Performance Review
David Friedman might best be described as a
songwriter from the old school. In these modern times, when a
‘songwriter’ can be someone who strings 4 boringly repetitive notes
together with an equal number of banal words, his songs have solid yet
intricate melodic foundations whilst memorable images are created by his
strongly emotive use of lyrics. He also delivers that little something
special that goes beyond the mere mechanical elements of the songs in the
form of the intense emotional reactions his material can generate in
listeners – no matter whether you are hearing them for the first or
fiftieth time. He is writing the musical accompaniment to our emotional
experience, chronicling the lives, loves and losses of our modern times.
So it is perhaps long over-due
that his songs should reach a bigger audience – in Listen To My Heart
–now in a specially created performance space Upstairs at Studio 54 in
New York City – they get the sparkling showcase they rightly deserve.
The revue consist of nearly 30 of David’s songs, without patter or
dialogue to link them, yet forming a satisfying emotional arch to the
whole evening as we journey through the trials, tribulations and joys of
the human experience. Perhaps appropriately, the show begins with David
Friedman himself alone at the piano – singing ‘Trust The Wind’ –
and as the music builds, he is joined on stage by the rest of his
wonderfully talented cast, who appear from different locations around the
performance space, bringing the song to an inspiring and uplifting finale.
David has assembled a group of
five gifted performers around him to perform his creations, and must
surely be very pleased with the finished result. The cast are universally
excellent with high-energy performances from each that warrant special
praise.
Michael Hunsaker, albeit
relatively young and Broadway inexperienced, brings a mature approach to
his numbers, be they touching as in ‘I Can Hold You’ or downright
raunchy as he cavorts on top of the piano with Anne Runolflsson on ‘Two
Different Worlds’ and is clearly a very talented performer worth keeping
an eye on.
Anne Runolfsson is a performer
familiar with the Friedman songbook, her rich and rangy voice bringing an
added emotional edge to many of her numbers – as in the case of
‘Nothing in Common’ delivered here with such honest intensity that can
tears are prompted amongst the audience.
Allison Briner – who can belt
out a number with the best if them – is particularly effective in her
hauntingly simple delivery of ‘Only My Pillow knows’, backed by guitar
and vocals from the rest of the company.
Alix Korey could perhaps be
considered ‘the veteran’ amongst the ensemble. Here she is given
several of the evening’s many highlights, including most of the comic
numbers. To say that her performance is a show-stopper is an
understatement– for after this gifted comedienne has finished her
gloriously deadpan delivery of ‘My Simple Wish’ the show can’t go on
until the thunderous applause and cheers have subsided.
Joe Cassidy – moves easily
from drawing the humour out of ‘If You Love Me Please Don’t Feed Me’
to the heart-rending ‘Catch Me’, stunningly staged by director Mark
Waldrop and eerily lit by the subtle lighting design of Matt Berman.
Waldrop as director has made full use of the space available and ensures
that every nuance of feeling is highlighted as he cleverly varies and
shifts the dynamics of the evening whilst at the same time keeping the
momentum as various permutations of solos, duets and ensemble numbers
unfold.
Accusations have been made from
some quarters that a lot of Friedman’s song ‘sound the same’ This
seems rather unfair and I’m sure many other songwriters would like to be
blessed with a similar problem, if only their material was as good as
this. The truth is they
aren’t alike at all – for at the centre of each song is an honesty and
sentiment that is unique to the number. Only in the sense that Rodgers and
Hammerstein songs sound all the same (that is, all as good as each other)
can David Friedman’s work be so dismissed.
So at a time when many Broadways shows have emotional centres as hollow as a politician’s promise, this wonderfully rewarding evening will lift your spirits and send you singing into the streets. Intimate cabaret-style performance is about honest communication from one heart to another; here you have the chance to share the insights of a rare kind, that of a highly-gifted songwriter who writes directly from his heart to ours. Listen To My Heart – may be a journey through David Friedman’s heart – but his genius lies in the fact that he makes it a journey through ours as well.
Please Note
Listen to my Heart has now closed
A 2 CD live recording of the show is available to purchase from www.middermusic.com
Link to the Listen to My Heart Web Site