As music director and pianist, John M. Cook has contributed to the success of many shows and singers, each one the better for his presence. I have been aware of that for quite a while, but I was not aware of how good a songwriter he is. That situation is rectified in his new revue, Find the Road: A John M. Cook Anthology which features ballads, comedy numbers, anthems, and love songs presented by Cook, who proves to be an amenable host offering stories and observations from his perch at the piano. A quartet of seasoned cabaret singers have been recruited to deliver the songs in solo and group performances, underscored by his expert accompaniment.
John M. Cook(Photo: Bill Westmoreland)
The title song is a stirring anthem which opens the show with the four vocalists providing a rich choral sound against the power and excitement that Cook’s piano provides, so that as the voices bend, build, and explode it becomes so big it might have been wise to move it to the end of the show. It is, nonetheless, a striking beginning, marred somewhat by the fact that the singers are reading their lyrics from a binder. They can only make so much connection with the narrative and with the audience if they are tied to the sheet music. It’s a shame that our first experience of them, and the show, is so handicapped. Each of the other group numbers suffers from the same problem. The cast seems (for the most part) to have been able to memorize the solo numbers so it is disconcerting that they could not do the same for the group songs.
Another star of the night, in addition to Cook, is Kristoffer Lowe whose three solo numbers are fantastic. It is hard to decide whether the material or the performance deserves the most praise for this, but the combination is especially effective. Lowe’s natural delivery and expert, relaxed storytelling are a perfect match for the Porter-esque wit of the lyrics in “I’m Sure I’ll See It Your Way,” and his distinct phrasing amplifies the cool sophistication of the melody without bowing to it. In an added nod to Cole, there is even the witty addition of an encore verse or two. Lowe’s work is even more masterful in “Pleasantville,’ a magical creation made even more impressive by the vocal. His third solo, “There’s Always More,” a beautifully observed and impassioned want song, is equally thrilling.
The other highlight of the show comes with a glorious love song called “With You” from a show inspired by Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella with Lesley Ann Warren. Following Cook’s funniest and most endearing intro of the night, Josephine Sanges stops the show with her delicate yet passionate declaration of love, gorgeously written and gorgeously sung. It made me wish that I could hear the entire show from which it comes. She also shines in a funny song that would have fit perfectly in Betty Hutton’s wheelhouse, “Three Tales of Jack,” in which three lads named Jack from nursery rhymes, merge into one hapless hero whose adventures Sanges recounts with glee.
Cook and cast: Sierra Rein, Kristoffer Lowe, David Baida, and Josephine Sanges.
Sierra Rein and David Baida never really seem to relax into the material. They have good voices, but whether through unfamiliarity or misguided devotion to the melody, they fail to make the songs live. “Uhura,” a humorous paean to Nichelle Nichols and Star Trek, has great promise but Rein doesn’t always seem to be in on the joke. Baida has a distinct voice but delivers each of his numbers with a kind of empty intensity that is particularly detrimental to the comedic numbers, like “Low Maintenance,” in which a mountain of lyrics are delivered with machine gun, tightly paced speed that denies the possibility of building the character or story within the words. He doesn’t take the time to relax and breathe and let the jokes land. It is too bad, because successfully done it would have been a memorable combination of “Mister Cellophane” and Sweeney Todd.
The songs are never less than entertaining and often a good deal more than that, but the show in which they live keeps getting in the way. It is lacking in shape and style, and never rises above a simple selection of songs. It needs a director, or at least a third eye in the house, to smooth out the awkward, distracting movement and positioning on stage and to work with the singers on their interpretations of the songs. And to repeat myself, because it is such a stumbling block, all the songs need to be memorized. Cook’s spoken moments need to be edited and strengthened as well. Lengthy bios of his guests delivered without rhyme or reason throughout the night stop the show cold and create a lack of energy from which it is difficult to recover.
John Cook’s songs deserve a long and varied life in the world of cabaret and theatre. They should be served to the audience in a show as bright and engaging and stylish as the artistry on display in the material. The hard work of songwriting is already done. The comparatively easier work of shaping, designing, and polishing the show and performance is all that needs to be done. This material is worth the effort!
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Presented at Don’t Tell Mama, 343 W. 46th St., NYC, May 10, 20, and July 14, 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?”
