Can (pronounced “John”) Yasar had a dream growing up in his native Turkey with which many of us can identify. His wish was to move to New York City and live his true life, find his true happiness, and pursue his true career all of which would have been denied had he stayed in his homeland. My “homeland” was New Hampshire, and my escape to New York happened decades before Yasar was born, but the dream and the desire are remarkably alike. He tells the story of making his dream come true in his charming, tuneful, personal new show at Don’t Tell Mama called A Turkish Rhapsody. With director Lennie Watts, music director/ pianist Tracy Stark, drummer Don Kelly, and bassist Matt Scharfglass, he has chosen his companions on his journey to America quite well indeed.
Photo: Natalie Occhino
The singer has a big smile and a bigger voice, an infectious enthusiasm and a knack for captivating storytelling. The show is cannily strung together through well-chosen, evocative excerpts from the songs of Queen, underlining the similarities in looks and sound to the legendary Freddy Mercury. The show opens with a “quote” from “Bohemian Rhapsody” (Mercury) leading into Madonna’s “American Life” which he transforms into his own anthem. Revealing the Turkish pronunciation of his first name, proves a perfect intro for a take on “Say Liza (Liza with a ‘Z’)” (John Kander, Fred Ebb) but unfortunately, particularly for a specialty number so early in the show, the re-write does not go far beyond changing the first lines to “…John with a “C,” not John with a “J,” and repeating the refrain over and over. A little more effort could have been made to parody the other original lyrics.
His next number fares much better. Yasar’s full name is Muhammed Can Yasar which he celebrates with “Maria” (Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim), now transformed into “Muhammed.” It manages to be lighthearted and hilarious without losing sight of the pointedly hateful situation that it sends up. A line or two from Queen’s “Mama” is perfectly integrated into “Far from the Home I Love” (Jerry Bock, Sheldon Harnick, from Fiddler on the Roof) and gives him a chance to show off his storytelling abilities in the first dramatic moment. He succeeds beautifully. Chappell Roan’s “Pink Pony Club” is cleverly used to highlight his sexual liberation in New York as a gay man—with a job at the Wonder Wheel in Coney Island offering a practical alternative to being a “Pink Pony Boy.” The relaxed yet emotionally resonant performance of “Lost in the Waves” (Michael Kooman, Christopher Dimond) adds a new color to Yasar’s performance—a color I hope he pursues in future shows. After telling the story of finding his true love, he introduces him as a surprise guest and the two duet on a lively “Let Me Be Your Star” (Marc Shaiman, Scott Wittman, from Smash) presented as good-natured rivalry. They have so much fun singing together the audience can’t help but share in the energy.
If asked, I would have said that I didn’t need to hear another version of Radiohead’s “Creep” (Thom Yorke), having been inundated with it in piano bars and cabarets all over town for years, but Yasar proves that there is always life in a song if the singer makes it as distinct and personal as the singer does here in his powerful performance. “Let It Go” (Robert Lopez, Kristen Anderson-Lopez, from Frozen) is rescued from overdone cliché by his decision to sing it in Turkish. It’s an inspired choice. Cher’s “Believe” (Brian Higgins, Matthew Gray, Stuart McLennen, Timothy Powell, Steve Torch, Paul Barry) starts out as a thoughtful, beautifully controlled interpretation of a song usually just thrown away but by the end, and again on the somewhat anemic “What I Did for Love” (Marvin Hamlisch, Ed Kleban, from A Chorus Line), Yasar goes for big notes, which he does a tad too often during the show; his control falters and his pitch waivers. His charm and obvious talent make it easy to forgive these sins (none of which is mortal) but a bit more polish and rehearsal and consideration of keys would help a lot.
At the end of his tale of escape and triumph, Can Yasar leaves us with a song he wrote, “Only Place I Belong.” It is a fine song and a perfect note on which to leave the stage, letting us savor his singing and his song-writing talent.
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Presented at Don’t Tell Mama, 343 W. 46th St., NYC, March 27 & 30, June 28, Oct. 1, 2024.
Gerry Geddes has conceived and directed a number of musical revues—including the Bistro- and MAC Award-winning "Monday in the Dark with George" and "Put On Your Saturday Suit-Words & Music by Jimmy Webb"—and directed many cabaret artists, including André De Shields, Helen Baldassare, Darius de Haas, and drag artist Julia Van Cartier. He directs "The David Drumgold Variety Show," currently in residence at Manhattan Movement & Arts Center, and has produced a number of recordings, including two Bistro-winning CDs. He’s taught vocal performance at The New School, NYU, and London’s Goldsmith’s College and continues to conduct private workshops and master classes. As a writer and critic, he has covered New York’s performing arts scene for over 40 years in both local and national publications; his lyrics have been sung by several cabaret and recording artists. Gerry is an artist in residence at Pangea, and a regular contributor to the podcast “Troubadours & Raconteurs.” He just completed a memoir of his life in NYC called “Didn’t I Ever Tell You This?”
