|
|
|
Tweet this article !
The evening of April 13th was notable in cabaret because of the annual Back Stage Bistro Awards ceremony, this time at Gotham Comedy Club, and deservedly honoring such luminaries as Mitzi Gaynor and Elaine Stritch. However, just a block south at Metropolitan Room, it was an extremely lucky audience that assembled to see 2010 MAC Award nominee Rob Langeder in his latest effort, entitled Any Place My Hang My Hat Is Home, which serves as an autobiographical musical journey through the various locales in which he's lived. And, as with all the gentleman's previous cabaret outings, Langeder comes up swinging like the champion he so rightfully is.
The show is nothing less than explosive from the first moment of Langeder's coupling of "Go Daddy-O" with "All Of Me." Backed by a splendiferous quintet that includes David Crone on piano, drums by Brian DeWitt, bass by Rob Broelmann and sax by Brian Broelmann, not to mention musical director Fortune Esposito on guitar, from there the evening beautifully segues into tales of Langeder's childhood in Brazil, punctuated by "Mais Que Nada," in which guest star Jenna Esposito (a 2010 MAC Award nominee herself) provides exquisite background vocals. (He also shares a gift for comedy here by having maracas passed out to the audience as well as percussive eggs and asking, "Who wants to play with my huevos?"). Elvis Costello's "Wave A White Flag" emerges as the absolute essence of cabaretic communication, and just when one thinks it can't get any better, a perfectly-stated "The Nearness of You" is followed with a marvelous "Is You Is or Is You Ain't My Baby?" (which, Langeder confesses, he learned from a childhood cartoon of Tom & Jerry).
As his spoken journey brings him to the United States, so does his musical excursion become equally illustrious. The aforementioned Jenna Esposito is brought forth to join Langeder on a medley of tunes by Frank Loesser (namely "My Time Of Day," "Luck Be A Lady" and a version of "Sue Me" that simply must be heard to be believed for its power), and she returns yet again to sing backup on Langeder's rendering of Louis Prima's "Jump, Jive and Wail" that isn't merely amazing for the showmanship, but for the fact that the gentleman even shows the uninitiated that he has a talent for vocal beatbox. By the time the two tear into the encore, "Just A Gigolo" paired naturally with "I Ain't Got Nobody," it's clear that Ms. Esposito provides the perfect Keely Smith to Mr. Langeder's Prima, and by then the hour has flown so quickly by, that it would be virtually depressing were it not for the promise of his (or indeed her) return to a stage at some point in the extremely near future.
Rob Langeder can hang his hat wherever he likes in cabaret; whatever space he chooses will only become more musically rich and brilliantly shimmering.
As his spoken journey brings him to the United States, so does his musical excursion become equally illustrious. The aforementioned Jenna Esposito is brought forth to join Langeder on a medley of tunes by Frank Loesser (namely "My Time Of Day," "Luck Be A Lady" and a version of "Sue Me" that simply must be heard to be believed for its power), and she returns yet again to sing backup on Langeder's rendering of Louis Prima's "Jump, Jive and Wail" that isn't merely amazing for the showmanship, but for the fact that the gentleman even shows the uninitiated that he has a talent for vocal beatbox. By the time the two tear into the encore, "Just A Gigolo" paired naturally with "I Ain't Got Nobody," it's clear that Ms. Esposito provides the perfect Keely Smith to Mr. Langeder's Prima, and by then the hour has flown so quickly by, that it would be virtually depressing were it not for the promise of his (or indeed her) return to a stage at some point in the extremely near future.
Rob Langeder can hang his hat wherever he likes in cabaret; whatever space he chooses will only become more musically rich and brilliantly shimmering.
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
|
|
|
 |
Web services: launchpadny.com