Robert Ryan & Michael Ferreri
Songs From the Heart
Don’t Tell Mama, NYC, September 19, 2025
Reviewed by Bart Greenberg
Robert Ryan made his United States cabaret debut at Don’t Tell Mama with his appropriately named show Songs from the Heart. He has a fine voice that retains much of his early operatic training along with a great sense of humor, a deft acting talent, and an impressive emotional sincerity. It would have taken a heart of stone not to be moved by his rendition of “What More Can I Say?” (William Finn), which was directed to his husband of 27 years, or by his delivery of “My Romance” (Richard Rodgers/Lorenz Hart).
Not that all the show was devoted to ballads. It was launched with the bouncy, deliciously silly “Rhode Island Is Famous for You” (Harold Dietz/Arthur Schwartz), a reference to his home state. Much of the show was decorated with rather obscure songs, mostly from Broadway, that tied into his life story. He evoked the breakup of his first relationship, which had forced him to move to Canada, with the beautiful “Why Can’t I Walk Away” (Hugo Peretti/Luigi Creatore & George David Weiss) from Maggie Flynn. An earlier friendship with a drag queen while he attended Vassar led to his scathing delivery of John Wallowitch’s “Bruce”—a wonderful discovery.
Much of the smoothness of the show must be credited to director Sue Matsuki, who also made sure the stage picture continued to be varied. Music director/pianist Michael Ferreri provided sterling support throughout with his lush piano playing, fine vocal backup, and some really nifty arrangements. For instance, a lengthy Rodgers and Hammerstein medley was beautifully crafted as one classic song as each song gracefully merged into the next to both dramatic and witty effect. Those who assembled this program showed a real sense of theater.
Ryan’s excellent diction made every lyric clear to the audience, as in the delightful tongue-twisting “Everybody Wants to Be Sondheim” (Alan Chapman) or the yearning mood of “Once in a Blue Moon” (Rodgers & Hart). This was a totally satisfying show, and hopefully now that Ryan has found his way back to New York City, he will return again soon.
