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Steve Ross
January 24, 2011
“Rhythm & Romance”
Oak Room at the Algonquin – January 18 – February 12
A while ago I labeled Steve Ross one of the three reigning masters of the art of cabaret singing, the other two being Julie Wilson and Andrea Marcovicci. What distinguishes and unites these great artists is that their interpretations are uncommonly rich with insights and revelations. Several qualities contribute to this ability, this gift of theirs, among them intelligence, sensitivity, discerning analytic ability, eloquent phrasing, exquisite timing. They explore nuances and uncover layers of meaning we’ve not heard before; they can make even familiar material seem fresh, as though we were only now understanding the songs fully.
Additionally, Ross is elegant (without sacrificing warmth and humanity), refreshingly literate (though still earthy and charming), and witty and clever (even laugh-out-loud funny). And he does all of the above while accompanying himself admirably on the piano.
In his current Oak Room engagement, the subject is love, in its many phases—from seduction through romance, marriage, and afterwards—and from various perspectives. In this endeavor, he is ably abetted by Brian Cassier on bass. I’m tempted to list all of the song selections, add “you’ve probably never heard a more satisfying interpretation of any of these songs,” and leave it at that. As true as that statement would be, decency demands that I elaborate a bit.
I could mention that Ross gets the show off to a very jolly start with “Spreadin’ Rhythm Around” (Jimmy McHugh, Ted Koehler, additional lyrics by Richard Maltby, Jr.); the song boasts the irresistible line “little people who ain’t got nuttin’/join the people who live on Sutton.” I could say how much fun his renditions of “Have Some Madeira, M’Dear” (Flanders & Swann) and “And Her Mother Came Too” (Peter Dion Titheradge, Ivor Novello) are.
When he launches passionately, but tenderly, into Frank Loesser’s “My Heart Is So Full of You,” we are swept instantly into a world of romance. His handling of a trio of Rodgers & Hart ballads, “I Still Believe in You,” “Singing a Love Song,” and “Falling in Love with Love,” could not be more affecting, and his moving performance of “Fanette” (Jacques Brel, Mort Shuman, Eric Blau) is haunting. He is the greatest American interpreter of Noël Coward that I know of, and he demonstrates this preeminence equally with Coward’s comic material (“A Bar on the Piccola Marina”) and his poignant ballads (“Someday I’ll Find You,” “I’ll See You Again”). And so it goes.
Though Ross is a brilliant interpreter of lyrics, one of the highlights of the show is non-verbal: a piano medley of songs of Édith Piaf. Like the rest of the evening, it’s glorious.
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.
