Helane Blumfield

Invisible to Invincible

Don’t Tell Mama, NYC, April 15, 2026

Reviewed by Bart Greenberg

Helane Blumfield brought her considerable talents to her new show Invisible to Invincible to Don’t Tell Mama. This was a program that had a varied and inventive set list, a strong point of view, and a terrific combo—music director/pianist John Fischer (who also provided back-up vocals), percussionist Doug Hinrichs, and bassist Jerry DeVore. And most importantly, it was that very rare thing, an intelligently assembled show.

Blumfield asked two questions at the start of her show: “What happens when you’ve done everything right?” and “Why do women get to be invisible when they reach a certain age?” Her program then explored, examined, and illuminated these queries. She celebrated how she had built her life by singing “I’m Still Standing” (Janis Ian), which she delivered in a simple direct style without unneeded theatrics. This approach prevailed throughout the show, from her swinging Van Morrison’s “Moondance” (with just a hint of Peggy Lee) to terrific mash up of “Fame” (Michael Gore/Dean Pitchford), “Fame” (David Bowie/Carlo Alomar/John Lennon), and “Boulevard of Broken Dreams (Green Day), which built from a very quiet, very edgy start to a dynamic rock blast.

Throughout, she knew how to surprise her audience with unexpected versions of well-known songs. For instance, who would have reconceived “Send in the Clowns” (Stephen Sondheim) as a country-western ballad or given “Mr. Cellophane” (John Kander/Fred Ebb) a haunting, almost creepy, arrangement. Stephen Schwartz’s lesser-known “Snapshots” was a moving and detailed act of introspection, while Meg Flather’s “Don’t Age Me” was a witty and sexy statement by a mature woman (delivered seated on the piano). Her renditions of these songs revealed her basic honesty and understanding of the human heart which connected with the audience.Blumfield even showed her own talents as a lyricist with “Where Are My Glasses?,” written in collaboration with Fischer; it was a very funny number. The entire evening, directed by Lennie Watts, was a mix of this humor and her capacity for invention and interpretation; overall it was a satisfying and intelligent presentation.