Review: Billy Mitchell's I'M STILL FINE at Don't Tell Mama

Every now and then, you see a show that is not quite to one’s taste. While a promising attempt at cabaret, Billy Mitchell’s debut, I’m Still Fine at Don’t Tell Mama on April 21st, was one such show for this reviewer. Having the unfortunate luck to be paired with a tech person in training on his final night of performances, Mitchell’s flirtatious opening number “Call Me Maybe” by Carly Rae Jepson was left tainted by the fumbling tech. With the houselights coming up and down and up and down as if the tech person’s fingers were on a carousel, this distraction made it hard to focus on what would have otherwise been an excellent opening to the show. This was followed by Mitchell warning the audience that coarse language would be par for the course of the show, and alas, gratuitous language is not to this reviewer’s taste.

Tech issues aside, Mitchell’s pop-infused set list was well crafted, complementing the arc of Mitchell’s story. One particular highlight was Mitchell’s tender, heartfelt version of Stevie Wonder’s “Never Dreamed You’d Leave Me in Summer,” sung in loving memory of Mitchell’s mother. Another highlight was the wonderful musical director Tracy Stark’s backup vocals, which brought color and vibrancy to many of the songs. The Kelly/Steinberg “I Drove All Night”/Radiohead “Creep” mash-up was clever and a great addition to the repertoire.

Things to consider when creating a cabaret show include utilizing the stage in a more creative way. Taking on a director would be a great next step for Mitchell to finesse his skills for the cabaret stage. While Mitchell sang well, I think a director could have helped to create more light and shade in the delivery and encourage him to find more vocal color in the delivery of the songs – much of the set list was delivered in two distinct volumes, fortissimo and pianissimo, with not a lot of dynamic variety in between.

While Mitchell’s patter between songs had the crowd in stitches at times - he does have a wickedly good sense of humor - to me, topics such as suicidal ideation and child molestation felt better left on a therapist’s couch. But, if you like dark comedy, then this show is for you. Despite a few teething issues, this reviewer thought this was an adventurous first step at cabaret from an established musical theater actor and looks forward to seeing what Mitchell does next.

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