Meg Flather

Hold on Tight… a love story

Don’t Tell Mama, NYC, December 28, 2022

Reviewed by Bart Greenberg

Meg Flather is a singer, a composer, a lyricist, and an actor—a very fine actor. She demonstrated that in her one-woman show, Hold on Tight… a love story, presented at Don’t Tell Mama after she had won an award for Best Storytelling Show at the United Solo Theatre Festival. That was a very well-deserved recognition of this tremendously moving show. There were moments in the packed Brick Room of the club when the audience was completely still and silent as they were swept up in this tale of devotion, illness, and death. Still, there was a surprising amount of humor to be had, both in the narrative and in the way it was told. The storyteller has a life force within her that invites those gathered to take the journey with her.

The show concentrated mostly on Flather’s long avocation as a caregiver that grew more and more personal over time. It ranged from her volunteer work at St. Vincent’s Hospital helping the beautiful young boys dying from AIDS to seeing her Bostonian father dealing with chemotherapy, to being there for her mother’s closing chapters as she dealt with Alzheimer’s. Her skill as an actress was demonstrated when she  summoned all of her characters to life: each of her parents (with appropriate accents), her husband (with perhaps a less effective but endearing Australian accent), a prized caregiver named Bonnie, and various  other people who entered her life. At times, there were two or more personalities on stage, and there wasn’t a moment when they were confused or blended together.

Flather’s songs complemented the story, often expanding beautifully on the emotions of the moment. For instance, “I’ll See You” (with additional music written by Jon Gordon) portrayed her failing father, who considered himself “the luckiest man in the world” for the devotion of his children, and “On the Second Floor” (additional music by John Mettam) accompanied the story of her moving her mother into a separate apartment in the same building as hers. When her mom heard this number, she was thrilled: “It’s a song about me!” These and the other melodies featured a strong folk-music influence, and the lyrics were poetical and used strong images and unconventional language structure. “He Shares Me with a Lot” expressed the unlimited support she received from her husband as she cared for her mother, and “My Heaven” celebrated the diversity of caregivers in New York City and was particularly dedicated as “a song for Bonnie,” the amazingly resourceful woman who provided ingenious solutions for her mother’s issues.

Flather received excellent support from music director Tracy Stark, who provided background that reinforced the star’s vocal lines. Although she is often featured in cabaret shows for both her fine singing voice and her dynamic piano playing, here she did as she was required by the material to be almost invisible in her work. An enviable lack of ego was displayed. Likewise, Lennie Watts’ direction provided no fireworks calling attention to his work. He assisted in keeping the lead moving comfortably, in using all the stage space available, and helping to keep the pacing varied but constantly moving forward.

For Flather, this show was a triumph. She was in complete control of the very willing audience, making them laugh one moment and cry the next. Although the program that was mostly about diminishing life, thanks to her, it also seemed highly affirmative. It was truly a success from every aspect. What will be her gift to us in the new year?