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“Sing No Evil”
Laurie Beechman Theatre – November 12, 14, December 4, 12
In his debut cabaret show, “Sing No Evil,” which was directed by Miles Phillips, Joshua Warr has sin on his mind—sin in general and the seven deadly ones in particular. Evidently Warr takes this as a very serious, somber subject—or at least that’s how it would appear from the approach he takes with many of the songs. Occasionally a playful twinkle comes through, which suggests that this attitude was a conscious artistic choice rather than a matter of personal conviction. There are times when this choice proves quite effective; then there are the other times.
On the positive side of the ledger, a pairing of “Ring of Fire” (Merle Kilgore, June Carter) and John Deacon’s “I Want to Break Free” is slow and dramatic, with just the right level of intensity, and the arrangement has a purposeful trajectory. Warr’s slow, heartfelt rendition of Jerome Kern and B.G. DeSylva’s “Look for the Silver Lining” makes its point persuasively. His slow and earnest performance of Lennon & McCartney’s “She Loves You” is on the right track, except for a few, overly dramatic line readings, delivered through clenched teeth.
However, the slow, quasi-surrealistic treatment given Kander & Ebb’s “Sara Lee” takes the exuberance and fun out of the song. Also, it is unnecessary to precede it with a few spoken lines from Michael John LaChiusa’s “More.” Arthur Hamilton’s “Cry Me a River” becomes too much an acting exercise; Warr should let anger and the desire for retribution inform his interpretation, not replace it. His delivery of “Who Cares?,” a song of cynical disillusionment by Haydn Wood, Joseph Tunbridge, Jack Waller, and Dion Titheradge, is heavy-handed; he should take a cue from the subtle eloquence of musical director Tracy Stark’s piano accompaniment. (In many recent shows, Stark has been called upon to supply robust rock/pop arrangements, which she’s done to a fare-thee-well. “Sing No Evil” gives her a chance to show that she’s equally adept at grace and delicacy.)
When Warr gets to his encore, James F. Hanley’s “Zing! Went the Strings of My Heart,” performed in yet another slow, heartfelt arrangement, I thought, “Can’t we please have one that’s ebullient? For Christ’s sake, sin can be fun.” Mind you, I don’t agree with the conventional wisdom that says a show must contain a mix of ballads and up numbers; I firmly believe that an evening of nothing but ballads can be a knockout. Here, though, Warr has turned into ballads songs that were not written in that mode. If one slows down a single number, the effect can be striking; however, when this device is employed repeatedly, it comes across as an artsy gimmick. Further, for an all-ballad program to work, there needs to be a variety of colors and perspectives; repeated earnestness grows tiresome. (Note that though Stark is musical director, arrangement honors are shared by her and director Phillips.)
Happily, there are numbers that have not been put through the let’s-be-serious filter—for example, the excellent opener, a pairing of “Good ‘n’ Evil” (Frank Wildhorn, Leslie Bricusse) and “The Devil You Know” (Henry Krieger, Bill Russell), which Warr performs seductively and with assurance and an easy, winning smile. Cole Porter’s “Let’s Misbehave” becomes a delightful song-and-dance number when three high-kicking chorus girls (Julie Boardman, Tru Collins, Amy Halldin) join Warr. Choreographer Venita McLemore also makes a welcome contribution to “Lizzie Borden Rag” (Brett Kristofferson, Brent Peterson), which Warr sings, then follows with a contemporary dance. Clearly, the man is an accomplished dancer.
There are a few other points to be considered. Early in the proceedings, Warr stops and poses to let the audience take a picture of him. This is a miscalculation, for it makes him come across as rather too self-satisfied. This attitude is reinforced when he winks a few times during Joe McCoy’s “Why Don’t You Do Right?,” then in Stephen Sondheim’s “More” when he makes a gesture indicating that he’s pleased with his physical appearance and later winks yet again, and other times when he flashes his eyes at selected audience members. I hasten to add that I’m not saying that he is in fact guilty of narcissism, merely that these choices give that impression. Further, he is a good-looking fellow and has every right to be tickled pink about his appearance; however, he shouldn’t let us in on it.
Warr’s otherwise good rendition of Sondheim’s “More” is further compromised by the choice to have him sing the entire number with a drink in his hand. Not only does this constrain him physically, the prop is a distraction. Finally, in “Let’s Misbehave,” it sounds as though he sings “I’m very sure la verre d’amour” instead of “…un peu d’amour.” Perhaps this was merely a blip in the performance I saw; if not, he should revisit the lyric, his French pronunciation, or his enunciation.
I have probably come across harsher than I want to. I should make it clear that my reservations are about the show and some specific choices, not about Warr’s talent or potential.
Roy Sander has been covering cabaret and theatre for over thirty years. He’s written cabaret and theatre reviews, features, and commentary for seven print publications, most notably Back Stage, and for CitySearch on the Internet. He covered cabaret monthly on “New York Theatre Review” on PBS TV, and cabaret and theatre weekly on WLIM-FM radio. He was twice a guest instructor at the London School of Musical Theatre. A critic for BistroAwards.com, he is also the site’s Reviews Editor; in addition, he is Chairman of the Advisory Board of MAC.
