Perry Ojeda
The Songs of Comden and Green
Act2PV, Puerta Vallarta, Mexico, November 13, 2024
Reviewed by Lynn Timmons Edwards
Sometimes we just fall in love with a cabaret artist. Perry Ojeda is easy on the eyes, a Ken doll in a tuxedo. But the attraction was not superficial. One of the first things he did was to confirm what we all knew: it’s HOT and HUMID in Puerta Vallarta. So off came the jacket and tie and we got down to his journey through the catalogue of the songs that featured the lyrics of Betty Comden and Adolf Green. The seeds of the show were planted after he relocated to New York City from Michigan. He said he auditioned for everything from children’s theater to cruises, but he really wanted to be cast in the 1998 Broadway revival of On the Town (music by Leonard Bernstein).
He met Comden and Green at one of the last auditions for On the Town and landed the part of Gabey. His triumph was helped by his years of ballet training. His stories of the writing duo (who were married to others) were charming and funny. His gorgeous Broadway baritone soared on “New York, New York” and all the songs that followed, including “Gabey’s Coming.” He set that one up by telling us a hysterical story of having to run up and down the Gershwin Theatre as he was singing the song, which he demonstrated by leaving the stage to take a lap behind the back row of the club and returning to nail the ending to thunderous applause.
He dedicated “Fireworks” (from Do, Re, Mi, music by Jule Styne) to his partner Brett who was in the house with Ojeda’s dad and sister, who were there to celebrate his birthday. His delivery was strong but sweet. His stories were funny, and he brought that same flair to certain songs such as “Look Upon My Face,” which summed up his Hollywood aspirations. “Just in Time” (from Bells Are Ringing, music by Styne) had the perfect easy swing and highlighted pianist Yasuhiko Fukuoka’s feel for jazz. As he sat on a stool, he offered a poignant “Never Never Land” (music by Styne) that made us all remember that “time is never planned.”
Ojeda was at Green’s funeral in 2002 where Comden stood alone on stage after having collaborated with him for over 40 years and said, “It’s lonely up here.” He delighted us with stories that went from the pair’s beginning in the Catskills up to the time he escorted Comden to Hal Prince’s Christmas Party, which was filled with Broadway royalty. Elaine Stritch answered the door and told Carol Burnett to take their coats while she shot up her insulin. That turned out to be the last time Perry would see Comden. That was a perfect segue into “The Party’s Over.” (Bells Are Ringing, music by Styne)
Music director Mark Hartman’s rich, melodious arrangements were beautifully executed by Fukuoka, who had not played the show before this performance. Bravo gentlemen! The encore brought the cabaret full circle with “Some Other Time” (music by Bernstein) from his Comden and Green debut in On the Town.
This was Ojeda’s first professional appearance since his recent diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease, which he disclosed to us right up front. After all, cabaret is all about being yourself. His honesty and resolve to make every moment count spoke to his inner fire as an artist. Every day matters; we have to keep moving forward. See Perry Ojeda sooner rather than later.
