Review: SING HAPPY! at 92NY Overflows with Kander & Ebb Treats

It is a happy task indeed to report that Sing Happy!, the concert cavalcade of songs by the team of composer John Kander and lyricist Fred Ebb is The 92nd Street Y, New York's Lyrics and Lyricists long-running series at its best.  The programs celebrate (mostly) classic material from Broadway and the American Songbook.  The latest installment (three performances: May 31, June 1, June 2) was no “also-ran” run-of-the-mill rundown of only the most famous songs and shows that “everybody” knows. It was a deeper dive. And when it came to those mega-classics, some were treated in fresh ways. Other numbers were combined in well-designed blends. The talents of three female singers, three male singers, and a three-man supremely capable creative trio  (director Noah Racey, host/writer/artistic director/orchestrator David Loud, and music director Paul Staroba – who was also the pianist in the 11-person orchestra) were on full display. And all nine pros have Broadway credits. 

Mr. Loud was musically connected to five productions on the Great White Way that had Kander & Ebb songs, typically as conductor/ music director and vocal arranger.  The association started with those assignments for Steel Pier back in 1997, a musical he spoke of with much fondness for the quality of its songs and the other talents involved, lamenting the show’s short run. (From its score, “First, You Dream,” full-company vocals bookended the proceedings.) His most recent job was contributing vocal arrangements for New York, New York.  (He also worked on Kander-composed shows produced off-Broadway in the years since Mr. Ebb’s passing two decades ago. Those were not part of this tribute, nor were the earliest works of either man before they teamed up, as the subtitle of the program was The Collaboration of Kander & Ebb.)

The narration and song introductions were interesting and thoughtful, sometimes drawing on personal experiences of working on the shows, including examples of quotable quips of a feisty Ebb.  There were comments about those memorable Kander vamps, the use of distinct musical forms from the past to present material (vaudeville for Chicago, minstrel shows for The Scottsboro Boys) and the very different backgrounds and personalities of composer and lyricist. There were some not-too-subtle digs in the remarks about contemporary musicals and the recent reimaginings of elements of Cabaret.  A mission of the Lyrics and Lyricists programs over the decades (Kander & Ebb themselves presented their work in the early years) has been to provide insight and appreciation for the art of songwriting and the power of musical theatre to tell a story and make larger points. Mission accomplished again this time!   

There was exciting, vibrant singing throughout. And there were showstoppers galore.  These included Kate Baldwin’s robustly strutting “City Lights” (from The Act) which sneers at the supposed joys of country/farm living and praising the urban experience (“Sties and stables sure are smelly/ Let me sniff some kosher deli”).  Then we got Julia Murney and Heidi Blickenstaff doing “The Apple Doesn’t Fall,” the mother/daughter duet from The Rink, set up by a cute bit of stage business/chat as they pretended to not being able to happily decide who’d sing the role of the older character.

For male bonding, the three men (Adam Kantor, Matthew Scott, and Ivan Hernandez) marched in, costumed as “Military Men,” singing cheerfully in a style reminiscent of wartime pep songs like those written by George M. Cohan or early Irvng Berlin; it was a zippy discovery for many, a selection from the musicalization of Thornton Wilder’s The Skin of Our Teeth, a score that never landed on Broadway. Group numbers with pizzazz were: the hilarious Chicago number for murderers called “Cell Block Tango,” their justifications for killing; a montage of songs about movies; and the zingy glorification of the life of performers called “Show People,” the Curtains cousin to the similar sentiments in the anthem from an earlier generation, “There’s No Business Like Show Business.” 

With the exception of Kate Baldwin’s second act bright turquoise outfit, the wardrobe was classic black for the women and darkish sport jackets and slacks for the men. But color and sparkle came with the eye-popping projections designed by Kylee Loera that added clever and fun visual appeal, including an airplane with twirling propeller, cityscapes, elevator doors that opened and closed, and delicious-looking desserts to accompany the ode to the cakes from the “Sara Lee” company.    

On the Sunday matinee, near the conclusion of the generous-length program, it was announced that John Kander himself (who recently turned 98) was in the audience. This prompted prolonged and emotional applause in a standing ovation as he got up, waved, and acknowledged the crowd’s palpable fondness. There was a sense (and hope) that the smart, satisfying presentation is strong enough and dazzling enough to spawn mountings across the country.  After all, it worked in New York City, and as the included song states: “If you can make it there,” you can “make it anywhere,” when you “step around the heart of it.” The heart (and art) of the great Kander and Ebb canon were well served at 92NY.

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                                              Photo credit: Richard Termine

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