Jonathan Brugioni: Let’s Have a Drink

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Jonathan Brugioni

Let’s Have a Drink

Don’t Tell Mama, NYC, June 6, 2022

Reviewed by Bart Greenberg

Jonathan Brugioni

If a performer can be both laid back and energetic at the same time, it is Jonathan Brugioni. Appearing at Don’t Tell Mama, with music director/pianist Matthew Cogent leading a top-notch trio to back him up, he showed an impressive range of talent as singer, storyteller, musician, and composer. He also displayed a quirky sense of humor and a warm relationship with his audience. A wry series of stories about his family, many of whom were present, and his own life were greatly appreciated as they both amused and moved us.

Brugioni has a fine, rangy voice, though he relies a bit too much on his falsetto, which is not the best part of his vocals. However, he excels in dealing with complicated lyrics. Following a very funny tale of backstage life, he offered a very moving version of “Unusual Way” from Nine, imbuing it with a great deal of personalized emotion. He also surprised us by accompanying himself on the piano (he later also played the guitar) while singing “Down with Love” in a swinging arrangement didn’t become a bad Frank Sinatra imitation.

The happiest part of the evening came when the star performed two of his originals. One was his take on a Rodgers and Hammerstein ballad, “If I Was Your Lover,” that caught their trademark genre of conditional love songs. It wasn’t a bland copy; the music and the lyrics captured the feel of R&H while being uniquely Brugioni. His second number was a swinging jazz tune, “It Stops My Heart.” Once again, he produced a modern take on a classic style. It will be interesting to see what he offers as a songwriter in the future.

Bart Greenberg

Bart Greenberg first discovered cabaret a few weeks after arriving in New York City by seeing Julie Wilson and William Roy performing Stephen Sondheim and Cole Porter outdoors at Rockefeller Center. It was instant love for both Ms. Wilson and the art form. Some years later, he was given the opportunity to create his own series of cabaret shows while working at Tower Records. "Any Wednesday" was born, a weekly half-hour performance by a singer promoting a new CD release. Ann Hampton Callaway launched the series. When Tower shut down, Bart was lucky to move the program across the street to Barnes & Noble, where it thrived under the generous support of the company. The series received both The MAC Board of Directors Award and The Bistro Award. Some of the performers who took part in "Any Wednesday" include Barbara Fasano and Eric Comstock, Tony Desare, Andrea Marcovicci, Carole Bufford, the Karens, Akers, Mason and Oberlin, and Julie Wilson. Privately, Greenberg is happily married to writer/photographer Mark Wallis, who as a performance artist in his native England gathered a major following as "I Am Cereal Killer."