Review: Embracable Rick

"No city has embraced me like St. Louis," observed singer/songwriter Rick Jensen at the beginning of his new show, "With a Little Help From My Friends," at the Blue Strawberry Thursday night (January 2nd). Maybe that's mostly because he embraced us first.

This article originally appeared at 88.1 KDHX, where Chuck Lavazzi is the senior performing arts critic.

Rick Jensen
Photo: Chuck Lavazzi

As a frequent teacher in the early days of the St. Louis Cabaret Conference (where I was one of his students), Mr. Jensen quickly became a familiar figure on the local cabaret scene. His subsequent appearances as a music director for many local singers and, most recently, as a solo performer have only cemented his relationship with us here in Mound City. Indeed, this was clearly demonstrated by the fact that his latest visit included serving as music director for shows by Katie McGrath (December 28th), Beverly Brennan (January 3rd), and Robert Breig (January 4th)

I began to truly appreciate Mr. Jensen's protean skill as a solo artist when he appeared here in 2015 at the Gaslight Theatre with his frequent collaborator (and cabaret Big Name in her own right) Lina Koutrakos. That appreciation increased considerably when I saw his 60th birthday celebration, "60 Years in 60 Minutes," at the Kranzberg Center in 2018. His latest show brought back most of the songs from last year, but with a large and important difference. This time, nearly half of the selections involved the participation of five local singers--Dionna Raedeke, Angie Nicholson, and Kelsey Bearman, along with Mr. Breig and Ms. Brennan--with whom he has been closely associated over the years. That turned what could have been simply an encore gig into a tribute showcase that allowed us to hear some of his work in a new light.

It all began with one of my favorite Jensen originals, "In Passing Years." I have performed this meditation on the enduring value of friendship myself (once with Mr. Jensen at the piano), but nobody brings quite the same level of personal commitment to it that he does.

From there, memories of his literal and musical coming of age in New York City led into a song I hadn't heard before, "Miss Manhattan." A jazzy number with a bit of stride piano feel, it was (in Mr. Jensen's words) his youthful "proposal to Lady Liberty."

The song that followed hard upon it, "Coney Island," stood in sharp contrast, with its notes of bittersweet regret. "Its the kind of song I write when I feel all alone in this world," he confessed. That melancholy feel was sustained in the next number, "The Long Cold Fall," which muses poetically on autumn as both a meteorological and personal season. Mr. Jensen said it was heavily influenced by James Taylor, but I have always heard a hint of Randy Newman in the piano part.

Rick Jensen and Dionna Raedeke
Photo: Chuck Lavazzi

Mr. Jensen's friends took the stage next, starting with Ms. Raedeke (a fine singer as well as a visual artist), who joined him in "New Age of Love," a number he wrote with the late New York cabaret legend Nancy LaMott. A tongue in cheek endorsement of young love ("I do promise and solemnly swear / To stay home every other weekend") inspired by Las Vegas wedding chapels, it got a precise close harmony performance that was a joy to hear.

Angie Nicholson's powerful voice gave depth to "Unlearn Me," a song inspired by the love for our canine companions she shares with Mr. Jensen. Beverly Brennan's career as a teacher gave added resonance to the inspiring "Go Ahead And Dream" (from the 2011 film "That's What I Am"). And Robert Breig's reflections on his love for his three children made "Happy Birthday Boy" all the more moving.

Next, Mr. Jensen took back the stage for a pair of sharply contrasting pieces: the hilarious "Hi Ho, That's the Jensen Way," about how his small home town could become an alcohol-fueled Peyton Place in the dead of winter, and "I Have Come From Love," a touching tribute to the sacrifices his mother made to raise her family.

Next, "Amanda Sang," a story song about a talented woman who chooses to stay in her small town and bring joy to her friends and neighbors instead of moving on to the Big City, got a beautifully lyrical treatment from Kelsey Berman, who actually did come back to her home town after deciding the Big Apple was not for her. The song is a favorite of mine because of a lyric that could serve as a mini-lesson for cabaret singers: "She could never go wrong / Because her heart was in her song."

