Sam Fazio: Autumn in New York

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Sam Fazio

54 Below, NYC, October 25, 2014

Reviewed by Joel Benjamin for Cabaret Scenes

Sam-Fazio-Autumn-in-New-York-Cabaret-Scenes-Magazine_212Everything about Sam Fazio’s show at 54 Below was pleasant: His strong voice has a pleasant rasp at its edges; his program consisted of pleasant, well-known songs, best remembered through recordings by such classic singers as Al Jolson, Shirley Bassey, Elton John, Barbra Streisand and Billy Joel; his interpretations were pleasant glosses without much concern for the deeper—or ironic—meanings of the lyrics. Even his jaunty attitude—one hand in jacket pocket, the other on his tummy—came across as pleasantly affected.

He began with “Let Me Sing and I’m Happy” (Berlin), that old saloon chestnut.
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It still works. His “Autumn Leaves” (Joseph Kosma/Jacques Prévert/Johnny Mercer) was sung with studied casualness, never quite mining the emotions or involving his face or body.
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This superficiality marred a carefully chosen program.
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He did well on such songs as “I Love a Piano” (Berlin) and a Broadway medley that ended with “Hello, Dolly!” (Herman), although their jauntiness eluded him.

When he tried the sexier numbers, like “Alright, Okay, You Win” (Mayme Watts/Sidney Wyche) or “Save the Last Dance for Me” (Doc Pomus/Mort Shuman) or “Too Close for Comfort” (Jerry Bock/Larry Holofcener/George David Weiss), his voice was fine as far as voices go, but he just sang the words prettily (often messing them up).

He even showed off the disastrous results of a year of tap classes. Although it was kind of funny—intentionally—it was symptomatic of his entire technique.
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His soothing “New York State of Mind” (Billy Joel) was a nice way to thank his New York City audience.

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Joel Benjamin

A native New Yorker, Joel was always fascinated by musical theater. Luckily, he was able to be a part of seven Broadway musicals before the age of 14, quitting to pursue a pre-med degree, which led no where except back to performing in the guise of directing a touring ballet troupe. Always interested in writing, he wrote a short play in high school that was actually performed, leading to a hiatus of nearly 40 years before he returned to writing as a reviewer. Writing for Cabaret Scenes has kept him in touch with world filled with brilliance.