Formidable! Aznavour Concert at Town Hall

By Joseph Cervelli

I can think of only two performers who not only had remarkable voices but more than that brought us on an emotional journey in their songs. One was the late, wondrous French singer Edith Piaf and the other the French/Armenian performer Charles Aznavour. While I never had the honor of seeing Piaf in person, her incandescent style in getting the songs across were a wonder. The same could be true of Aznavour. Having attended, at least, half a dozen or more of this late singer's performances, I was always amazed how  so many of his songs were like three act plays. He once said (not quite true, but the message was there) that he never says to an audience "thank you" for his songs are his thank you. I understood him. And you thanked him for what he gave us.

I attended the glorious tribute to Charles Aznavour called "Formidable! Aznavour" which celebrates the incomparable singer, songwriter and actor at its world premiere at Town Hall. Director/Creator Gil Marsala met with the late performer and was given permission to present such a loving tribute to him. This show will be the first in its world tour celebrating the upcoming 100th birthday of the late performer. He also approved of the singer Jules Grison to lead us through the life and times of the one and only Aznavour. 

As you enter Town Hall there is a screen with various slide projections of Aznavour through the years which is a nice reminiscent of his life. The last one has a sketch of him with the words "Forever in Our Hearts" which is also the last projection. 

Jules Grison, quite thankfully, in no way tries to replicate the voice of Aznavour. He has his own style and is just every bit as impassioned as the late singer. He is incredibly personable and has some very fancy and effective dance steps. 

He opens with the familiar "Les Comediens" which he gives a jazzy beat to along with another of Aznavour's signature songs "La Boheme" also giving it the same treatment. I did not think “Boheme”would work since never heard it that way, but it most certainly does. 

He joyfully goes into the audience to dance "The Old Fashioned Way" with an elderly woman before leaving her and bringing up a younger woman on stage. This felt a bit gimmicky.

He also sang "Jezebel" with the ardent quality it deserves. I could have done without the wood burning in a fire on the screen. The song and the singer sold the song completely. 

And his gorgeously moving "Que c-est trust Venise" about finding love in that immortal city and then never being able to turn at the end of the relationship is sung simply by his sitting on a chair. 

He so correctly points out that Aznavour wrote a number of songs that dealt with social issues. One that had to have been quite controversial since it was from 1972 is the deeply poignant "What Makes a Man a Man" about a gay performer looking for love. Grison's interpretation is every bit as deeply moving as I would have expected him to be. I was very taken with this performer's maneuvering from his lively numbers from Aznavour's repertoire to something as serious as this one. 

As Grison pointed out Aznavour wrote about 1200 songs so not easy to choose the ones for the concert though he certainly did most of the familiar ones interspersed with one or two less familiar to me. 

About halfway through the show he did a duet with the wonderful Melissa Ericco who made a brief guest appearance. 

Grison concludes at the piano (the four other excellent musicians have left the stage) with "She." During the rendition the light fades on him and you hear Aznavour's voice. That duet was beautifully executed. 

This is a lovely tribute to the one and only Charles Aznavour. If there was one minor quibble it would be that I wished Grison had told more about the late singer's life and career. Even briefly would have helped. But that in no way negates the pleasure of his the evening. 

I wish him well on his world tour.

Now, I must scold the terribly rude audience which was one of the worst I have encountered. Many were coming in late, texting, taking photos or videos. And people going back and forth from their seats to possibly the restrooms. I understand when nature calls, but to leave about 10 minutes into the show and worse yet, return to their seat when he was singing is unacceptable. Why not wait until he finished the song. I must but partial blame on the staff who were no where to be found during this except escorting those latecomers to their seats. This was an affront to both Mssr. Grison and his musicians.

PHOTOS: First two Marta Pich/Third and Fourth Eric Carriere

Best Shows of the First Half of the 2023-2024 Season

By Joseph Cervelli

Here are what I consider the best shows I have seen from May till December of this year. 

So, here in no particular order, are those I felt were the finest. I also have included shows I felt were of honorable mention for various reasons.

