Richard Holbrook
The Many Moods of Christmas
Don’t Tell Mama, NYC, December 11, 2017
Reviewed by Marilyn Lester for Cabaret Scenes
Photo: Jeffrey Hornstein
There are plenty of Christmas songs that Richard Holbrook could have defaulted to, but, in The Many Moods of Christmas, the singer excelled at uniqueness—many of the selections (including new additions to the Songbook) aren’t necessarily thought of as holiday songs. Yet, what made them work was Holbrook’s capacity to integrate them into a Christmas theme via personal recollection.
online pharmacy https://www.3-dmed.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/jpg/neurontin.html no prescription drugstore
buy avanafil online https://www.healthpointtv.com/wp-content/themes/twentytwentyone/inc/new/avanafil.html no prescription
He related, for instance, that one of his favorite stories is Truman Capote’s A Christmas Memory, and so sang the apropos “Make Me a Kite” (Amanda McBroom). Christmas in New York City also figured in the set, with the opener “I Happen to Like New York” (Cole Porter, with special material by Fred Ebb and Marvin Hamlisch, and Holbrook’s own holiday lyrics), as well as “Always Christmas in New York” (Ronny Whyte/Roger Schore) and “Confessions of a New Yorker (Hate-Love New York)” (Portia Nelson).
Holbrook is an energetic, animated presence on stage—affable and every bit the good host.
online pharmacy https://www.3-dmed.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/jpg/nolvadex.html no prescription drugstore
He’s mindful of his audience, welcoming all with “Consider Yourself” (Lionel Bart) and “Thank You Very Much” (Leslie Bricusse, from the movie musical Scrooge). But, of course, there was Christmas music, both nontraditional and holiday favorites. In the former category, he delivers Tom Lehrer’s satiric “A Christmas Carol,” and one of the iterations of composer Paul Lincke’s “The Glow Worm,” this one with holiday lyrics by Johnny Mercer and Mel Tormé. Beside a smooth and controlled baritone, Holbrook brings to the Christmas table a delightful sense of innocence; his inner child is clearly intact. Traditional Christmas songs, such as “Jingle Bells” (James Lord Pierpont), “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town” (J. Fred Coots/Haven Gillespie), and a jazzy “Good King Wenceslas” (traditional music arranged by Reginald Jacques with John Mason Neale lyrics) helped all engage in the spirit of this “most wonderful time of the year.” Holbrook was backed by the ace trio of pianist and music director Tom Nelson, with Tom Kirchmer on bass and Peter Grant on drums. The Many Mood of Christmas was directed by the late Richard Barclay (who passed away from a battle with pancreatic cancer in October, 2017).
