Tim Connell
‘Tis the Season
The Green Room 42, NYC, November 29, 2024
Reviewed by Alix Cohen
Tim Connell has a beautiful voice with a wide range and control, and his enunciation is pristine. He’s an actor, which added to his interpretation of the lyrics. He was also charming, which would enhance any show. What most resonated about him, however, was his sincerity. He shared; his candid observations drew us to his sensitivity. There was something of the poet in this Irishman.
It’s difficult to stage a holiday show without a preponderance of chestnuts. Connell’s, however, stretched his songlist to achieve novelty. A jaunty “Everything Old Is New Again” (Peter Allen/Carole Bayer Sager) indicated cycling around of the holiday season. As he sang “When you put an old star on a new tree” I expected him to break into a soft shoe.
“Black Friday” (Sonny Burke/Paul Francis Webster) had new lyrics by Mark Chimiel, who also directed this show. They were droll and specific: “The turkey’s in saran wrap/And you’re in your sedan/You’re kinda wired, but really tired/From all that tryptophan/Black Friday!” Connell played it straight; he was harried and a tad bemused. The arrangement was cool and textured.
Everyone has his or her favorite Christmas album. Connell’s is The Carpenter’s Christmas Portrait. He delivered two Richard Carpenter songs gently in a matinee croon with his hands clasped. He unwittingly pulled up a tad bit straighter on the weightless high notes, and his eyebrows came to a point.
The lyrics of “All Purpose Carol” (John Forster) stated “Merry Christmas. Happy Chanukah. Kwanzaa time is here/It’s that falala deidl dum jambo jambo time of year/ Gloria, Baruch atah, in Excelsis Deo, day-o- day-eee-oh.” The arrangement included nifty Banana Boat notes and tumbled out with grins, onstage and off.
Referring to those who opt for holiday hook-ups instead of going home, “Christmas in Bed” (Buck Buckholtz/Scott Hams) was cozy and suggestive, but it might have landed better if it had been presented about lovers rather than about Grindr meat (no pun intended). I’m no prude, it just sounded out of place considering how it had been prefaced.
An appealingly conversational, “Same Old Lang Syne” (Dan Fogelberg) and an earnest “God Bless My Family” (Ann Hampton Callaway) were both handicapped by a BIG delivery, which was unsuited to the ruminative lyrics. In “12 Drunken Days of Christmas” (traditional music/lyric by Chmiel) he tried too hard.
Connell told a wonderful story of going to a unique storytelling Mass with his parents. His reference to “a gaggle of nuns and I mean that in the most endearing way” preceded “Some Children See Him” (Alfred Burt/Wihla Hutson), which began ethereally a cappella. The song was utterly lovely. It was a highlight, and Connell exuded reverence. Still, I wish more of the night’s material had been directly related to his personal experience.
Six American Songbook selections were joined in a companionable medley. They went from Charlie Brown’s waltzy “Christmas Time is Here” (Vince Guaraldi/Lee Mendelson) to a retooled, rhythmic “Jingle Bells.”
The show closed with Harry Nilsson’s “Remember” and a dulcet “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” (Hugh Martin), which was like the shaking of an old-fashioned snow globe.
The band was terrific. We hear pianist James Followell too rarely these days. He was joined by Sean Conly (bass) and Ray Marchica (drums); the music was consistently top flight. Kudos go to the club’s sound designer this evening.
