Anna Anderson

November 30, 2014

Anna AndersonI first heard Anna Anderson—a recent arrival from Arizona—perform at the November 3 Gala show at the Duplex, where she was on the bill with a number of other performers featured at that club in 2014; that night she sang an appealingly saucy version of The Zutons’ “Valerie.” She was one of the performers I most wanted to hear more from, so I was happy when it was announced that she would perform a whole set at the Duplex in late November.

That subsequent show—billed as a “casual evening” of song and a “mellow” musical journey—introduced listeners to a performer who is still finding her way but is someone we’ll all want to keep an eye (and an ear) on. Anderson has a lovely smile, a sweet demeanor, and a strong, flexible voice. She offered songs from jazz, soul, and R&B genres that displayed a fairly wide musical range. I hesitate to call hers a “raw” talent. She already seems at home onstage. She has achieved a level of poise and professionalism that, with luck and additional hard work, will serve her well. Now she needs to find ways to turn things up a notch or two. I hope that she will put aside those words “casual” and “mellow” next time out and put together a program that showcases her talents in a stronger, more focused way.

In decades long gone, there was an expression that people would use with regard to singers. They talked about “putting over” a song. It’s not exactly a technical term that you’ll find in musicology journals, I suppose. It’s pretty vague—akin to today’s idea of “nailing” a song. But what I think is useful about the older phrase is that it suggests there is some sort of hurdle between a singer and an audience that needs to be cleared before a song can be caught and appreciated by listeners. I think the idea of “putting over” a song would be a good one for Anderson to keep in mind.

In this show I believe she did lob some of her musical selections beyond the net. “Valerie” (Dave McCabe et al.) remained a charmer. Her up-tempo take on “Summertime” (George Gershwin, DuBose Heyward) and her gospel-ish ballad rendition of Sam Cooke’s “A Change Is Gonna Come” also landed quite nicely. But some of the other songs were just sort of there, and Anderson’s voice—though physically strong—occasionally seemed to be struggling not to get lost in the accompaniment (provided by a trio led by showy pianist Collin Shook). Put simply, Anderson needs to find a way to take fuller command of the stage. One thing she might consider is rethinking her repertoire.

Anderson didn’t talk much to the audience between songs at the Duplex, but she did mention at one point that her performance history includes some time spent in karaoke clubs. Performing covers of other people’s hits can no doubt help a developing singer expand her range—and I would guess that Anderson has a gift for mimicry to begin with. When she performed Billie Holiday and Arthur Herzog, Jr.’s “God Bless the Child” (a number she told us she had sung in a production of Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill), she didn’t sound exactly like Holiday, but her voice took on hues not found in her earlier numbers. Something similar happened with her encore, Rodgers and Hart’s “My Funny Valentine.” Her vocals didn’t plummet to a Sarah Vaughan level, but they deepened a bit, making her sound more mature than she had through much of the evening.

Being chameleonic can be both liberating and restricting. I’m hopeful that Anderson will be able to synthesize all her various influences and establish her own distinctive sound. But in the meantime, if she’s going to include something from the Billie Holiday songbook in her show, maybe it shouldn’t be a signature song like “God Bless the Child.” Likewise there are dozens of lesser-known Rodgers and Hart songs that would help her stake out her own niche while she locates her own voice and perfects her own style.

The Duplex  –  November 25

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About the Author

Mark Dundas Wood is an arts/entertainment journalist and dramaturg. He began writing reviews for BistroAwards.com in 2011. More recently he has contributed "Cabaret Setlist" articles about cabaret repertoire. Other reviews and articles have appeared in theaterscene.net and clydefitchreport.com, as well as in American Theatre and Back Stage. As a dramaturg, he has worked with New Professional Theatre and the New York Musical Theatre Festival. He is currently literary manager for Broad Horizons Theatre Company.