Rick Jensen and Angie Nicolson
Photo: Chuck Lavazzi

Mr. Jensen took over the solo spotlight again for "Tonight New York City," a poetic tribute to his adopted hometown that draws on images from his rural Minnesota past. Mr. Jensen had earlier cited Bruce Springsteen as one of his influences, and I could certainly hear that in the power chords of this big ballad. But it was still uniquely Rick Jensen.

Ms. Raedeke then returned for another duet, the nostalgic and romance-weary "After All Those Love Songs." Like Nancy LaMott, who sang the number with Mr. Jensen on his "Spring Harvest" CD [https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/rickjensen], she began the song a cappella--a impressive thing, since it's a melody that does not make its key obvious in the first few notes.

One last power ballad, "Time," brought us to the end of a nearly 90 minute journey. For a solo cabaret, that would have been a bit long, but for a showcase like this one it was fine, and got the standing ovation you might expect. Yes, Mr. Jensen's anecdotes were sometimes a bit discursive and star-studded ("be careful not to trip and hurt yourself on all the names I'm dropping," he wryly noted) but he's such a charmingly genuine raconteur that it ultimately didn't matter much. I think he can rely on St. Louis to embrace him again on his next visit.

Shows continue well into the New Year at The Blue Strawberry, St. Louis's only dedicated bar/restaurant/cabaret showroom. Check their web site for details.

Review: Katie McGrath's "Home(sick) for the Holidays" is a perfect final for 2019

"Home(sick) for the Holidays," the latest show by former St. Louisan Katie McGrath, had its St. Louis premiere this past Saturday (December 28) at the Blue Strawberry. It was the perfect finale for that venue's 2019 cabaret season.

This article originally appeared at 88.1 KDHX, where Chuck Lavazzi is the senior performing arts critic.

Rick Jensen and Katie McGrath
Photo: Jamie Sauerberger

When I reviewed Katie McGrath's "Significant Others" show here back in 2017 I said it ought to be a chapter in a "How to Do Cabaret" textbook. "Home(sick) for the Holidays" was every bit as good, and for the same reasons: an eclectic song list ranging from Jon Bon Jovi to Stephen Sondheim (including original material by Ms. McGrath), perfectly tailored arrangements by pianist/music director Rick Jensen, ideally paced direction by cabaret luminary Lina Koutrakos, and Ms. McGrath's powerfully genuine stage presence.

It was, in short, a kind of Platonic ideal of both cabaret in general and the sub-genre I have come to think of as the "This is My Life" show, in which the song choices and the patter linking them draw heavily on details of the performer's personal history.

That's a type of cabaret that requires real courage. Done badly, it can come across as self-indulgent or (worse yet) a public therapy session. But Ms. McGrath, Mr. Jensen, and Ms. Koutrakos are far too good at what they do to ever put a foot wrong. However intimate and revealing some of her stories were, they always served as perfect introductions to the songs that followed, and often did so in a way that made me hear music I thought I knew well in an entirely different way.

That, friends, is what great cabaret is all about.

Rick Jensen, Katie McGrath, Bob Becherer

A case in point was her version of Paul Simon's "Love Me Like a Rock." She introduced it with memories of how often her mother saw her as a disappointment and how, years after her mother's death, they have "agreed to rewrite our narrative." It gave the song's refrain ("Oh, my mama loves me, she loves me / She get down on her knees and hug me / Oh, she loves me like a rock") an entirely new meaning and added a level of depth to what is otherwise a fairly simple and upbeat lyric.

Indeed, providing a radically different spin on familiar songs was a recurring theme of the show, thanks to Ms. McGrath's words and Mr. Jensen's inventive arrangements. I don't think, for example, it would ever have occurred to me to fit the silly lyrics of Randy Brooks's "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer" to the melody of Bobbie Gentry's Southern Gothic "Ode to Billie Joe," but the result was simultaneously funny, creepy, and brilliant.

Another case in point was a medley of the Jay Livingston and Ray Evans holiday classic "Silver Bells" and Stephen Sondheim's "Another 100 People" (from "Company"). Starting out as the city dreamscape created by Livingston and Evans, it quickly descended into a kind of urban nightmare suggesting overcrowded streets and frantic consumers. Coming immediately afterwards, Harry Nilsson's "Everybody's Talking at Me" felt like a welcome escape from the seasonal madness.

