Review: GOING BACHARACH at Marjorie S. Dean Little Theater Is a Terrific Tribute

Going Bacharach is a new show celebrating the music of the late Burt Bacharach that debuted January 12 at the historic Marjorie S. Deane Little Theater at the West Side YMCA on 64th Street, just off Central Park West. Directed by David Zippel, the show combines elements of cabaret and revue into what is essentially a two-hour scripted concert with a five-piece band led by the young Australian pianist and clarinetist Adrian Galante, who also wrote the arrangements and orchestrations. (Except where indicated following a song title, Hal David wrote every lyric.)

The format bears some similarity to the long-running Our Sinatra revue that has played at Birdland for many years, with the pianist serving as narrator and three singers. The singers here were Hilary Kole, John Pagano, and Ta-Tynisa Wilson. Kole is best known as one of New York’s top jazz vocalists. Pagano, a powerful tenor with a soulful sound, toured with Bacharach worldwide for 26 years and was a major “get” for this show. Wilson, a relative newcomer, made her Broadway debut in Hamilton. In addition to Galante, the band included keyboardist Patrick Firth, guitarist Derek Duleba, bassist Nate Francis, and drummer Jakubu Griffin. The set was gorgeous and well lit, and the venue’s sound was impeccable.

The prolific Bacharach wrote at least a thousand pieces of music, with more than 100 charted hits. While the evening included many of his best-known songs, the show also did some deep diving, unearthing obscure but wonderful material that proved to be special gems.

The concert opened with a spectacular overture weaving together many of Bacharach’s most familiar melodies. The sophistication and excitement of Galante’s arrangements set a high bar for the evening. Galante is an animated performer, conducting the band between piano phrases with an energy reminiscent of Leonard Bernstein.

Kole, Pagano, and Wilson entered dressed in ’60s mod style, with the women in miniskirts, and launched into “Always Something There to Remind Me,” trading lyrics while the others supplied period-perfect backup vocals and harmonies. Galante switched to clarinet for “Walk On By.” The ease with which the three singers rotated between lead and support roles made everything look effortless.

Kole delivered a jazzy, swinging “Keep Me in Mind” (Jack Wolf), a pre-David hit introduced by Patti Page in 1955, tossing in some scat. If you know Kole’s work, this was the one moment where you saw that Hilary Kole, though she is equally excellent in an ensemble, whether singing leads or harmonies.

Wilson stunned with a slow, soulful “Anyone Who Had a Heart,” while the rangy Pagano channeled his inner Tom Jones on “What’s New Pussycat?”

In a funny and knowing bit, Kole and Wilson addressed the dated “Wives and Lovers,” acknowledging the Mad Men–era misogyny of the 1963 Jack Jones hit. After Pagano sang it straight, the women flipped the script with parody lyrics written by Jones, which they sang back to Pagano:

Hey, little boy
Cap your teeth, get a hairpiece
You’re no Rock Hudson, I’m told
Don't think because
You work hard at the office
You can come home and just fold

Pagano’s standout moment of the first half was a soulful, deeply felt reading of the heartrending “A House Is Not a Home.”

The most surprising highlight came with “Windows of the World,” a war song whose poignant lyrics reflect David’s fears for his sons at the at the start of the Vietnam war. Galante’s clarinet playing matched — and exceeded — the emotional weight of the song, ending alone at the edge of the stage in an elegiac solo that brought tears to this writer and others nearby.

The first half closed with selections from Promises, Promises, including an exhilarating “I Say a Little Prayer” performed by Wilson.

The performers came out in new outfits for the second half. Galante shared a charming anecdote about seeing Bacharach in Perth as a teenager and hearing Pagano perform some of the same material featured here.

Kole was luminous on the powerful ballad “April Fools,” and Pagano again unleashed his Tom Jones side with “Promise Her Anything.”

Wilson, who admitted she had not known Bacharach’s name before joining the show (though she recognized many of the songs), delivered her finest performance of the night with “One Less Bell to Answerj.” This terrific arrangement flaunted her show-stopping voice, yet she remained emotionally centered in the lyric.

Kole, who began her career as a composer, briefly took the audience to music school, explaining Bacharach’s unusual and sophisticated use of mixed meters. Joined by Galante, she demonstrated multiple meter changes within the opening bars of “Promises, Promises,” an enlightening moment.

“Alfie,” a song Bacharach often sang himself in concert, received an exquisite, sensitive interpretation from Kole.

Perhaps the most powerful song of the night was “God, Give Me Strength” (Elvis Costello), passionately sung by Pagano as Galante moved between piano and clarinet.

As strong as Kole, Pagano, and Wilson are, Galante is truly the heart of Going Bacharach. He is a charismatic, animated performer with star quality. An outstanding pianist whose style ranges from delicate to somewhat over-the-top Liberace, Galante’s greatest gift lies in his clarinet playing, which is magical. His tone and control are quite impressive, and his choices feel inspired. He has an extraordinary ability to connect emotionally with his instrument, make it “sing” the lyrics, and even induce tears.  

The finale, “What the World Needs Now,” felt like a missed opportunity to invite audience participation, especially given the song’s renewed relevance. (Several people sang along anyway.)

Going Bacharach does not disappoint. It runs through February 22 at the Marjorie S. Deane Little Theater, 10 West 64th Street.

Photos: Russ Rowland