Review: GET WHAT YOU WANT ALBUM RELEASE CONCERT at Chelsea Table + Stage

They say that good things are worth waiting for, and that was put to the test on September 12th, when Center Stage Records released into the world GET WHAT YOU WANT - THE SONGS OF MICHAEL FINKE.  The album gathers together the works of musical theater writer Michael Finke (music and lyrics), as performed by an impressive array of some of today’s most popular and prolific talents.  Mr. Finke’s collection demonstrates a strong ability to create stories confined to a few minutes' time, stories crafted through lyrics fascinating or poetic, whimsical and intellectual, and melodies that range from sweeping to simple, from quirky to intuitive; so the curation of a cast of actors sent to inhabit the story-centric works was vastly important.   Only someone like album producer Robbie Rozelle could hand pick the likes of Kyle Taylor Parker, Kate Rockwell, Tommy Kaiser, Talia Suskauer, Ari Axelrod, Analise Scarpaci, and Donna Lynn Champlin (to name only a few), and for Rozelle it was a labor of love that lasted six years.  Six years after suggesting to Finke that an album of his work was essential, Robbie and Michael stood in the center spot at Chelsea Table + Stage, all smiles and infinite excitement.  Their dream had come to fruition, the album was in the light, and the celebratory concert was about to begin.  Six years of work, done.  Now… was it worth waiting for?

Yes, it was.

Michael Finke is a talented songwriter, creating interesting, funny, and touching anecdotes around which actors can wrap their vocal cords, and audiences can wind their imaginations.  The songs he writes are miniature monologues that are both character and scenario driven, and they are songs that singing actors are going to want to get into their repertoire for auditions, recordings, and cabaret shows.  The proof is in a masterfully made CD that was co-produced by Finke and Rozelle, as well as Yasuhiko Fukuoka, who was the Musical Director for the release concert on September 12th.  Throughout the annals of musical theater, the types of songs created by the writers have veered off into several different lanes, all of them valid and valuable, but this kind of musical monologue has been a hugely popular one with performers who want to create a world for their audiences, especially in intimate settings like Chelsea Table + Stage.  Mr. Finke has entered a room populated by the likes of Carol Hall, John Bucchino, Charles Aznavour, Amanda McBroom and the masters of musical monologues, Misters Maltby and Shire.  It won’t take another six years for Michael Finke to see his compositions become the ones artists clamber to perform… though those performers have some big shoes to fill, two sets of shoes, in fact.

For their record release show, Finke and Rozelle were unable to secure the participation of the recording artists who stood in the booth to make the album.  All those artists are gig workers, and all of them have gigs, and an actor with a job is a beautiful thing.  Actually, in a lovely and exciting surprise, the second-to-last number of the night WAS performed by the actors on the album, and Michael Finke was gushing when he introduced Matt Wood, Emily Afton and Sarah Naughton for their live version of the title song “Get What You Want.”  Well… he gushed, and the actors grinned.  It was a cheeky sweet moment for a bunch of colleagues with clear affection for each other.  For the rest of the night, though, the audience was treated to seeing one set of actors perform a song that they could, then, hear another set of actors perform on Spotify on the way home.   It was an embarrassment of riches.   With Robbie and Michael taking turns hosting, and Yaz leading a stellar band, each of the musical storytellers became a jewel placed in a perfect setting for the telling of their tales.

Standouts in the lineup for the album release celebration were Macon Prickett performing “Me And My Cartoon Friends” (sung on the album by F. Michael Haynie), Elisa Galindez performing “Waiting For Us” (sung on the album by Talia Suskauer), and Jonathan Hoover performing “Salvador” (sung on the album by Jelani Remy).  The concert cast was rather a lofty one, talent-wise, prompting passionate cheers from the sold-out house of patrons, but the loudest cheers came for Michael Finke himself, who scored the performance highlight of the night when he stepped in for an ailing Tommy Kaiser to weave the musical tale of “Angie Davis (Former Hero)” which actually was recorded by Tommy Kaiser.  And while it was a letdown to miss Kaiser, whose recording of the (wonderful!) song is a winner, it was beyond special to have the author play this one in person.  With apologies to Tommy, at the end of Michael’s monologue, the audience erupted with appreciation.  It was one of three beautiful performances from Finke (the others were “On the Pier” and “The Deep End”).  The concert and evening were, ostensibly, a celebration of the album release, but, more specifically, it was a celebration of a man and artist that people obviously cherish.  From the moment the lights dimmed, people seated at tables around the room were screaming for Finke.  It was a kind of a George Bailey moment telling those of us who are not actually acquainted with the gentleman and his work that he and the songs are worth knowing.  

So now’s your chance.  Click HERE and get to know Michael Finke and his songs.  It’ll be worth it.

The Get What You Want Band:

Piano: Yasuhiko Fukuoka

Bass: Wesley Bourland

Drums: Steve Picataggio

Guitar: David Cinquegrana

Back-up Vocals: Davey Miller and Marianna Ban

Get What You Want - The Songs of Michael Finke is available online now.   HERE is the link for all the platforms the album inhabits.

Find great shows to see at Chelsea Table + Stage HERE.

Michael Finke can be found onilne HERE, while Robbie Rozelle is accessible HERE, and Yasuhiko Fukuoka has a website HERE.

Photos by Stephen Mosher