Scott Gryder and Scott Urban
Simply Scotty Squared—The Sequel
Skokie Theatre, Skokie, IL, March 23, 2019
Reviewed by Carla Gordon for Cabaret Scenes
The engaging Simply Scotty Squared—The Sequel, starring Scott Gryder and Scott Urban and, in the second act, guest singer/pianist Sami Scott and Cheryl Szucsits, was more encore than sequel, featuring highlights from an earlier version. Again, the duet of “Mister Cellophane” took on deeper meaning when sung by both a diminutive man and a large man, with the shared theme of wanting to be noticed and appreciated. New additions to the original show included a thoughtfully delivered “I’m Always Chasing Rainbows” by Urban, followed by Gryder’s pixie-ish “The Rainbow Connection.” Gryder captures the pathos and dismay well in “Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?” In the second act, Szucsits was grand on “Over the Rainbow,” which was not only excellent vocally but captured the deep yearning of Yip Harburg’s iconic lyric. Scott brought a sassy jazz bounce to “I Don’t Know Why I Love You Like I Do.” Unfortunately, the “Just My Scott” parody of “Bill” wasn’t quite ready for performance. Gryder’s boffo “I’m the Greatest Star” wowed the audience. The closing medley of goodbye songs was perhaps long, but charming nevertheless. Music director Nick Sula supported each member of this musically diverse cast with grace.
