Chris Barrett: Broadway & Beyond

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Chris Barrett

Broadway & Beyond

Pangea, NYC, September 19, 2023

Reviewed by Bart Greenberg

Chris Barrett

The casual and witty Christopher Barrett brought back the heyday of the pianist/singer in cabaret rooms in his new program, Broadway & Beyond. He drew material from both the golden age of musical theater and from other pianists/singers who also doubled as songwriters. In fact, the second half of the evening was devoted to these creative people and their work which created a shimmering tribute to a golden age. The layout at Pangea didn’t provide the best sightlines for this kind of show, but the room’s intimacy certainly was ideal for the Barrett’s style. The adoring audience, many of whom have obviously followed Barrett for years, ate it all up.

Barrett kicked of the night with a celebratory “Hey Look Me Over” that featured his trademark phrasing. When he later confessed that his love for lyrics was what had drawn him into this repertoire it was no surprise at all, considering how well he treated them throughout. He shared works by some of his favorite songwriters. These included four songs by Jerry Herman: a deeply felt “Song of the Sand,” an enthusiastic “The Best of Times,” the bittersweet “I Won’t Send Roses,” and the heartbreaker “Time Heals Everything.” Then, acknowledging his all-time favorite songwriter Cole Porter, he performed a sweeping “So In Love.” Along the way, he also offered a delightful “No Time at All” (Stephen Schwartz, from Pippin) complete with some wisecracks and some personalized lyric changes that made it a crowd pleaser.

It was the second half of the show that was truly unique as Barrett recalled the heyday of cabaret rooms (many now gone) where various singers/songwriters held sway, sadly many of whom are, sadly, also gone. Many were good friends of his, and his connection with them and their material was deeply felt. Among those he paid appropriate homage to were Buddy Barnes (“Welcome Back Again”), Franklin Underwood (“I Wish I’d Met You”—one of several songs through the evening about aging and long-lasting love), Charles DeForest (“When Do the Bells Ring for Me,” which became a hit for Tony Bennett), Murray Grand (“Too Old to Die Young,” with an outrageous lyric that prompted Barrett to remark “I don’t write them, I just sing them”), John Wallowich (“This Moment,” a true heartbreaker), and Danny Apolinar (“While We’re Here”)—he actually co-owned the cabaret, Danny’s Skylight Room.

This was a lovely evening, complete with great music and lyrics offered by a fine pianist and vocalist. In this mix of nostalgia and contemporary wit, Barrett was all class and charm. It would be very easy to hope for a return visit.

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 & Nobel, 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."