Album Review: With His New Album, John Barrowman Sings From CENTRE STAGE With The Royal Philharmonic

Heigh Ho, dear lovely rainbow tribe, Bobby Patrick, your rainbow reviewer is back in CD-Land to offer another broken-down breakdown of a new music release. So, strap in and get ready, as Bobby goes on the record ABOUT the record.

This week's record entry in the BobbyFiles comes from the ever-gorgeous, ever-talented Mr. John Barrowman singing CENTRE STAGE (with The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra). Quite frankly, my lambs, this is the album you've been waiting for, without knowing you were waiting for it, and the album you didn't know you needed, all your life. La Barrowman, a native of Glasgow Scotland, has, through his work on television in both the US and the UK, become one of the most recognized talents, and certainly the most handsome leading men, on all our screens. From Doctor Who through Torchwood over there, to The Arrow and DC's Legends Of Tomorrow over here, and many more, that face, those dimples, and that EPIC chin cleft have made our hearts flutter like butterfly wings, and, leave us not forget, dearlings, that talent that has thrilled and chilled us in the Sci-Fi/Superhero genre as both a goodie and a baddie, and a baddie that turned goodie, and a goodie that was most likely a baddie but is now ... not-so-bad. Add to ALL of this - a leading man/lady status as a past master of musical theatre, working on The West End and on The Broadway, and you have John Barrowman - a Captain Jack of all trades who is also a Jane ... sometimes. His turn as Zaza in the UK production of LA CAGE AUX FOLLES, a little more than a decade ago, is still talked about today.

That's all by way of saying this proud member of the LGBTQ+ world community can practically do no wrong, and he's Yertle the Turtle and a bag of chips to boot.

So about CENTRE STAGE - From first note to last, these mostly traditional takes on classics from the musical theatre stage would seem just some more of the same old rusty dusty renditions that actors have done since the year one except for one thing - John B's voice. As liquid and expressive as his speaking voice, it struck Bobby that the man sings exactly the way he talks. That is to say, there is no real separation between the man, his spoken word, and his musical intonations. His candor with the notes and his availability as an actor lift these songs off the composer's page and deliver them as immediate and living entities. Kicking off with PURE IMAGINATION with acapella opening strains in his softest head voice is powerful in its simplicity - smooth and expressive, open and vulnerable. The phrasing here calms the song into still waters running deep. Some alternate chording in the arrangement utilizes his voice beautifully. His very strong forte ending may be a bit much for some, but the unadornedness of this choice makes it just straightforwardly powerful. A real favorite for Bobby was Cole Porter's I GET A KICK OUT OF YOU; the little lilts in his voice add to the longing that this song is actually about, and his bounce to the tune makes it fun. The arrangement may be a little overdone in the instruments playing under him, just a tiny bit too much for Bobby's ears since simpler is better with Barrowman. In the theatre - YES, on the album - a little less was called for. Regardless, his falsetto ending notes redeemed these small infractions admirably.

Now, we MUST skip all the way to the end and talk about JB's final cut on this fine offering. Taking on Jason Robert Brown's IT ALL FADES AWAY from THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY would seem a perfect fit for this musical leading man, and Barrowman makes it even MORE perfect for himself with this performance. You see, my dear ones, so much of Johnny's work has called upon his exceptional American dialect (he did some growing up on this side of the pond) and so many of us may have never heard his native Glaswegian cadences. For this great power ballad, JB heard how JRB composed the sounds of the wind, the plains, and the mountains into this music, and decided to add a significant nod to his own Scottish heritage. Flipping easily, but subtly, to his real accent was a beautiful and personal choice that suits this song so well, and not going full-on McTavish with it keeps it relatable to all listeners... Oh and that top note at the end is truly thrilling.

All-in-all, dear Bobby readers, this entry into the BobbyFiles is an album we will return to over and over again, through the years, to listen to, sigh a little, and lift our spirits when we're blue, so how can we give it anything but the full...

5 Out Of 5 Rainbows - Put this one in your collection today.

Go To West Way Music's Webbysite and pick up the CENTER STAGE: HERE

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