Review: Eva Noblezada and Reeve Carney Are Right at Home at The Green Room 42

You’ve heard of entertainment power couples the Lunts, Taylor and Burton, Gable and Lombard… well, now it’s Eva and Reeve. The storybook romance of Broadway stars and recording artists Eva Noblezada and Reeve Carney is straight out of an old Hollywood movie. The couple fell in love while costarring in Hadestown (which this writer saw twice) and were recently married. Throughout that run, they regularly appeared at The Green Room 42 as a sort of home away from home, usually doing separate shows back-to-back, though frequently guesting in each other’s shows. This time, they performed together for the entire show for three sold-out nights. And, like a true Broadway power couple, they are about to reunite on the Great White Way in Gatsby!

The pair was accompanied by pianist Rodney Bush, who also supplied occasional backing vocals. Carney also used tools like effects pedals (which he makes at home for his company, Quarantine Effects), a drum pedal, and a loop pedal, giving the aural illusion of a bigger band. Noblezada and Carney frequently bantered with the audience, some of whom came from quite a distance (including a couple they’d encountered previously who flew in from England).

The pair are both gorgeous, down-to-earth, and approachable, with stunning voices. Both were dressed in festive red attire. The loquacious Noblezada is funny and quite uninhibited, with a rather salty vocabulary. Carney is relatively quiet and intense and is an extremely talented guitarist who can play complex licks and rhythms while singing. Both are also songwriters.

The duo opened with a powerful rendition of “The Chain” by Fleetwood Mac, with excellent harmonies. At the end, Carney set up a minor blues ostinato riff with James Bond overtones using his looper. He then shredded some serious, wailing licks before the pair sang a repeated counterpoint refrain.

Noblezada surprised with “As Long As He Needs Me” from Oliver! (Lionel Bart). This is an emotional song sung by the doomed character Nancy and will induce tears in the right hands, as it did here. The star, recently on vocal rest after a serious bout of laryngitis, had never sung this before and had a little rust in the pipes, but her delivery was exquisite. She quipped, “For every crack, the audience owes you $50!”

Carney delivered a powerful message song, “America,” that addresses themes of systemic injustice, gun violence (“thoughts and prayers”), and the pursuit of national ideals. It has the vibe of a Sting song, with a reggae-ish groove and repeating chords.

After a surprisingly effective rendition of the Bee Gees’ “How Deep Is Your Love,” Noblezada introduced Carney’s original, “Checkmate,” gushing about him and his songs with the adoration of a Beatles fan in 1964. Here, Carney made great use of his pedals and effects to create mood and atmosphere. His vocal range here was stratospheric, reaching notes seemingly impossible in “chest voice.”

Noblezada flaunted her own spectacular vocals on Sarah Bareilles’ “She Used to Be Mine” (Waitress). One of those “four-chord songs” (as described by the comedy group Axis of Awesome), Noblezada’s emotional connection here was palpable, raw, and honest.

Speaking of “one of the coolest songs” in rock that they turned into something of a duet, they performed Aerosmith’s “Dream On,” with intricate guitar work by Carney and a vocal that would give Steven Tyler in his prime a run for his money. Amusingly, Noblezada put on lipstick during Carney’s long interstitial piece, during which he changed his guitar’s tuning. She provided an ethereal background vocal, almost like a cantor. With the looper, Carney created another ostinato riff, to which he played bass lines to bridge to the rest of this very well-crafted piece, morphing it into the Eurythmics’ “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)” (Annie Lennox, Dave Stewart).

The next number, a powerhouse rock-infused interpretation of the title song from The Phantom of the Opera (Andrew Lloyd Webber/Charles Hart), was a close second in the highlight reel. First, Carney’s guitar work here was magnificent, with his voice soaring as the Phantom, while Noblezada showed off her acting chops as Christine. Second, kudos to the venue's lights and sound tech, Sheridan, for his dramatic work here.

A sweet finale of “All We Need Is Love” (John Lennon and Paul McCartney) had the audience singing along and leaving happy. Noblezada and Carney have the makings of Broadway royalty. It will be an interesting journey to watch.

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To learn more about the artists, follow Eva Noblezada on Instagram @livevamaria and visit Reeve Carney's website at www.reevecarney.com

For more great shows at The Green Room 42 and to follow the venue on social media, visit thegreenroom42.venuetix.com.

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