"Appropriate"

Hard to imagine the 2 hours and 45 minutes of this superbly engrossing play by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins flew by with such rapidity. I never saw it off Broadway but have read how far superior this production is. First and foremost, the cast is absolutely mesmerizing especially with Sarah Paulson at the helm. A family drama in which they arrive at a decaying home of the recent death of the patriarch of the family to liquidate the sale of the estate. What ensues between them is startling. You are not quite sure whether to laugh or gasp which certainly will occur. An amazing play that never lets up in its tension despite its length thanks also to the knockout direction by Lila Neugebauer. 

"I Can Get it For You Wholesale"

I never saw the short lived original Broadway musical which claim to fame was having Barbra Streisand in it singing the hilarious "Miss Marmelstein" earning her a Tony nomination. I don't know if Trip Cullman's fast moving direction made this revival work so well but it certainly does. Santino Fontana is excellent as the despicable businessman in the garment area in the 1930's. I have listened to the score periodically and this cast really does it proud. Besides Fontana, Judy Kuhn deserves consideration at awards time.  

"Dracula--A Comedy of Terrors"

"Comedy" is the key word here. This hilarious ode to the classic horror story is wonderfully acted by a very talented cast. You have a hunky leading man (a delightful James Daly) and a gender bending standout performance by Arnie Burton who will have you howling with just a slight nod of his head. The rest of the cast all performs admirably and are game for this kind of inspired lunacy.     

"Spamalot"

I loved the original production from eighteen years ago and enjoyed this new revival possibly even more. Sillier (yep, you heard that right) than even the original the cast seems to be relishing in every loony moment. If you missed the original production by all means rush to this one. And even if you saw it back then, this laugh fest deserves another go.

"Stereophonic"

Yes, the show is long. But my theory is it is deliberately so to give you the idea of how grueling it is to go through a recording session. It deals with  a 1976 rock band who is trying to make it big. The successes and failures along the road with the tensions that arise among all of the characters are all detailed. Engagingly acted throughout. It is scheduled to arrive on Broadway in the spring. 

"Swing State"

A gripping and palpitating new play by Rebecca Gilman had me on the edge of my seat attention from the very first scene when a middle aged woman is in her kitchen contemplating suicide. Mary Beth Fisher gives a mesmerizing performance as a widow in rural Wisconsin who years ago along with her deceased husband took in a troubled young man (a superb Bubba Weiler). Amazing how a missing toolbox leads to complications that will have you in a near sweat wondering what is going to occur when you have that aching feeling you already have a strong feeling you do. Beautifully directed by the always reliable Robert Falls. 

"Small"

A terrific one man show written and performed by a rousing Robert Montano about his desire to become a jockey. His height and frame are great for the profession until he ages and becomes taller and heavier than the desired requirement. He also talks about becoming a dancer and starring in "West Side Story" as Bernardo. He takes the role of various characters in his life and is quite outstanding. 

"Purlie Victorious--A Non Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch"

While I honestly wished they have brought back the musical "Purlie," the next best thing was bringing back Ossie Davis's play which the musical was based upon. Leslie Odom Jr. gives a standout performance as a preacher who earlier in his life was beaten by a plantation owner. His goal deals with a bit of conniving to obtain a church he wants for himself to use for his sermons. This will be hopefully accomplished by using a young woman (a wonderful Kara Young) posing as his cousin.  As fine as Young was in "Cost of Living" and "Clyde's" she is even more memorable here. 

"The Shark is Broken"

A rollicking hoot of a play based on one part of the classic film "Jaws" in which the three dynamic actors Alex Brightman (portraying Richard Dreyfuss); Ian Shaw as his father Robert Shaw; and Colin Donnell who portrays Roy Scheider bicker and break into hilarious arguments as they wait for that 'damn' shark to be fixed so they can finish the film. The three actors are magnificent, especially a wildly funny Brightman capturing every characteristic of Dreyfuss. 

