Georga Osborne
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Don’t Tell Mama NYC– 9/14/14
Reviewed by Joel Benjamin
Georga Osborne is a well-known, beloved actress/singer/comedianne who, for some ungodly reason, hasn’t done a solo show in NYC for 10 years. Her sold-out show at Don’t Tell Mama was full of cabaret and theater types who absorbed every note and joke.
Although her mezzo has lost some of its rich, burnished quality, her intelligence and technique got her through a tough program that went from the lushly romantic “Hello, Young Lovers” (Rodgers & Hammerstein) to the humorously self-deprecating “Mother Nature’s Lament” (Steven Silverstein & Ruth Williamson) about the ravages of aging. However, she was also upbeat about getting older in “No Time at All” (Stephen Schwartz) paired with “My Best Days Are Ahead of Me” (Marv Green/Kent E. Blazy).
The show leaned more toward reminiscence than comedy, although Maury Yeston’s “A Call from the Vatican” was fun—a phone-sex session interrupted by a call from her mother. “Home to Myself” (Melissa Manchester/Carole Bayer Sager) was a sad reverie about loneliness, and the gentle “Be Good to Yourself” (Steve Perry/Jonathan Cain/Neal Schon) was a kind of benediction—sweet, self-effacing and an odd way to end a show.
The only misstep was reviving her way-past-its-prime Mrs. Miller routine in the guise of some sort of statement about women’s rights. Osborne skillfully squawked her way through Mrs. M’s repertoire, but the effort was in vain.
Ray Watkins provided great pianistic support, perfectly in tune with Osborne’s every musical need.
Georga Osborne will be Back at Don’t Tell Mama October 12.
