Something Sort of Grandish: The Music of Burton Lane; The Lyrics of Yip Harburg
The 25th Annual New York Cabaret Convention
Rose Theater, NYC, October 22, 2014
By Joel Benjamin for Cabaret Scenes
Photos by Maryann Lopinto
The contribution to the American Songbook by two legendary stalwarts was the focus of the third show of the recent 25th Annual New York Cabaret Convention: Something Sort of Grandish: The Music of Burton Lane; The Lyrics of Yip Harburg. Hosted by Jeff Harnar and Andrea Marcovicci, the program featured 18 song stylists each putting his or her imprint on Lane’s flowing melodies and Harburg’s brilliant lyrics.
The interpretations ranged from the swinging—Eric Comstock & Barbara Fasano’s “That Great Come-and-Get-It Day” (Lane/Harburg), to the torchy—Carole J. Bufford’s “Down with Love” (Arlen/Harburg), to the lush—Brent Barrett’s “She Wasn’t You” (Lane/Lerner).
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Billy Stritch’s “Hurry! It’s Lovely Up Here!” (Lane/Lerner) was a lovely invitation.
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He later joined with Jim Caruso in two easy-breezy songs: both singing a perky “I Hear Music” (Lane/Loesser) and accompanying Caruso’s vocal on a thoughtful “If I Only Had a Brain” (Arlen/Harburg). Their old buddy, the marvelous Sally Mayes, spun “It’s Only a Paper Moon” (Arlen/Harburg & Billy Rose) into something eloquent and moving.
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Richard Holbrook, making a comeback from a serious illness, was in good form singing “Anything Can Happen in New York” (Lane/Harburg) from Babes on Broadway. Iris Williams, elegant and serene, hypnotized with “April in Paris” (Vernon Duke/Harburg).
The inimitable Karen Akers wrapped her deep voice around “Fun to Be Fooled” (Arlen/Gershwin/Harburg), while the two hosts joined voices on “You’re All the World to Me” (Lane/Lerner) and Harnar took a solo with “Come Back to Me” (Lane/Lerner).
Finally, Natalie Douglas used her huge voice to wring every emotion out of “Happiness Is Just a Thing Called Joe” (Arlen/Harburg).
The other singers on the program were: the operatic Anna Bergman (“Right as the Rain”); the sweet Rita Gardner (“How Are Things in Glocca Morra?”; the young, handsome Anthony Nunziata (“On a Clear Day You Can See Forever”); the rich-voiced Gabrielle Stravelli (“I Could Go On Singing”); and the totally wonderful Jennifer Sheehan, with “Look to the Rainbow,” who was the well-deserved winner of the Donald F. Smith Award.
Alex Rybeck provided much of the piano accompaniment.
