Off to the Lincoln Center's series "American Songbook" at the Allen Room in the Frederick P. Rose Hall and what a venue it is, dear reader. Behind the stage there is a SEVENTY foot high window overlooking Broadway and Central Park South so if the music isn't to your liking you can simply look past the musicians into the high rise apartments surrounding Columbus Circle (a surprising number of Christmas trees still up, I noticed) or watch the diners in the fancy restaurant on the 50th floor of the hotel across the way (note the red horizontal strip near the top of the building).
But our attention rarely strayed for we were hearing the work of the charismatic Lance Horne, composer, lyricist, pianist, producer and musical director.
We knew some of his compositions because he co-produced Alan Cumming's album "I Bought a Blue Car Today" and he was musical director for Cumming in concert in the West End. Mr. Cumming was extremely impressive again tonight, even in the company of a formidable roster of guest stars...
Alexandra Silber, who we saw being terrific as Julie in "Carousel" in London...
Paul Spicer and Julie Atherton from the West End productions of "Avenue Q" and "The Last Five Years"...
Lauren Kennedy, who played Nellie Forbush opposite Philip Quast in "South Pacific" at the National...
Australia's own Meow Meow, soon to open in "The Umbrellas of Cherbourg" in London produced by Mike Walsh...
The impossibly handsome and talented Cheyenne Jackson who we loved in "Damn Yankees" and "Finian's Rainbow"...
Three time Tony Award nominee Rebecca Luker...
and that force of nature, jazz singer supreme Lea de Laria...
The evening was wittily directed by Daisy Prince (Hal's daughter) with the cast seated either side of the seven-piece band on chairs they'd brought from home (!) and bantering freely amongst themselves whilst passing around three microphones between them. For all the talent onstage it was interesting to note that some claimed the material more assertively than others, with particular highlights being all of Alan Cumming's numbers..."Next To Me", "Don't Tell Me" and his showstopping finale "American", Rebecca Luker's touching "Last Day On Earth" and Lea DeLaria's down-and-dirty "Hurry Up and Take Your Time". Also interesting to note that Mr. Horne has set to music one verse of the W.H. Auden poem "Tell Me The Truth About Love" . Composer John Dankworth had previously musicalised the entire poem as a swinging (and very funny) jazz piece for Cleo Laine more than forty years ago whereas Horne chose a wistful ballad setting, sung beautifully by Cheyenne Jackson. A great night all around and we bought the cd as a momento.
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