Rick Jensen, Katie McGrath, Merry Keller

Mr. Jensen, it should be noted, is a powerful singer and songwriter all by himself. His backup vocals gave weight to the final moments of the opening number, Jon Bon Jovi's "Who Says You Can't Go Home." And his solo performances of two of his own songs--"The Jensen Way" (accompanied by Ms. McGrath on melodica) and "You Better Say Yes to Christmas" ("because I hate Christmas," noted Mr. Jensen)--were two of the many highlights of the evening. The latter is a virtuoso display of rapid patter and complex internal rhymes so scintillating and tricky that even Mr. Jensen got briefly lost at one point.

The evening was also enhanced by a pair of duets featuring local singers. Bob Becherer joined Ms. McGrath for a joyously affectionate performance of Richard Carpenter and Frank Pooler's "Merry Christmas Darling" (a hit for The Carpenters in 1970). Merry Keller lent her classically trained voice to a moving rendition of "The Little Drummer Boy/Peace on Earth," a medley written for and first performed by Bing Crosby and David Bowie on Crosby's 1977 "Merrie Olde Christmas" TV special (the last such special he would ever do). The lyrics mix the drum imagery of the classic carol with a plea for peace that is both potent and sad, and it came across beautifully as Ms. McGrath's and Ms. Keller's voices rose and twined around each other.

Ms. McGrath's significant other Chet Whye, Jr., also joined her for one of the better comic moments of the show: Frank Loesser's "Baby It's Cold Outside" with parody lyrics by Penn and Kim Holderness (who first performed it in a popular YouTube video last year). The obvious affection shared by Ms. McGrath and Mr. Whye added a whole new level of fun to this clever satire.

Rick Jensen, Katie McGrath, Chet Whye, Jr.
Photo: Chet Whye, Jr.

I noted earlier that an autobiographical show requires courage. So does making a strong political statement in a time of rising levels of hatred and toxic nativism at the highest echelons of government. Ms. McGrath's response was the chorus of Shawn Mulins's ironic "Lullaby" coupled with an original poem of her own about an immigrant mother and daughter making the hard trek northwards to escape violence, only to be imprisoned and separated at our nation's southern border. It was bold, unbearably moving, and a sad reminder of how far our ideals have fallen from the words emblazoned on the Statue of Liberty.

That was followed by brief instrumental quote from "Hark the Herald Angels Sing," which led in turn to Charlie Colin and Pat Monahan's "Calling All Angels" (recorded by the group Train in 2003). In this context, the song's refrain was a clear call to action: "When there is no place safe and no safe place to put my head / When you feel the world shake from the words that are said / And I'm calling all angels / And I'm calling all you angels."

There were other memorable moments in this show--over an hour of them, including a surprisingly elegiac version of Marc Cohn's "Walking in Memphis"--but assuming you have read this far, I have taken enough of your time already. Thanks to Katie McGrath, Rick Jensen, and Lina Koutrakos for creating this unexpected spin on the solstice holidays and to Jim Dolan for bringing it home so soon after its December 14th premiere at Don't Tell Mama in New York .

Shows continue well into the New Year at The Blue Strawberry, St. Louis's only dedicated bar/restaurant/cabaret showroom. Check their web site at bluestrawberrystl.com for details.

Chuck's Choices for the weekend of March 18, 2016

As always, the choices are purely my personal opinion. Take with a grain (or a shaker) of salt.

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New This Week:

This Friday through Sunday, March 18-20, Fontbonne University Theatre Department presents Almost, Maine. Welcome to Almost, Maine, a town that's so far north, it's almost not in the United States-it's almost in Canada. One night in the middle of winter, while the northern lights hover in the sky above, Almost's residents find themselves falling in and out of love in the strangest ways. And life for the people of Almost, Maine will never be the same. Performances take place in the Fontbonne Fine Arts Theatre on Wydown. For further details about Almost Maine, www.fontbonne.edu/academics/departments/fine-arts-department/theatre-productions.

My take:This is a charming set of romantically comic one acts with a strong dose of a kind of magical realism. We did the local premier of this a few years back at West End Players Guild and the show has been cropping up here and there ever since. I haven't seen the Fontbonne production, but I can attest to the fact that the play itself is first-class stuff.

