Penthouse, JB replaced all non-American composer songs with only American composed songs. Below you'll find a mini-review that I did after attending these shows at the Lincoln Center.
He did it again, another pair of awesome concerts last
nite at the Stanley Kaplan Penthouse (part of Lincoln Center here in
NYC). John was performing with his musical director Beverly Holt as
part of the Lincoln Center's series AMERICAN SONGBOOK, celebrating American composers.
The penthouse was a small intimate cabaret room with a GORGEOUS view
of the city, large windows that spanned two of the walls, the
stage was set in front of the longest wall.
Now since this was a series of concerts (by various artists)
featuring AMERICAN composers..JB had to pull out some of his regular
songs and replace them with songs from American composers. BUT let me
tell YOU...the changes were s'wonderful!
He opened with the title song from ANYTHING GOES (normally LOVES
CHANGES EVERYTHING by ALW), next was one of my favs FOOLS RUSH IN
(Johnnie Mercer) JB does a very funny (somewhat campy) version of
this song that always gets a few laughs..as JB says do you think
Johnnie Mercer intended that as a doo wop song? Maybe not, but its
so fun the way John sings it, I can't imagine it any other way.
Next was another new song for the act WHERE OR WHEN, now I heard him
do this in Indianapolis, with the Symphony orchestra...very
traditional rendition and it did get me a little choked up..so
beautiful (it was also the first song my own voice teacher had me
work on when I was in school so it has a warm place in my heart..and
then to have JB sing it, WELL!
However last nite Beverly and John came up with a new arrangement
that was very haunting and even MORE incredible then Indianapolis (if
somewhat softer for lack of an orchestra, gave me
goosebumps, LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE I think its a keeper!
Next came the George M medley, always amazes me how much like a train
this section is like..starts of slow and gathers speed..and of course
the little piccolo playing he does during the YANKEE DOODLE part is
just too cute!
Then came the introduction of another new song for the show
REFLECTION from Disney's MULAN. Now I'd heard him do this in
Philadelphia in the David Zippel revue, IT'S BETTER WITH A BAND.
I was bowled over not only by the beauty of the
song, but the perfect matching of song and artist John, does this
number with such fantastic range and emotion. It really shows off his
talent and skill quiet well I think and the song just suits him.
Not to mention the title REFLECTION (How perfect is that?)
This segues into another movie musical song, my personal favorite
ever since I first heard him sing it at Arci's Place here in NYC when
he debuted the cabaret act last March, IF I ONLY HAD A BRAIN;(gets
me everytime) LOVE to hear him do this song!
Tho the audiences here in NYC don't quite the joke of the intro, Bev
starts by playing the opening of THE CARPENTERS, CLOSE TO YOU and
when John starts to sing its IF I ONLY HAD A BRAIN, the only times
I've seen/heard the audience react was in DC at the Millenium Stage
and in Milwaukee. He LOVES it when they get it (not that there is
anything to get other then he's trying to fool the audience to think
he's going to sing the Carpenters song instead of IF I ONLY HAD A
BRAIN.
Up next another standard from the act, EASY TO LOVE, which of course
is from ANYTHING GOES. He was joking around last nite that since he
just flew back from London on Friday if he collapses from jet lag to
just open his mouth, insert a bottle of wine and make sure he's
swallowing...that will revive him.
He of course also mentioned that AG was his first big professional
show and his West End debut and told us if we can make it to London
to see him in the upcoming revival at the National, he'd love to see
us in the audience.
He then told a cute story about how he would walk back to the tube
station each nite in London and look up to his "old friend BEN" and
listen to the tune BEN was singing to him each nite before he headed
home. He would then ask BEN this question, which was a song that HAS
to stay in the act! I think its called IS THERE ANYBODY OUT THERE?
A beautiful song of a lonely person wondering if there is
someone out there for them. I don't know what this song is from, so
if anybody is familar please reply, in any case it was SIMPLY
GLORIOUS and I hope he keeps in the act; because when he can get me
choked up with a song,those are the ones I seem to love the
best. He don't sound too bad doing it ne'da! I think this may be a new favorite of mine.
Up next was HERO, his tribute to 9/11...another tear jerker.
Then came a new medley of Gershwin songs and oh my lord there were
just a great little collection. Staring with S'WONDERFUL, segue to
EMBRACE ME (fantastic number), SOMEBODY LOVES ME (I think thats the title, not sure), and
finally STRIKE UP THE BAND. One of many rousing rounds of applause
followed this medley.
Then was the Sondheim section of the act, starting with LIVE ALONE
AND LIKE, talking about working with Carol Burnett in PUTTING IT
TOGETHER and of course his run in COMPANY, which lead to MARRY ME A
LITTLE/BEING ALIVE. Hoots hollers and thunderous applause followed!
The final song of the evening was JB's theme
song,DREAMERS, no "real encore" which was a little
dissapointing. BUT he brought his mom up at the end of the second
show (before doing DREAMERS) and they sang THE WEDDING, together. From the look she shot her husband
before JB's manager escorted her to the stage I think she was a bit
embarrassed by the attention. However once she was up there next to her
boy it was so wonderful to see the deep love and affection they so
obviously have for one another. Mrs. Barrowman brought down
the house! I think they applauded her longer and louder then any of
her son's numbers! A perfect cap to an amazing double
performance.
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