Marcy Heisler and Zina Goldrich
The Marcy & Zina Show
Birdland, NYC, July 30, 2018
Reviewed by Bart Greenberg for Cabaret Scenes
If one believes long-term songwriting team Marcy Heisler and Zina Goldrich, they take great pleasure in meeting with their friends in each others’ homes and making music. And every so often they are willing to share these concerts with the public by bringing along many talented folks to a show at Birdland. Happily, the composer and lyricist are delightful entertainers as well.
After they blast off with the high-energy “Make Your Own Party,” their wit and charm never let up. Whether it was Heisler bemoaning her dating life in “Fifteen Pounds” or Goldrich swinging “One True Love” (backed up by one of their guest stars, Eric Gilliland, who has a talent for whistling), we were enthralled. Heisler also proved once again that within every comedienne is a torch singer, by giving us a perfectly measured “Funny How Love Gets in the Way.”
But the songwriters are essentially of the theater, so the evening’s highlight was the four-song grouping from their work in progress, Ever After. This quartet suggests that music lovers have something to look forward to, with performances by Jonathan Shew, David Goldsmith, Susanna McCollum, and the writers themselves.
To wrap up the program, Heisler wowed with her show-off “Alto’s Lament,” and Goldrich got her equal share of attention with “Baltimore.” We departed feeling far better than we did when they first arrived.
Also participating and adding to the general delight were Clinton Kelly and Julie Foldesi (solo vocalists), Mary Ann McSweeney (bass), Michael Croiter (percussion), and Peter Sachon (cello).
