Geoffrey Going, Confused but Promising at Vitello's

By: James Sims Nov. 10, 2008

REVIEW CONTRIBUTED BY: CAROLINE COBRIN

The fall season at Sterling's Upstairs at Vitello's heated up this past Saturday with a charismatic performance by Geoffrey Going.

Going guided us through a personal montage of moments from his father's birthday, who was sitting in the front row, to his "grandmother the Scorpio" who didn't come out for the show. Though poignant at moments, his monologue felt confused as he jumped from his own stories to convoluted examples of acting class pimp rings, and twisted family histories.

Goings song choices ranged from popular Broadway shows such as Avenue Q, Annie, and West Side Story to Buddy DeSylva and Frank Sinatra. He brought up a guest star, Colette Peters for the "Song That Goes Like This" a humorous duet from Monty Python's Spamalot, With Peters captivating energy the full house at Sterling's was delighted by the tangible camaraderie that the two shared.

Used to playing to large theatres Going seemed to struggle in toning down his voice to suit the intimate dinner club setting that is Sterling's Upstairs. The strength in his performance came through in his quiet and heartfelt songs such as "All The Way", "What More Can I Say", and "Everybody Says Don't". It was in these songs that the true strength of his voice came through in its subtle control and smooth sound. The most poignant moment of the night was Goings short a capella version of "Children Will Listen" from Into The Woods which he sang directly to his father. It was that moment that left me wishing he had done the entire show in that state of mind and sound.

Vitello's is located at 4349 Tujunga Ave. Studio City, CA 91604. Valet Parking is available. For additional information on Sterling's Upstairs, please visit the club's web site at: www.myspace.com/sterlingsupstairs. And for more information on Going, visit www.geoffreygoing.com.

Photo by Shandon Youngclaus.

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