While musical revues have certainly had their shining moments (most recently, last season's Elaine Stritch at Liberty on Broadway), the genre seems to be eternally bound to images of overly enthusiastic singers perched on bar stools belting out their very best_ however mediocre _ versions of Gershwin and Rodgers songs. This connotation may soon be a thing of the past. In their new two-man show Back from Broadway, Hershey Felder and James Barbour breathe new life into the genre, embracing what is great about classic theatre music and making everything revue new again.
Both the premise and the form of the show stick to the traditional: Felder and Barbour alternate in telling stories and sharing songs relating to their lives _ and more specifically, the story of their respective careers. The show further embraces tradition with its set design, which alludes to the behind-the-scenes setting of the bare stage that is characteristic of so many classic pieces of musical theatre (i.e. the opening scene of Kiss Me, Kate! and the closing scene of Gypsy).
With the standard brick wall and prerequisite solitary standing stage light as setting, Felder and Barbour actively fill the stage with their stories and their songs. It is a true credit to both actors' ability that rather than submitting to clich?©, the two men grab hold of the confines of convention and in turn create vivid and palpable scenes through their songs and stories which fill an otherwise empty stage.
When Felder and Barbour first enter, they introduce themselves to their audience as two actors, one who sings with his voice (Barbour) and one who sings with his fingers (Felder). And then the men launch into their first anecdote of the evening: the story of how they met _ over a (debatably) shared bathroom in adjacent off-Broadway theatres. ("It was my private bathroom!" insists Felder.)
Even when the show turns serious, the initial tone established by this opening story is continuous _ the two performers never take themselves or their profession too seriously. (Surely this ease and humor was facilitated by director Joel Zwick, of My Big Fat Greek Wedding fame.) This is one of the show's greatest assets; by projecting a sincere wink-and-smile relationship with the audience, Felder and Barbour maximize their performance capabilities. By creating a sense of trust, and projecting an actor's sense of humility, each story and song becomes all the more resonant.
Back from Broadway is a piece that finds solidity through contrasts. Most notably is the one initially introduced by the two performers: the show consists of a singer and a pianist. As the performance progresses, another contrast becomes apparent _ that of the two men's very different backgrounds and experiences. But, Felder and Barbour's initial introduction of themselves as actors who sing is the unifying premise of the show. Though their paths and performance styles are undeniably different, both men stand shoulder to shoulder in the attempt for human connection that is art.
Felder, best known to theatre audiences for his portrayal of George Gershwin in his one-man Broadway show from last season, George Gershwin Alone, seems much more comfortable "playing" himself than does his counterpart Barbour. Whether discussing the litany of piano teachers he had growing up (the 400-lb. Southern belle, "Doris the Drunk," the Deutsche with a secret penchant for show tunes), giving the audience some a posteriori advice ("Want to make your parents really nervous? Tell them that the only, only, only thing you want for your Bar Mitzvah is tickets to Cats."), or, more reservedly, reflecting on the day his mother bought him his first piano, Felder possess a natural ease of character that makes connecting with him effortless. Felder is also contagiously passionate, a sentiment only solidified by his indescribable performance abilities. I challenge anyone to find a more inspired rendition of Gershwin's "A Rhapsody in Blue" anywhere.
Barbour, who has appeared on Broadway in Carousel, Beauty and the Beast, and in Jane Eyre, likewise brings a strong presence and ability to the stage. Barbour has been blessed with an amazingly clear and resonant voice, one which, for all its sheer strength, subtly explores every nuance of a song.
What distinguishes a good musical theatre actor from a superb musical theatre actor is that the good actor sings his songs while the superb actor shares his story _ James Barbour is unquestionably a story-teller. From his recreation of his first public performance _singing "On The Street Where You Live" as a freshman in high school at the first pep rally of the year_ to his electrifying "Soliloquy" from Carousel, Barbour is simply magnetic _ his audience cannot help but sit transfixed while he sings. While during his non-singing moments, Barbour sometimes came across as slightly awkward, this feeling subsided as the evening progressed.
By combining personal material with classic songs, Hershey Felder and James Barbour have created a performance that is both nostalgic and unabashedly youthful. Audiences should be grateful that Felder and Barbour are "back from Broadway" and right here in Boston _an evening with these two exceptional performers is an opportunity not to be missed.
'Back from Broadway' is playing at The Stuart Street Playhouse through Dec. 15. Performances are Tuesday - Friday nights at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 5 p.m. and 8 p.m., and Sundays at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m.. Tickets are $29.50 - $49.50 and may be purchased through Telecharge at (800) 447-7400 or at The Stuart Street Playhouse Box Office, 200 Stuart Street, Boston.
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