"The Saviour"

The opening scene of the arresting and moving play is one that is unforgettable. An elderly Irish woman (brilliantly played by Marie Mullen)   is smoking in bed reminiscing about the sexual evening she had with a younger man. These moments of euphoria dissipate as her son (an equally wonderful Jamie O'Neill) informs her of what her "lover" is really all about. 

"Primary Trust"

A beautifully written and unforgettably acted play starring William Jackson Harper deals with loneliness and how Kenneth (Harper) is  trapped into a fantasy friendship with an imaginary friend. Little by little we see how Kenneth starts to change for the better with the help of those around him who are caring. An originally written play by Eboni Booth at every turn of the way, this was one that I will remember for a long time coming.  

"Here Lies Love"

I saw this musical about Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos of the Philippines at the Public about a decade ago and loved every stunning moment. You stood (there were a few chairs) and moved around with the actors on movable stages. It moved to Broadway where this time I sat and still thought it was a wild romp with a spectacular set design by David Orins and lighting by Justin Townsend. A shame it never caught on. 

Honorable Mention

In "Make Me Gorgeous" Wade McCollum gave a bravura performance as gay icon and trans Kenneth Marlowe way ahead of his times. While the play was a bit overlong (two drag numbers would have been sufficient) it still was a well written play. Imagine growing up gay in Iowa in 1926.

 "How to Dance in Ohio" boasts a very gifted cast of autistic young adults who shine when on stage. The musical loosely based on the excellent documentary is a fine show marred by too much attention paid to the doctor who works with them in group sessions. The issue is the personal situations within the doctor's life overshadow the storyline about the young people wanting to learn to have a dance.

"Buena Vista Social Club" boasts a vibrant cast with rousing music and dancing. The book is good but nothing memorable. Also, I found it strange that the young  Omara (a perfect Kenya Browne) is vibrant and personable while her older self is played in a too austere manner by Natalie Venetia Belcon. 

Patrick Page excels in "All the Devils are Here" a one person show with various monologues portraying Shakespeare's villains. Unless you know these particular characters roles in the playwright's plays, I am afraid you might find yourself confused. 

Tim Hatley's incredible set design--oh, that car!--make "Back the the Future" so much fun. Casey Likes is excellent as the young man while Roger Bart was slightly disappointing giving just a good but not noteworthy one as the professor. 

While both Kelli O'Hara and Brian d'Arcy James are magnificent in "Days of Wine and Roses" and the book by Craig Lucas is faithful for the most part to the film, the score by Adam Guettel was very dissonant and almost jarring sounding. It will be coming to Broadway in the spring. 

While not a perfect musical, the Indie-Rock Musical "Lizard Boy" about a young man whose skin turns green after a strange childhood accident was lots of fun with a tuneful score by Justin Huertas who was responsible for the book. 

While I had some issues with James T. Lane's one man show "Triple Threat" he does give a towering and exhaustive performance as an actor, singer and dancer.

 John Rubenstein excelled as President Dwight D. Eisenhower in "Eisenhower: This Piece of Ground." While the material can, at times, may not have been as impressive as Rubenstein it still was worthwhile for his performance. 

"Rock and Roll Man" about the life of Alan Freed who was the first disc jockey who promoted rock and roll music on the air sunk into hard times with his conviction for tax evasion.While the book was well written and the original 50's songs incomparable, I was less impressed by Constantine Maroulis's adequate performance. Still it was fun thanks to the music and a standout performance by Rodrick Covington as Little Richard. He could not have been better. 

Yes, "King James" does refer to the great LeBron James and the touching friendship between two guys where insensitivity in one's comment about race breaks it up. It was well written but the heavy influence on basketball could have lost a lot of viewers unless you are a real fan. Yet, both Glenn Davis and Chris Perfetti were superb. 

PHOTO CREDITS IN ORDER OF APPEARANCE

1--Joan Marcus

2--Julieta Cervantes

3--Matthew Murphy

4--Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman

5--Chelcie Parry

6--Liz Lauren

7--Dorice Arden Mondronero

8--Marc J. Franklin

9--Matthew Murphy

10--Carol Rosegg

11--Joan Marcus

12--Billy Bustamente, Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman