#1
Posted: 11/18/07 at 6:51pm
I had absolutely no knowledge of William Finn's music (beyond the "Spelling Bee" score) as I walked into the tiny 5th New World Stage. I knew of his shows - Elegies, Falsettos, Spelling Bee - but nothing beyond the titles. Thankfully, for this incredibly pleasant revue of Finn's music, all you needed was to know how to have fun.
Make Me A Song: The Music of William Finn is an treat for any Finn fan and a very pleasant diversion from the real world. Featuring what I assume are his best known songs, the 90 minute songspiel has no real plot, beyond showcasing everything which Finn wrote about - homosexuality, Judiasm, how homosexuality affects one's Judiasm, and Finn's animosity for republicans.
The four member ensemble, Sandy Binion, D.B. Bonds, Adam Heller (almost playing the role of "Finn"), and Sally Wilfert, joined by Darren Cohen on the piano, was very strong.
Wilfert brought the house down with her 11 o'clock (well, 4:25) rendition of "Anytime." You could tell by her shocked expression that the 30-second ovation was longer than it ever had been. Binion's facial expressions were priceless. Bonds has a very nice voice, full of emotion. And Heller has excellent comic timing, delivering the 4-part "Republicans" number with wonderful flair. He's also the most versatile of the bunch, bringing the audience to tears with "Unlikely Lovers" from Falsettos.
And yes, the audience was in tears. Nearly every single person with a heart was in tears by the end of the "Falsettos Suite."
Rob Ruggiero's staging worked very well on the tiny stage. Luke Hegel-Cantarella's set (was there one?) and Alejo Vietti's costumes were unremarkable, but fit the piece well.
Finn's music, played on a baby grand by Darren Cohen, is pleasant and very hummable. He must be the only composerssince Jerry Herman to be able to craft a simple, little melody and run with it.
That the final few numbers, "When the Earth Stopped Turning" and "Anytime" were particularly moving and struck a chord with me was no surprise, considering I'm still mourning the loss of my grandfather two weeks ago. Perhaps MAKE ME A SONG was just the catharsis I needed.
Make Me A Song: The Music of William Finn is an treat for any Finn fan and a very pleasant diversion from the real world. Featuring what I assume are his best known songs, the 90 minute songspiel has no real plot, beyond showcasing everything which Finn wrote about - homosexuality, Judiasm, how homosexuality affects one's Judiasm, and Finn's animosity for republicans.
The four member ensemble, Sandy Binion, D.B. Bonds, Adam Heller (almost playing the role of "Finn"), and Sally Wilfert, joined by Darren Cohen on the piano, was very strong.
Wilfert brought the house down with her 11 o'clock (well, 4:25) rendition of "Anytime." You could tell by her shocked expression that the 30-second ovation was longer than it ever had been. Binion's facial expressions were priceless. Bonds has a very nice voice, full of emotion. And Heller has excellent comic timing, delivering the 4-part "Republicans" number with wonderful flair. He's also the most versatile of the bunch, bringing the audience to tears with "Unlikely Lovers" from Falsettos.
And yes, the audience was in tears. Nearly every single person with a heart was in tears by the end of the "Falsettos Suite."
Rob Ruggiero's staging worked very well on the tiny stage. Luke Hegel-Cantarella's set (was there one?) and Alejo Vietti's costumes were unremarkable, but fit the piece well.
Finn's music, played on a baby grand by Darren Cohen, is pleasant and very hummable. He must be the only composerssince Jerry Herman to be able to craft a simple, little melody and run with it.
That the final few numbers, "When the Earth Stopped Turning" and "Anytime" were particularly moving and struck a chord with me was no surprise, considering I'm still mourning the loss of my grandfather two weeks ago. Perhaps MAKE ME A SONG was just the catharsis I needed.
