Tina Burner
Maybe This Time Live
The Green Room 42, NYC, August 23, 2021
Reviewed by Bart Greenberg
No one could accuse Tina Burner of being an uncommitted performer. The veteran of the 13th Season of RuPaul’s Drag Race took the stage at The Green Room 42 in a very versatile, bedazzled wardrobe that led essentially to a performance-length striptease. A seven-piece orchestra delivered excellent arrangements of (mostly) Broadway selections by music director/pianist Blake Allen. Armed with tales both emotional and salty of her life in and out of gowns and her sincere and powerful delivery of big musical-theater songs (“What I Did For Love,” “Maybe This Time”), Burner gave her audience quite a show.
In fact, it was two shows in one, which was the major problem with the schizophrenic evening. Burner’s patter is certainly intentionally outlandishly vulgar (though quite funny). She carries on a tradition that dates back to Sophie Tucker in her tales of bad boyfriends and show-business woes and even childhood memories of being raised around horses (yes, there were the obvious allusions). Her audience ate this up and felt quite uninhibited about joining in on the action. However, some seemed a bit confused when it came to her straightforward presentations of such songs as “The Ladies Who Lunch” and “Rose’s Turn,” which were presented without camp. The diva is truly a gifted musical-theater performer, finding unexpected nuances in these number as she inhabits their characters.
“I Am What I Am” was given a sweet, contemplative treatment before it took off like a rocket. Burner possesses a strong contralto with just enough rough edges to keep it interesting. Her “Rose’s Turn” was a fully invested version of that epic number, both vocally and psychologically, and she used as much of the stage as possible, filled as it was with her musicians. On the other hand, Jekyll & Hyde’s “The Confrontation” received a full-blown over-the-top manic performance that was quite hysterical. The almost inevitable “Sweet Transvestite” was a source for vocal pyrotechnics with perhaps brief visits from Carol Channing and Cher. Only a very strange version of “Somewhere That’s Green,” delivered in a baby-doll vocal, failed to ignite. Still, huge credit must be given for delivering “Maybe This Time” in a personal manner without resorting to a Liza imitation.
Allen proved to be a great accompanist for her, both musically and in their verbal interplay; he seemed to be truly happy to be there. The other musicians were Camille Enderlin (violin), Laura Sacks (viola), Lydia Paulos (cello), Alexandria Bodick (bass), Mike Rosengarten (guitar), and Mike Lunoe (drums).
The self-described “Manhattan’s monster with a heart of gold” lived up to that reputation. She just needs to find the transitions between the two sides of her performance personality so she can take everyone in the audience on her ride.
