Every November, Broadway’s best and brightest stand up in Town Hall and sing out for everything they’re worth—completely unamplified. It’s an evening that tests the mettle of stars and newcomers alike, presenting classic songs as they were originally performed and giving a new sound to contemporary numbers. Broadway Unplugged, the offspring of Barbara and Scott Siegel’s Broadway by the Year series, returned for its fifth edition this past week in a concert that blew the roof off without a single microphone in use.
This edition focused more on ballads than the previous four have done, demonstrating the many different ways a strong singer can convey the emotion of a quiet song to an audience. As Scott Siegel explained early on in the evening, most ballads—especially when sung by women—have either been performed in a delicate soprano or belted to the rafters. But, for example, when Mary Poppins’ Ashley Brown sang Cole Porter’s “I Happen to Like New York,” she sang it in a strong, clear contralto that beautifully conveyed the pride and love of the music and lyrics. When she sang “I’ll Know” from Guys & Dolls later in the program, her voice was a more traditional soprano, but imbued with the warmth of a classic Broadway belter. Likewise, Matt Cavanaugh’s rendition of “Sometimes a Day Goes By” from Woman of the Year was gentle and poignant, nicely capturing the quiet desperation of the song.
Julia Murney sang “Wherever He Ain’t” from Mack & Mabel to show off her famous ability to make belting look—and sound—effortless, but when she returned in Act II to sing “Will He Like Me” from She Loves Me, her voice matched the timid anxiety of the lyrics, spreading gently throughout the theatre. Jeff McCarthy demonstrated how gentle his rich voice can be with “Once Upon a Time” from All American, and later sang a surprisingly jazzy rendition of “My Ship” from Lady in the Dark. (The Ross Patterson Little Big Band has never sounded so hip and swingy.)
Similarly demonstrating his range, Chuck Cooper sang a saucy and sassy “Honeysuckle Rose,” holding out notes to nearly impossible lengths and working the audience like a pied piper. (Who wouldn’t follow him?) When he returned in the second act to sing the title song from Lost in the Stars, his voice beautifully expressed the grief and doubt of Maxwell Anderson’s lyrics.
For those who prefer good old-fashioned belting, however, Cheryl Freeman was on hand to knock the walls down—twice. Looking like she hasn’t aged a day since she played the Acid Queen in Tommy fifteen years ago, she conjured Bessie, Ella, Billie, Sarah and all the other great jazz divas who don’t need surnames. Her “God Bless the Child” was soulful and effortlessly powerful, and her “Feeling Good” from The Roar of the Greasepaint, the Smell of the Crowd was deliciously sensual and jubilant.
William Michals, currently covering the role of Emile DeBeque in South Pacific, returned to his roots by singing “If I Can’t Love Her” from Beauty and the Beast, giving the song an impressive depth of desperation and frustrated pain. Michals returned for the concert’s finale to sing “Lily’s Eyes” from The Secret Garden with Bill Daugherty. While Mr. Michal’s performance was gentle and understated, Mr. Daughterty overacted throughout, distracting from the emotion of the song. Likewise, when Mr. Daugherty sang “Betrayed” from The Producers earlier in the evening, he scored some laughs, but overplayed the humor, not getting as many as he could have. While it’s hard to claim that “less is more” when dealing with such broad humor as Mel Brooks’, and while performing such a plot-specific song out of context was certainly a risk, Mr. Daugherty’s style of humor might have been better served by a different song.
