Review: ANDY KARL and ORFEH Raise the Roof At Lincoln Center's American Songbook Series

In their continuing effort to broaden its musical scope, Lincoln Center's American Songbook series at The Appel Room Saturday night presented two-time Tony Award nominee Andy Karl (Rocky, On the Twentieth Century) and his Tony-Award nominee wife Orfeh (Legally Blonde) performing together in concert for the first time.

While musicals are his natural territory, her inherent gifts lie in R&B and gospel. Karl can hold his own so far as attitude phrasing (he's an actor) and movement (I'd pay to see these two on the dance floor), but Orfeh has the tough girl, southern-accented, dropped- consonant growl indigenous to the genres she prefers. His range is wider, her gritty emphasis stronger.

Towards the end of the show, admitting obvious difference in musical taste, the couple amusingly dramatize a road trip in "Car Ride Down to Philly," each changing the radio dial to his/her preference. They gyrate in their seats, parrot lyrics to original recordings and are, for the most part, captivated by alternate rhythms. It's Karl who genially bends, however, not Orfeh. At one point, she looks at her watch. This is her night.

We start with a medley of two songs by Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson and "Ain't No Stopping Us Now" (Gene McFadden/Jerry Cohen/John Whitehead.) Karl, seemingly cut loose, needs to move to get the groove. He's fluid and infectiously happy. Orfeh is physically less demonstrative, concentrating on vocal slip-slide, reaching deep.

An unlikely duet from The Gershwin's Fascinating Rhythm (a short-lived 1999 Broadway show) includes Orfeh's performance of "The Man I Love" (she was in the cast) in tandem with Karl's rendition of "Soon." Her short phrases arrive atop his extended notes; her fevered pith takes the hand of his close-to-crooning ballad. The songs just manage to dance.

Next are numbers by Depeche Mode, The Bee Gees, and George Michael. Karl and Orfeh leave the stage for the other's solo. Set-ups are affectionate, wry, sometimes prickly, and seem authentically unrehearsed. The audience is referred to as "you guys."

Karl offers "Flight From the Heart" (Stephen Flaherty/Lynn Ahrens) from Rocky (he was great in the role). The song ricochets between a long lined plea for self-confidence and short, punchy lyrics creating an anthem. The performer moves from one to the other with conviction. Orfeh counters with "Piece of My Heart" (Bert Burns/Jerry Ragovoy, from the musical, Love, Janis (as in Joplin), in which she featured. She bends, bounces, kicks, strides, pumps, raises a fisted hand, and belts.

"We're gonna need to bring it down a little bit," Orfeh comments. "Why?" asks a member of the audience. "Because we like you," she laughs. Andrew Logan, director/musician/friend is called out of the audience to share in a duet with her. The man's got a fine voice, replete with easy octave roll.

Dan Navarro/Eric Lowen's "We Belong" a hit for Pat Benatar, is rendered as the epitome of bonhomie. We belong to the light/We belong to the thunder/We belong to the sound of the words/We've both fallen under . . . Karl and Orfeh would've been a popular pop due in the 1980s. They bounce off each other well.

Their encore is the soulful "Song For You" (Leon Russell) performed acapella with the kind of skilled vocal massaging that exaggerates syllables. This one would've been more effective quiet than big. Both performers are talented, but it's telling that combined, they never rouse the audience to the kind of clapping or call-outs Orfeh solicits.

An entertaining concert and likely the first of many for these talented marrieds.

Director: Charles Randolph-Wright; Music Director/Piano: Steven Jamail; Backup Vocals: Arielle Murphy, Tim Kodres

American Songbook continues at The Appel Room at Lincoln Center through April 1: http://americansongbook.org/

Photos by Kevin Yatarola

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