So my current project right now is Sweet & Hot: The Songs of Harold Arlen at Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre. I’m loving it! It’s definitely a challenge; we aren’t allowed characters or a story/plot which for me at least (I strongly consider myself an actor before a singer) is forcing me to really step outside of my comfort zone and explore the world of cabaret singing. I definitely have, um, NOT cornered the market on this, but it’s an interesting and exciting new landscape to explore! I have SO much respect for cabaret singers after this one. SHEESH. ;)
Another great aspect of doing this show is getting to know some of the great Arlen songs! I have a newfound love for “I Love To Sing-a” which I get to sing with the luminescent Stephanie Herman. Anyway here’s some reviews for the show.
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Sweet and Hot: The Songs of Harold Arlen Chicago Tribune- Recommended
“…Anzevino understood here that the Arlen songbook needs different types of performers to do it justice. Aside from Thomas, in touch with Arlen’s bluesy side, he cast Stephanie Herman, a crisp, removed and glamorous singer who suggests urban nighteries, and the giving Sarah Hayes, who evokes a warmer, softer, needier and yet equally retro persona. On the male side, Kristofer Simmons matches up nicely with Herman (most of the night, at least), Eric Lindahl drives the vocal energy of the show, and the terriffic, multivalent Eric Martin takes care of its heart.”
Chris Jones Chicago Sun Times- Highly Recommended
“…this revue is so superb on every level that you may find yourself standing in a line that extends down to the Gold Coast. And frankly, if the producers at the new Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place (formerly the Drury Lane) were smart, they’d lift it from its current location and install it on their little jewel-box stage.”
Hedy Weiss Time Out Chicago- Recommended
“… Standout solos include Bethany Thomas’s beautifully rueful “Man That Got Away” and the brassy Sarah Hayes on “I Had Myself a True Love.” But much as Boyd robs the songs of context, Anzevino’s significant reworking of her script scrubs it of even her barest suggestions of characters; we don’t sense the performers as anything but themselves. Though we’d be hard-pressed to call this theater, it’s a perfectly pleasant concert.”
Kris Vire Chicago Reader- Somewhat Recommended
“…Director Fred Anzevino interjects a lot of unclear, unconvincing stage business–the singers hang out in a bar, sometimes, maybe, and sort of have fleeting crushes on one another–and David Heimann’s choreography is perfunctory in conception and execution. Worse, the performers rarely have a moment to pause for breath, let alone capture a deep psychological moment, while cramming all those songs into two hours.”
Justin Hayford NewCity Chicago- Recommended
“…Theo Ubique is cleverly seeking to bridge the gap of that disconnect by presenting “Sweet and Hot: The Songs of Harold Arlen,” a revue of nearly forty of Arlen’s more familiar songs where you bask in such a transcendent level of songwriting Nirvana that you need to pinch yourself that all you are hearing came from the mind of a single individual. Six performers of varying talent levels and a high-octane pianist—who even throws in a song himself here and there—take the stage in various combinations, but the best moments are the solo moments: Bethany Thomas’ melancholy and sultry “Stormy Weather” followed by the unbridled optimism of Stephanie Herman’s “When the Sun Comes Out,” Eric Lindahl’s “Buds Won’t Bud” and Sarah Hayes’ bluesy rendition of “I Had Myself a True Love,” where you can literally hear a pin drop.”
Dennis Polkow Copley News Service- Recommended
“…While Arlen’s music is the heart of the show, equal credit does to an A List of lyricists, who included some of the best in the business, notably Ira Gershwin, E. Y. Harburg, Arlen himself, Ted Koehler, and best of all, Johnny Mercer. Mercer’s word for “Blues in the Night” create a great stand-alone prose poem.”
Dan Zeff Centerstage- Highly Recommended
“…But in the end, it’s about the songs. And they are stunning. The show does right by them far more often than not, so it’s more than worthwhile for Harold Arlen fans, current and soon to be.”
Zev Valancy ChicagoCritic- Highly Recommended
“…Theo Ubique, under Fred Anzevino’s leadership, returns to their cabaret roots by paying homage to composer/songwriter Harold Arlen. This revue contains many of the finest songs from the 30’s- 40’s and 50’s including “Over the Rainbow,” “Stormy Weather,” “Get Happy,” “It’s Only a Paper Moon” and “I’ve Got the World on a String” among the 37 songs with music by Arlen in collaboration with many of the finest lyricists of the era.”
Tom Wiliams Chicago Theater Blog- Recommended
“…Anzevino’s staging occasionally comes off as having actors move just to have actors move, and “Over the Rainbow,” which receives a mention on the poster, could have received a lot more attention. Fortunately, David Heimann’s choreography always infuses energy into the songs. I’m not usually a fan of musical revues. Most of the time, they seem to me like live compilation albums meant to score a few more dollars from deceased songwriters. But with Theo Ubique’s focus on intimacy and simply presenting songs the whole team obviously loves, they come up with a show that has a tangible effect on the audience. This Sweet and Hot is a living experience.”
Barry Eitel Steadstyle Chicago- Highly Recommended
“…Most of all it’s a welcome homecoming to return to so many Arlen gems, perfectly packaged by Steve Carson’s musical direction. When Sarah Hayes and Eric Martin ruefully admit that “It’s Only a Paper Moon” or Kristofer Simmons recreates Groucho’s “Lydia the Tattooed Lady,” you see how great Arlen’s range is from the sublime to the silly. Apart from a brief tribute to “The Wizard of Oz,” this revue is mainly a tribute to how well these love ballads stand on their own and stand the test of time. Because they set the Broadway bar, that’s WHY they’re called standards.”
Lawrence Bommer |