"Manhattan
Music: A Performance Festival"
featuring James Naughton
At Manhattan Theatre Club's Stage II at City Center
Reviewed by David Roberts
James Naughton has been wanting to do a cabaret act for a very long time.
The results of that passion, Naughton's featured appearance in "Manhattan
Music: A Performance Festival," were certainly worth the wait. Naughton
and his musical director John Oddo along with musicians Jay Azzolina (guitar),
Warren Odze (drums), Steve Laspina (bass) and Tim Ries (saxophone) present
ninety minutes of exceptional musical performance, working together as
an ensemble and separately as exceptionally gifted solo artists.
Putting together a cabaret act is difficult enough and putting one together
with the willingness to take risks and to stretch one's perceived limitations
is not only worthy of note but courageous and much needed in the industry.
This is the kind of performance the audience gets from James Naughton
and his musicians. Every arranged, played and sung note is planned and
performed with perfection.
Naughton began the evening with songs by Duke Ellington ("Lucky So
And So") and Hoagy Carmichael ("Stardust Melody") followed
by Hank Snow's "I've Been Everywhere." This first set assured
the audience they needed to be prepared for an unconventional and well-thought-out
evening of song by a gifted and endearing vocalist.
After a "set" of theatre stories which completely entranced
and engaged the audience, Naughton launched into works by Dave Frischberg
and King Pleasure. His rendition of Bob Eberley's "Pennies from Heaven"
was not just unusual but, once again, right on target.
"She's Funny That Way" and "I Want You to Be My Baby"
were followed by a "solo" theme from "City of Angels"
which Naughton starred in on Broadway.
A highlight for Naughton was being able to perform one of the "King's"
songs and he and the musicians pulled out every stop for Elvis' "Are
You Lonesome Tonight." Anyone who doubted that this song might have
been the best song that Elvis sang would have no such doubt after hearing
it sung by James Naughton. The guitar on this number was mesmerizing.
Riffing Cole Porter was very satisfying for Naughton and for the audience
as were the "set" of jokes which followed. When an act is so
carefully planned out and presented, the audience can really just sit
back, trust the performer on stage and "go with the flow." Naughton
and Oddo know how to do this with style and grace.
Hoagy Carmichael's "Up a Lazy River" (one of Louis Armstrong's
favorites) was followed by two Randy Newman numbers. The range of songs
Naughton researched and presented is truly amazing and leaves one wondering
what might have been left on the planning room floor. I hope Naughton
performs in this style again very soon.
John Oddo's piano chords and Naughton's a cappella voice on "She's
An Emotional Woman" were one of the highlight's of the evening. "Here's
to Life, to Love, to You" expressed Naughton's feeling about his
own journey and his relationship to his craft and to his audiences. "On
the Street of Dreams" officially ended the evening, though the audience
insisted on hearing more. Naughton returned to the stage and sang "The
Folks Who Live on the Hill" after sharing with the audience his decision
more than 20 years ago to move to Connecticut from Los Angeles and start
life anew with his wife Pam and their children Greg and Keira looking
for work in Manhattan. This song (hats off to Rosemary Clooney) expressed
Naughton's life view. He is a person who knows who he is, what's important
to him, what his talents are, and who is important in his life and love.
Listening to Naughton could almost convince those of us in the audience
to be comfortable with living with him as "folks who live on the
hill."
Naughton's part in "Manhattan Music" ends on Sunday June 28th.
Following James Naughton will be Hot Mouth, a vocal group performance
conceived by Grisha Coleman. Hot Mouth is a musical performance evening
conceived by Grisha Coleman for a cappella voices, running June 30 - July
19. Originally presented by the Foundry Theater, Hot Mouth vocally incorporates
everything from Yoruba chants to jazz from field hollers to funk. Hot
Mouth is a post-modern oratorio whose style furthers the domain of traditional
theatre.
"Manhattan Music: A Performance Festival" began on Tuesday,
May 19, 1998 at Manhattan Theatre Club's Stage II at City Center, 131
West 55th Street. Performances are Tuesdays through Sundays at 7:30 pm,
Saturday and Sunday matinees at 3 pm. Tickets are $35 and can be reserved
by calling (212) 581-1212.
Group and student rates are available. For group tickets and information,
call (212) 399-3000, ext. 134. $20 student tickets are on sale for all
performances, based on availability (limit 4 per student with valid identification).
Call (212) 581-1212 for further information. There is also a $15 general
admission pass for each Stage II production, available 15 minutes before
showtime (subject to availability/cash only). MTC at City Center is accessible
to people with disabilities and is equipped with a hearing augmentation
system.