Anna Bergman: Wherever Love Takes Me

Back in the Old Days, before TV, before radio, people who wanted entertainment and enlightenment in the comfort of a living room would host or go to salons. In large, beautiful rooms, men and women alike would listen to each other read aloud, lecture, debate, or perform instrumental or vocal music. The arts flourished in these rooms, and new ideas and ideals were born by the day. Great works of literature were born in these rooms, and they were, so the history books tell us, wonderful sights to see and experience.

It is with this spirit firmly in mind that Anna Bergman made her Metropolitan Room debut, and not as a mere gimmick. Wherever Love Takes Me was born in Kitty Carlisle Hart's living room, and proved so successful that Bergman took it on the road as a cabaret, performing it in memory of the original hostess after Hart died earlier this year. With gentle lighting and a vase of flowers on the piano, Bergman has recreated the classic salon environment, simultaneously elegant and utterly enjoyable.

Displaying a clear mezzo voice that she wisely never forces into a belt, Bergman sticks mostly to the classics, maintaining an old-fashioned vibe. When she sings a Sondheim medley, she becomes each character in each song, finding the emotional arc that connects the young and mature women of Follies ("One Last Kiss"), Clara and Fosca in Passion ("Happiness" and "Loving You"), and the hopeful lovers in Merrily We Roll Along ("Not a Day Goes By"). Cole Porter's "In the Still of the Night" is quite lovely and poignant, and ends on a tableau of Bergman staring off into the distance, with flowers beside her and the white backdrop bathed in dark blue light behind her. The imagery of the song, interpreted through Bergman's gentle performance and Eric Michael Gillett's elegant direction, becomes visual. It is a wonderful, breathtaking moment.

Sadly, not all moments fare so well, though Bergman certainly deserves credit for trying songs that are rarely heard in cabaret. "I'd be Surprisingly Good for You" from Evita is not often performed outside of that show, and for good reason. On its own, the song lacks the dramatic bite that it has in context, and feels emotionally cold. Likewise, when Bergman banters with her audience, her comments feel forced and awkward, and lack the grace of her singing.

Ironically, the show's most obvious and easily fixed weakness seems to have sprung from its greatest strength. In showing off her skill and range, Bergman lets the show run about three songs too long, sacrificing energy for versatility. Some numbers could easily be cut, and the best could shine through all the more brightly.

But these are small quibbles. Wherever Love Takes Me is a lovely show that makes classic songs seem vibrant and new, and the Met Room is the perfect spot to enjoy this enjoyably elegant evening.

 

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