Marisaa Mulder

The Presenters Dolan present Marissa Mulder in Fragments of Marilyn on Friday and Saturday, March 18 and 19, at 8 PM as part of the Gaslight Cabaret Festival. " In this utterly fascinating show, Marissa explores Marilyn Monroe, mind, heart and soul, and her journey from orphanage to celebrity's epicenter. A magical mix of real cabaret theater. The first public performance of Marilyn from one of the emergent talents in all of cabaret." The performance takes place at the Gaslight Theater, 358 North Boyle. For more information: gaslightcabaretfestival.com.

My take: Ms. Mulder, as I noted in my review of her Tom Waits show back in 2014, is a fine singer who is also a gifted actor, with the ability to truly inhabit the characters in her songs. If anyone can conjure up the spirit of the late Ms. Monroe (who, while not a strong singer, also knew how to really sell a lyric) it would be Ms. Mulder.

The Presenters Dolan present Jon Weber in From Joplin to Jarrett on Sunday, March 20, at 3 PM as part of the Gaslight Cabaret Festival. " A history of jazz piano in 70 minutes, from the host of NPR's Piano Jazz." The performance takes place at the Gaslight Theater, 358 North Boyle. For more information: gaslightcabaretfestival.com.

My take: Now there's something you don't see every day, Chauncey (as they used to say on Rocky and His Friends); a cabaret show where the focus is on piano instrumentals rather than songs. As a frustrated pianist myself, I think this looks like a fascinating show. The evolution of African-influenced piano composition from the classical approach of Scott Joplin to the disciplined improvisations of Keith Jarrett covers a lot a impressive musical territory.

Molly's Hammer
Photo: Jerry Naunheim, Jr.

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis presents the world premiere of Molly's Hammer through March 27. "Molly Rush was focused on the endgame- save the world, protect her family. But what would she have to sacrifice? In 1980, the Pittsburgh housewife and mother of six walked into a General Electric plant and took a hammer to a nuclear warhead to protest the buildup of America's nuclear arsenal. Based on the true story of the Plowshares Eight, Molly's Hammer is the world-premiere account of one woman's unwavering beliefs and her family's desperate attempts to protect her from infamy." Performances take place in the studio theater at the Loretto-Hlton Center, 130 Edgar Road in Webster Groves, MO. For more information, call 314-968-4925 or visit repstl.org.

My take: What's the price of compassion? What is the extent of a citizen's obligation to oppose fundamentally evil policies by a government? How much should one be expected to sacrifice for the common good? As I write in my review, these and many other questions are raised by Tammy Ryan's gripping drama Molly's Hammer. At a time when the very foundations of our political system are being openly challenged by the forces of fascism and hysterical fear, and when the leading candidates of one of our political parties are almost drooling with pleasure at the possibility of starting a nuclear war, these questions could not be more timely.

This Friday, Saturday and Sunday First Run Theater is holding its annual Play Reading Festival. This festival showcases original scripts by St. Louis playwrights interested in seeing their work produced on a state-of-the-art stage; all readings are open to the public. The performances take place in the theatre on the campus of DeSmet Jesuit High School on Ballas Road in Creve Coeur. For more information on First Run Theater's Play Reading Festival, firstruntheatre.com

On Saturday afternoon the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis Ignite! New Play Festival presents Replica. In the near future, a terminally ill woman volunteers for an experimental procedure that will allow her memories and personality to live on in her clone. The performance begins at 2:00 PM at inside the Opera Center at Opera Theatre of St. Louis, on Hazel Avenue in Webster Groves. For more information about Saturday's performance of Replica repstl.org/ignite

My take: It's always interesting to see new plays—it's the main reason I attend the Humana Festival every year— and both the Rep and First Run are giving you a chance to see some newly-hatched theatrical chicks this weekend. First Run shows are by local playwrights while the Rep features writers from around the country. First Run's festival is this weekend only while the Rep has shows Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday of next week.

