Review: Jason Graae PERFECT HERMANY Tells A Tale of Superlative Art, Music, and Friendship

Jerry Herman was famous for the musicals he wrote about women, for women. With shows like Hello, Dolly!, Mame, and Dear World, he created roles that musical theater actresses of every age long to play; even when he wrote a famous role for a man, that man was a woman named Zaza. And when Broadway welcomed a musical revue about Mr. Herman's work, the cast was all women. Well, there's a man singing the songs of the Broadway legend right now, and there could not be a better match than Jerry Herman and Jason Graae.

PERFECT HERMANY is a filmed nightclub act that debuted online on April 10th, and that will be available for viewing until May 2nd. Co-produced by two California-based theaters with which Mr. Graae has a long-standing professional relationship, the 76-minute program is exactly what a Jerry Herman-themed club act should be, only more, and the more comes directly from Mr. Graae himself. While it is true that Jerry Herman wrote for women, the stories and the songs are universal, and it is refreshing to see his cannon explored by a man - especially a man with whom Jerry Herman shared so many similarities. Both, Graae explains, were self-professed "Mama's Boys" who were devoted to their mothers, both met their spouses at the same time, and both (it isn't hard to tell) had the perfect combination of a sympathetic heart and a naughty sense of humor. The two artists having been friends for many years, Graae has personal anecdotes and reminiscences that he shares with the camera, and he does so with carefully orchestrated sincerity that is capped off by a Jason Graae punchline, the sort for which he is famous. He is openly devoted to this man who was his friend and idol, and it shows in every moment of his performance, which is actually something of a chance to take in this circumstance.

When creating an evening of Jerry Herman music, one must be careful. Because Mr. Herman always led with his heart and optimism, a show dedicated to his work and to his message runs the risk of becoming twee. Long, have there been gentle jokes about the inherent sweetness in Jerry Herman's scores - the Broadway revue "Jerry's Girls" cut the sweetness with the stripper number "Take it All Off" and the now impossible-to-perform "Have a Nice Day" - so Mr. Graae didn't have those numbers to fall back on, and was left with Herman's earnestness and idealism. Those personal anecdotes, though, bring The Angel Herman back closer to earth by allowing the viewer to see him as a man, and the fact that the star of the show is a man talking about his "buddy" gives the show, shall we say, cajones. With all of the reminiscences bridged together by top drawer musical theater storytelling, PERFECT HERMANY easily avoids leaning into sugar. With musical director John Boswell firmly at his side, Mr. Graae is able to relax into the sensation of performing for a tiny live audience (smatterings of spaced-out applause around the room assure the viewer he was not performing in a vacuum) with the use of more than his theatrical training... Graae has props! It turns out Jason is a musician and a dancer, as well as a singing actor. With relatively restricted movement, he keeps mostly to his microphone, his stories, and at least one song from the famous Herman musicals (true buffs will be able to clock what shows got cut), even including songs from the movies... some with clever new lyrics to fit this act. Fans of Herman's work will have both the "Oh I LOVE this song!" and the "How nice that he chose THIS song" sensations - after all, there is only so much of a composer one fella can do in sixty minutes.

Speaking of the show length - earlier there was a mention of the 76 minutes of the film; well, PERFECT HERMANY does not veer, completely, away from women performers, as it happens. In a thoroughly elegant, generous, and savvy move, the producers of the show provide Jason Graae with an opening act. Four women appear in individually filmed musical performances before Graae takes the stage; one assumes these ladies (Katrina Lauren McGraw, Lauren Louis, Jacqueline De Muro, Kelley Dorney) are all local actresses who haven't had a chance to get up on a stage in a year - and thanks to the producers of this show, their beauty and brilliance get to shine for a few minutes. Each of the singing actresses is gifted at their craft and worthy of their appearance in this film - and it is especially rewarding to see women who have had a chance to get into their closets and put on their Sunday clothes. It's been so long since this writer has seen a girl in a cocktail frock that getting a look at the finery was as satisfying as their vocal prowess. It's a move that, one suspects, would have made Mr. Herman smile.

The other move that would have made the legend smile is the portion of the show that this writer would single out as the best part of Graae's act. There comes a segment when Jason speaks of his time playing Jacobowsky in The Grand Tour, and after telling the tale of his experience, he performs a medley of two songs from Herman's lesser-known work - during this medley, the viewer gets that magical moment when the nightclub singer becomes the character, that moment when we get a glimpse into the world of the actor. Every song a singer sings is a musical monologue informed by the person whose story is being told; this medley removed Jason Graae from the moment and leaves Jacobowsky in his stead, providing a little bit of theatrical magic for which every audience member craves. It's a special few minutes in a jaunty and sympathetic musical tribute to Jerry Herman, and to Jason Graae... and to Jerry and Jason together.

PERFECT HERMANY is a joint production by 42nd Street Moon and Musical Theatre West.

Jason Graae in PERFECT HERMANY can be seen until April 25th through 42nd Street Moon on their website HERE

Jason Graae in PERFECT HERMANY can be seen until May 2nd through Musical Theatre West on their website HERE.

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