Klea Blackhurst
Everything That Traffic Will Allow
Chelsea Table + Stage NYC November 10, 2024
Reviewed by Jacqueline Parker
Photo: Christopher Boudewyns
Anyone who thought that nothing would be better than an evening with Ethel Merman should know that an evening with Klea Blackhurst is infinitely better! Dressed in a sparkly black velvet dress, Blackhurst ascended the stage after greeting a few friends in the audience, and for the next hour she gave us a tutorial on Ethel Merman. By the end of the show, she seemed to embody all that was Merman and more.
Blackhurst began by singing some fun new lyrics that she had written for “Johnny One Note” (Rodgers and Hart) that explained a bit about Merman. It was a clever hors d’oeuvre before the feast we were about to be served. A stenographer from Queens, Merman got her big break appearing in Girl Crazy (George & Ira Gershwin). Although Ginger Rogers was the star of the show, after Merman sang “I Got Rhythm” to close the first act, she was the star and remained a star for the rest of her life. Blackhurst sang that song, and one could only imagine what it was like when the world first heard it at the Alvin Theatre in 1930. Merman was only 22 when she took that first step on a Broadway stage, and she eventually and inevitably became the First Lady of the American Songbook for the next several decades. Blackhurst’s voice was thrilling in the way Merman’s was; it was clear, stentorian, and honest. It was so refreshing to hear certain songs sung loudly. She used force and volume and never screamed.
Blackhurst paid homage to Merman early on by dedicating “You’re the Top” to her, followed by “Blow, Gabriel, Blow.” Both songs were written by Cole Porter, who said he would rather write for Merman than for anyone else in the world. Both numbers demonstrated Blackhurst’s innate ability to belt out a tune with the best of them. It was surprising then to learn later in the show that she could tone that power down a bit and deliver signature Merman pieces with a tenderness that Merman never employed and that could be heartbreaking. Her rendition of “I Got Lost in His Arms” (Irving Berlin) and “Everything’s Coming Up Roses” (Jule Styne/Stephen Sondheim) were examples of this.
Blackhurst talked about her early devotion to Merman, which included her high school term paper entitled Ethel Merman and Barbra Streisand—A Study in Dynamism, and spoke about Merman’s career as well. Merman appeared in 13 Broadway shows; many written specifically for her remarkable voice by several of the greatest Broadway songwriters of all time, and we were treated to many of them.
Throughout the show, Blackhurst included surprises, including interesting or amusing anecdotes, scat singing, and even playing the ukelele as she accompanied herself on “Life Is Just a Bowl of Cherries” (Lew Brown/Ray Henderson). As the show went on, she seemed to feed off the enthusiasm of the audience and became increasingly tickled to be sharing her love of Merman with an appreciative crowd. Her natural comedic talent was the perfect spice to enhance the entire program.
A few more Merman classics followed before she sang one that was added to Hello, Dolly! when Merman took over the role of Dolly Levi: “World, Take Me Back” (Jerry Herman), which was written for her. And as if we needed to be reminded, Blackhurst closed her show with “There’s No Business Like Show Business” (Berlin).
Throughout the show I wondered who was having more fun: the audience or Blackhurst. The jury’s still out on that one! Ethel Merman knew who she was and never tried to be anything else. The same can be said of Klea Blackhurst, which is just one more thing to be grateful for this Thanksgiving.
This performance closed out Blackhurst’s series The Box Set, which she has performed throughout the year, which included shows that highlighted Jerry Herman, Hoagy Carmichael, and others. Let’s keep our fingers crossed hoping that she’ll be back next season.
