Becca Kidwell
Together Inside
Don’t Tell Mama, NYC, September 12, 2022
Reviewed by Bart Greenberg
The personable and enthusiastic Becca Kidwell had an interesting story to tell in her new show Together Inside at Don’t Tell Mama. The New York cabaret stages have had a great many shows about life during the pandemic, but this program proposed a different, very personal, and fascinating question: “How does an introvert exist in the post-pandemic world?” Unfortunately, it was not well told, and did no favor to either the audience or the performer. There were certainly highlights and moving moments, but there were also some ill-chosen songs and misplaced emphasis. One thing that was definitely not a mistake was the inclusion of music director Matt Baker. A renowned jazz musician in his own right, here he provided fine instrumental support to Kidwell, often adding just a bit of jazz flavor into her pop-standard style which spiced things up. He also was given several chances within numbers for his piano solos, which were both elegant and exciting. The entire evening was directed by pro Jeff Harnar who kept the program moving along at a good pace but also must share some of the blame for the missteps.
Kidwell made no secret of her issues with being an introvert who needs quiet time to herself while still enjoying being gregarious with friends in the right situations. Unlike many people, she found that the pandemic very much suited her emotional. Communicating with her friends via Zoom and other social media was perfect for her. But when the shutdown ended and so many of her buddies resumed their lives in the “real world,” she found herself feeling abandoned and having to make some major readjustments. It was the second half of the story that was unique and utterly personable and it should have been emphasized; however, we spent far too much time on the first half, about which we have heard from many different performers. This doesn’t mean that there weren’t many quirky and endearing tales told by the performer; it was just that getting to the more personal part took a while.
After a throwaway number, “Good Friends and a Glass of Wine,” the show was better defined with its second number, Meg Flather’s moving “Inside.” Throughout the evening, the ballads were far more effective in conveying the story being told and also in suiting Kidwell’s voice; the up-tempo tunes tended to stress her upper register, which is not the best part of her voice. Another highlight was the debut of the singer’s own composition, the title tune of the show. She had great fun with the closer, the terribly silly but delightful Oscar winner, “In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening.” And earlier, she was very touching when she delivered the Charlie Chaplin/John Tuner/Geoffrey Parson “Smile.” There were indeed lovely gems to be found in this show; it just needed to be polished to shine.