The Tavern of Fine Arts presents Tim Schall's Cabaret Party on Friday, March 18, at 8 p.m. "Hosted by Tim Schall with Carol Schmidt at the piano, this promises to be fun, lively and entertaining - a musical party with Tim, Carol and their talented friends- each singing lots of tunes for you! The guests that will sing their hearts out on March 18 include: Mara Bollini, Meghan Kirk, Ben Nordstrom and Tim and Carol, of course. The Tavern of Fine Arts is at 313 Belt in the Debaliviere Place neighborhood. For more information: tavern-of-fine-arts.blogspot.com.

My take: This is the first in a planned series of showcases of local cabaret talent presented in the informal atmosphere of the Tavern of Fine Arts, which is where I host The Cabaret Project's monthly open mic night. As the executive director of The Cabaret Project and the organizer of the yearly St. Louis Cabaret Festival, Tim Schall is one of the genre's leading exponents here in St. Louis, and Carol Schmidt is one of our most sought-after music directors. Their guests for this first outing are all impressive performers in their own right, so you can expect serious entertainment here. I intend to be in the audience; join me and enjoy,

Held Over:

American Idiot
Photo: Jill Ritter Lindberg

New Line Theatre presents the musical American Idiot, based on the album by Green Day, Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 PM through March 26. " New Line continues its 25th season with the powerful, high-octane, rock fable AMERICAN IDIOT, based on the powerhouse album by Green Day, a scorching attack on what they saw as the hypocrisy and moral evils of the Bush Administration after the attacks of Sept. 11, as well as the increasingly submissive nature of the American public. The score includes every song from Green Day's hit album American Idiot, as well as several songs from their follow-up release, 21st Century Breakdown, with music by Green Day, lyrics by front man Billie Joe Armstrong, a book by Armstrong and Michael Mayer, and musical arrangements and orchestrations by Broadway composer Tom Kitt (High Fidelity, Next to Normal, If/Then). The Toronto Star called the show 'the first great musical of the 21st century.'" Performances take place at the Marcelle Theater, 3310 Samuel Shepard Drive, three blocks east of Grand, in Grand Center. For more information, visit newlinetheatre.com or call 314-534-1111.

My take: As you can see from the description of this show, it could hardly be more relevant during the current primary campaign season, especially in light of the Republican Party's slide into drooling insanity. In her review for KDHX, Tina Farmer says this "is a fantastic production, and several scenes flash with brilliance. The cast are uniformly strong singers and the interpretations of the songs are spot on. " At Ladue News, Mark Bretz says "New Line’s presentation superbly captures the musical essence of the album and show as well as making the most of the straightforward plot."

A Major Award

[Amidst the brouhaha over the Kevin Kline Awards discussed in my last post, some welcome jocularity from A Major Player in the local cabaret scene.  Tim Schall originally posted this to some local theatre email lists.  I'm publishing it here with his permission.]

New St. Louis Awards for Cabaret Performers Announced

A Major Award

St. Louis Area Cabaret Awards, a.k.a. “The SLACAs” (please don’t pronounce it “the slackers” - we will be offended), light up the St. Louis arts scene. New eligibility criteria for 2011:

• A performer must do at least one public performance of a minimum of 45 minutes in length, and not to exceed 2.5 hours. If performance exceeds 2.5 hours, for god sake, include an intermission so people can pee.
• Total audience attendance must be a minimum of 5 paying customers (not to include the comps you gave to your family, friends and some recent trick you picked up)
• Performer must sing at least 2 songs by Cole Porter, one of which must include the “lost lyrics” recently discovered in a trunk in a warehouse in Secaucus, New Jersey.
• You must say witty, enlightening facts about songs, composers and famous performers and make it look like you didn’t just lift them from a Michael Feinstein DVD.
• You must pay your light/sound person at least 4 times what you make in profit
• Eligible venues include The Kranzberg, The Bistro and any church basement that doesn’t smell too musty.
• Your “thank yous” at the end of the show, must be at least as long as your first two numbers and include the maintenance staff and ladies in the kitchen (if applicable).

Tim Schall, often accused of jump-starting the local cabaret movement, says, “I have been a SLACA all my life and maybe, just maybe, now I can be publicly recognized for the consummate (or is that ‘consummated?’) SLACA that I truly am! A great day has come to St. Louis!”

Dates for the first SLACA ceremony to be announced in 2011.

Please note: None of the above is true...well, mostly not true.