Sibling Revelry: Sheera and Adam Ben-David

When music director, conductor and pianist Adam Ben-David says that “Music and singing runs in the family,” he isn’t being demure. His parents met at Juilliard and enjoyed operatic careers. And when he and his sister Sheera wanted to rebel from their musically classical upbringing, they turned to cabaret and Broadway. This weekend, the siblings will end their acclaimed run at the Algonquin’s Oak Room, entitled, quite appropriately, "Let Me Sing and I'm Happy."

The title is no accident. “When it comes to shows,” Sheera says, “I think we start with where we’re both at, what we’re both feeling in our lives, and what kind of themes speak to us.” At the moment, she adds, they’re both in good places: Adam is conducting the Broadway hit Jersey Boys, and Sheera is six months pregnant with her first child (“I’m bringing a little belly to the show each night,” she quips.) “We’ll start looking for songs that speak to where our emotions are,” she continues. “They form their own statement as a whole, once we find the ones that really seem to be working and gelling together.”

In terms of choosing material, Adam offers much credit to their director, Eric Michael Gillett, who has also worked with cabaret divas Karen Akers and KT Sullivan. “He brings a wealth of information and experience that we would normally be able to tap into, and he can recommend stuff that we’ve never even heard of,” Adam says. “So it’s a mix of that plus stuff that we love to do, and when you mix the two together it makes an interesting smorgasbord of songs for the audience.”

One notable selection that is climbing the proverbial cabaret charts—and will soon be gaining more exposure on Broadway itself—is the single “I Miss the Mountains,” from Brian Yorkey and Tom Kitt’s Next to Normal. The Ben-Davids’ connection to Kitt goes beyond one hit song, however: Adam music directed Kitt’s first Broadway show, High Fidelity, “which unfortunately wasn’t a commercial success,  but artistically it was very successful,” Adam says. “I’ve always been interested in introducing Sheera to composers I’ve worked with…We both like to introduce contemporary young composers who are out there because they bring a really fresh voice to the music scene.”

A major contributing factor to Sheera Ben-David’s style is her recovery from a lengthy battle with ulcerative colitis, for which she underwent three surgeries during her college years. “All I really have left from it is a really wonderful sense of depth for life and health and when I feel good, I think I appreciate it—like most people who have been sick, you just live life fuller in some ways,” she says. “So I can’t say I’m unhappy that I had that experience, ‘cause I think it feeds me very well, and certainly guides me in music. No regrets.”

Adam cuts in, singing. “No complaints, no regrets…”

Sheera laughs. “That’s another song we like! [Butler & Molinary’s] ‘Here’s to Life!’”

“Except we always tell Sheera she’s too young to sing it,” Adam adds.

Sheera argues that point. “I don’t think your age speaks to the kind of experiences you have. You could be 75 years old and have a very uneventful life, or you could be 30—or 31 as I am—and feel that you’ve had a pretty exhausting adventure so far. And I’m starting a new one soon!”

Working with a sibling is an adventure in and of itself. “Music directing my sister is different from music directing a Broadway show or working with other singers,” Adam says. “I have to sometimes turn off my music-director switch when I’m with Sheera because anything we say can become personal…I have remember that I’m her brother and that anything I say can and will be used against me—especially during the show, because she likes to talk about me during the show. I think the most important thing about being a music director is being a support system for the singer because…Singers have the hardest job of all. Musicians can hide behind our instruments, but a singer is naked up there with just their voice, so being a music director, especially working with my sister, is really just giving her support and love—and I try to do that in my other jobs, as well, but it’s extra important because she’s my sister.”

Sheera appreciates the support, and says that Adam’s experience and expertise spoil her.  “And I’m cheap, too!” Adam quips at the compliment. Sheera laughs, and jokes that she uses her brother “for cheap labor.”

“But at the same time,” Adam says, “she’s the best singer I’ve ever worked with, and I’ve worked with some of the top singers on Broadway. Even if she weren’t my sister, I would rather be sitting behind the piano playing for her than anybody else.”

 

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