Molly Ringwald
An Evening with Molly Ringwald
The Pheasantry, London, U.K., November 10, 2014
Reviewed by Mychelle Colleary for Cabaret Scenes
The name Molly Ringwald is synonymous with 1980s coming-of-age Brat Pack movies and best known for her roles in Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club and Pretty in Pink. When a celebrity famous for something other than singing puts on a music-based show, one goes to that show with somewhat conflicting trepidation: hoping for the best, but also preparing for the worst. What was offered was actually somewhere in between.
First off, Ringwald made the epic mistake of positioning herself as a jazz singer. Even the best of the jazzy singers are criticized for calling themselves “jazz.
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” If a singer is not improvising or changing phrasing or altering the melodic lines or lyrics or offering something slightly unexpected, he/she is not a jazz singer. Conversely, but equally valid, being backed by a fantastic jazz trio (in this instance by BBC award-winning bassist Alec Dankworth, one of Britain’s leading jazz drummers, Winston Clifford, and her musical director and pianist, Peter Smith) does not a jazz singer make either. Jazzy maybe. It seemed like she was endeavoring more to play the role of a jazz singer than actually be one.
Ringwald’s father is a traditional New Orleans-style ragtime jazz pianist. Theoretically, you would assume that growing up hearing this sort of music, it would somehow seep in by osmosis.
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However, it seems like her stints as both a child and an adult in musical theatre have provided the most influence. Her father states on his website (one would hope jokingly) that he’s always subscribed to the motto, “If my music does not come up to your standards, lower your standards.” Perhaps she is indeed following in his footsteps.
That said, it could have been a lot worse. In all fairness, Ringwald sings impeccably in tune with a good sense of time.
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It’s just that the voice is a bit thin and reedy, more theatrical belt-y than sultry, and she’s not really doing much with the melodic lines. The song selection, mirroring her recording Except Sometimes, is quite nice.
I suppose there could also have been some great acting going on.
Unfortunately, she spent the better part of the two sets facing the opposite side of the U-shaped room. The few times she managed to face the other direction, the look on her face was more “oh-crap-I-need-to-look-over-here-now” than anything in support of the lyric.
She arrived at the club right at show time, and had a short terse discourse with the sound engineer and room manager before heading backstage, explaining she had been caught in traffic. This could account for her awkwardness during most of the first set. As she loosened up and enjoyed herself a bit, so did the audience. The patter appeared to reveal a somewhat down-to-earth “normal” working mom. But, in everything, Ringwald just seemed a bit tentative, or as if her attention were drifting off, unable to focus on the moment.
Frankly, I doubt anyone in the audience was there to see a “jazz singer.” The 40-something crowd was curious to see the movie star/pop icon from their youth. They got that, with some good singing and enough charmingly delivered personal anecdotes to make for a pleasant Evening with Molly Ringwald.
