Goldie Dver

Sweet Beginning: A Musical Celebration

Laurie Beechman Theatre, NYC, November 6, 2022

By Shannon Hunt

Twenty years after winning her first MAC Award, Goldie Dver is back with Sweet Beginning: A Musical Celebration, a timely exploration of reinvention and renewal. The title of her show and upcoming CD has a special meaning for her; sidelined first by a personal health crisis and then the pandemic, she’s now ready to begin a brand-new chapter of her life and career.

This was evident in her opener, “I’ve Still Got New York,” a jazzy ode to the resilience of the city and those who call it home. The song was written for her by the award-winning Bill Zeffiro, who made a special guest appearance on piano. “New York pulls through, we’ve got guts, we’ve got grit,”the lyric states. She told the sold-out crowd, “we’ve all had to adapt and re-invent ourselves these past few years, and we’re now coming back even stronger and better than before. We get back up when we’ve been hit.”

Continuing on this journey of self-reflection, she sang a mash-up of “Self-Portrait,” (Edward Kleban), “Today Is the First Day of the Rest of My Life” (Richard Maltby, Jr./David Shire), and “It’s Today” (Jerry Herman). With music director Michael Roberts now at the piano, the band began a bouncy bossa nova blend of “The Impossible Dream (The Quest)” (Mitch Leigh/Joe Darion) and “It’s Impossible” (Armando Manzanaro/Sid Wayne). This was an imaginative arrangement that electrified the room.

Dver is a poised and polished performer, from her flawless vocals to her commanding stage presence, wrapped up in a smart and snazzy white blazer and sparkly heels. She makes every song her own, which was apparent in her delightfully varied and energized version of “Talk to the Animals” (Leslie Bricusse), with bassist John Miller and drummer Chip Fabrizi anchoring the arrangement’s breakneck tempo. She next shifted pace for a reflective, sensitive rendition of “Where Do You Start” (Johnny Mandel/Alan & Marilyn Bergman), featuring guitarist Marc Daine.

When her second guest of the night, Carolyn Montgomery, took the stage, there was no doubt that we were watching two of the best that cabaret has to offer. After the friends exchanged some clever banter, Dver left and the talented Montgomery made the most of it, singing a beautifully haunting “It’s Only a Paper Moon” (Harold Arlen/Yip Harburg/Billy Rose) followed by a buoyant rendition of “I Get a Kick Out of You” (Cole Porter).

Dver returned sporting a costume change, looking fabulous in a glittering black blouse and form-fitting black leather pants. She and Montgomery hopped on stools for what Dver joked was her “Judy moment” before beginning a fun and frothy duet of “You’re Just in Love” (Irving Berlin). It was obvious they were having just as wonderful a time as their audience.

With the stage once again to herself, Dver delivered an unexpected and imaginative rock arrangement of “What About Today?” (Maltby & Shire) and “Easy to Be Hard” (James Rado/Gerome Ragni/Galt MacDermot), which showed off her amazing range and versatility. The singer put her all into the number, and the audience was enthralled as the music cleverly climbed to a rocking climax, resulting in raucous applause.

Then came another highlight of the evening: “This is Mine,” which Roberts wrote specifically for this show. In this song that extolled the importance of retaining one’s own rights, autonomy, and sense of self, the lyrics proved especially fitting in today’s current climate. Dver inhabited the song completely, and its empowering sentiment made a strong impact on the crowd.

Returning to the theme of renewal for the show’s finale, she began a moving interpretation of “Sweet Beginning” (Anthony Newley/Bricusse), building steadily from a whisper to a full-throated declaration of rebirth. For her, these themes aren’t just buzzwords: as a recent cancer survivor, she has graciously donated $5 of every ticket sold for her show directly to the Phyllis Newman Woman’s Health Initiative, so that others can renew their lease on life just as she renewed hers.

Her encore, a medley of Berlin’s “I Got the Sun in the Morning (and the Moon at Night)” and the Gershwins’ “I Got Rhythm” left the audience in a joyous mood, with its quick tempos and its delightfully playful performance by Dver and her band. Coming in at a brisk 90 minutes, with expert direction by James Beaman, Goldie Dver’s latest show was truly a wonderful and sweet new beginning—not just for her, but also for all the world of cabaret.