Review: Alan Cumming & Ari Shapiro, Art & Activism In OCH & OY! A CONSIDERED CABARET at Café Carlyle

A new show debuted at The Carlyle on Wednesday night titled Och & Oy! A Considered Cabaret, and although the subject of the show's title was not addressed, an internet search revealed that the word och is a Scottish exclamation, much in the same way that oy is a Jewish one. That's clever enough. Alan Cumming is a famous Scotsman. Ari Shapiro is a famous Jewish gentleman. Och and Oy is absolutely appropriate for this seeming odd couple, though it might just be easier if The Boyz simply called it The Alan and Ari Show, for easy branding. This is a pairing ripe for patenting... and, then, marketing, and selling: The Alan and Ari show was a good idea that makes for great cabaret and miles and miles of entertainment.

Mr. Cumming, an actor of note for over three decades, and Mr. Shapiro, a thriving member of the journalism community for over two decades, might not seem, on paper, like a twosome that would be paired up for a club act, but when lightning strikes, it isn't to be denied. Misters Shapiro and Cumming have incredible chemistry. They are wonderful together and every minute of Wednesday night's performance at Café Carlyle was a sheer delight, from start to finish. The Gents are cute, they are fun together, they are funny together, they are smart, and they both have a voice... not just a singing voice but a voice voice. Alan Cumming and Ari Shapiro both have a point of view. They have both seen things and they have stories to tell about that which they have seen. They have both done things, and they have stories to tell about that which they have done. Indeed, near the start of the show, while discussing the oddity of their being paired together and that which they, also, have in common, Ari said it: "We're both storytellers." He's right, they are storytellers, and the stories are good. They are really good.

There is substantially more talking in Och & Oy! than one might find at a musical cabaret show. And there is a lot of music in Och & Oy!... but this isn't a musical cabaret show. This is a storytelling show. Ari and Alan sing plenty, and what they sing is choice - Ari's got this gorgeous singing voice that he simply wraps around "Laughing Matters" until a person is sighing and crying at the same time, and Alan brings all of his acting and singing skills to the whimsical "Taylor The Latte Boy" and, of course, there is a hilarious opening medley made up of some of the best Broadway duets a couple of Queer icons can get their Cole Porter around. But even with the high quality of the musical entertainment (their finale defies description), it is the stories that elevate this club act and this duo to a new level. Ari Shapiro, an expert interviewer, chats Alan up as though they are doing a live podcast, and Alan Cumming, a Master raconteur, is able to tell the tales of his life while bringing Ari into them so that their duo show does not become a solo act. Like a couple of longtime best friends, writing partners, or gay brothers, Cumming and Shapiro bounce every joke off of each other, feel every emotion together, and watch intently when it is the other's turn in the light. It is special to watch them together. It is special because, as entertaining as Och & Oy is, it isn't only entertainment; in an interesting and important way, it is activism.

Alan Cumming and Ari Shapiro are members of the LGBTQIA+ family. They are gay/bi... They are queer. They are standing on the stage of Café Carlyle and they aren't just talking gay, they are being gay. There are stories about the various aspects of each man's life, of each man's gay life, of the things they have done, of the things they have seen, of the things they have survived. There is an element of profanity, there is unapologetic sex talk, and there are biceps, biceps, and more biceps. There are those of us who can remember a time when gay men in show business were hidden in the closet. Now they are on the stage of New York's chicest nightclub talking frankly and openly about things this writer won't list (No spoilers) but that didn't only have the audience laughing about, but that had the audience nodding along with, cheering at, and understanding. There is activism in living one's truth, activism in living in the light, and activism in gathering together. The LGBT community has, once again, come under fire, with the trans, non-binary, and drag communities getting the greatest brunt of the hatred right now. With prejudice so prevalent, any time that Queer people gather together in their truth, it is an act of activism. Any time that Queer people celebrate their lives, it is an act of activism. Any time that Queer people share their stories with an audience of diverse demographic, it is an act of activism. When Ari and Alan put together Och & Oy!, they may not have had activism in mind, but it's in the room now, and there's no taking it back. Art and activism live hand in hand when Alan and Ari are in the room together - and it's a thing o' beauty.

Alan Cumming and Ari Shapiro may come from totally different backgrounds and professions but they have enough things in common to make them simpatico, they differ enough to make them interesting, and they have more chemistry than a college science lab, not to mention a wealth of fascinating stories, wicked senses of humor, enviable musical abilities, and Henry Koperski Musical Directing them from behind the piano. It's a situation of wins, and more wins again that this writer wholeheartedly encourages people to look into because Och & Oy! is as fresh as springtime, as naughty as a limerick, and as satisfying as a double cone from Big Gay Ice Cream.

What's not to love?

Alan Cumming and Ari Shaprio will present Och & Oy! A Considered Cabaret through April 15th at Café Carlyle at 8:45, with a late show at 11 pm on April 15th. Make reservations HERE.

Visit the Alan Cumming website HERE.

THIS is the Ari Shapiro website.

Alan Cumming owns a club with a cabaret called Club Cumming. Visit the website HERE.

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