Review: With MUSIC OF MY LIFE At The Green Room 42 Richard H. Blake Returns To The Stage, Where He Belongs

Fifteen Broadway Shows. That is how many Richard H. Blake has to his name, including Broadway tours, as he (most effectively) demonstrated for the crowd when he opened his show MUSIC OF MY LIFE last night at The Green Room 42. Fifteen. That is a lot of Broadway shows to have to one's name, so it is clear that Mr. Blake isn't (as an old saying goes) "whistling Dixie" when it comes to talent and training, indeed, his talent and training were both on display last night, in abundance. Still, after fifteen Broadway shows, Richard H. Blake is not a household hame, which he could be because he has the talent. A lot of talented people don't get to be household names, and that's just the way it happens sometimes. Not everyone gets the brightest light to shine on them, not everyone gets to be the loudest voice; those people get to be working actors, and that is what Richard H. Blake is - a working actor.

MUSIC OF MY LIFE is a memoir show. In it, Mr. Blake takes the audience through his life as an entertainer on the musical stage, from his first dance class to his last starring role in A BRONX TALE. Many times, in many cities, on many stages, famous people create cabaret acts centered around the stories of their lives, and audience members flock to the shows and go home, thrilled to have heard the 'inside stories' of a show business lifestyle. The fact that Richard H. Blake is not a famous actor lessens neither the entertainment value of his stories, nor the importance of their being told. Blake has charm, wit, pathos, and good anecdotes that pair well with the songs he and his collaborator, Joe Ricci, have chosen to bring the tales to life. His is a good cabaret show that is being well performed, and especially well sung, for Mr. Blake's is the voice of a young rock and roll singer, a voice that should be on record albums and radios, and one that will mystify you, as you sit there and wonder how such power is drawn from a body that is so, relatively, still. Though Blake moves around during the big numbers, it is some pretty laid-back cabaret-ography, save for a stunning number honoring his days in dance class. Factually, almost all of Richard H. Blake comes across as laid-back, which may be one of the reasons he has specialized in a certain type of role, whether the characters he is creating are fathers, bad boys, leading men, or Jersey Boys - they are all pretty stalwart, and that's what the well-dressed leading man presents in his show.

Singing everything from "Rent" to "A Bronx Tale" with some (truly special) specialty material created by him and writer/director/art director Ricci, Blake presents a (relatively) chronological tale of a working actor who has had some hits, some misses, some near-misses, and a lot for which he is grateful, and he should be. Even with this well-constructed show, his charm, and his powerful voice, though, Richard is missing a couple of points that he and Ricci might want to consider as the show moves forward, which it should because it's a good one. For instance, more than once last night, Mr. Blake intimated that everyone in the audience was a friend or family member, someone he knew and loved - but that isn't true, and it won't always be true, and taking it for granted that your entire viewing population knows you, knows your story, knows your sense of humor, can leave strangers on the outside of the story being told. Blake's first fifteen minutes featured much discussion about career misses, and while Richard did say he had no regrets, there were times that his conversation savored strongly of bitterness - not the way to win over a potential new fan. The jokes (which I will not spoil through revelation) are good jokes about actors from two different television programs, but they could be more effective if the punchline were hit one time, then left on the floor for the audience to pick up for a slow burn. One and done might be a more effective tool for getting those laughs, otherwise, those strangers to the Blake humor have to wait until the second back of the show, when Richard speaks of his wife and son, to discover just how genuine, sincere, and down-to-earth he really is, which might come a little late in the program.

The other area that (I might offer) Mr. Blake could put a little focus on is his script - not the writing, which is quite good, but the delivery. Maybe it's the fact that last night was his first time on a stage since the lockdown and he is a little rusty or was a little nervous, but there was an element of verbosity to Richard's conversation with the audience. If it was nerves, if it was rustiness, it will change organically as he gets his "sea legs" back, and there need be no concern. It would not be a bad idea, though, for director Ricci to watch his male muse and let him know when the dialogue is rambly and needs tightening up. Were the terrific twosome to return to the drafting table, the rehearsal room, and make these two adjustments, they would have a perfect nightclub representation of a life well-lived and a career to be envied by anybody who dreams of being on Broadway. Those fifteen shows are quite an accomplishment and Richard H. Blake deserves every moment of pride and congratulations that he experiences because, although he is a working actor and not a household name, he deserves to be both, and he deserves to have his story heard, and MUSIC OF MY LIFE is the perfect vehicle to share that story and all of the Richard H. Blake magic that comes with it.

Richard H. Blake welcomed guest artists Jenny DiNoia, Betsy Werbel, and Christiani Pitts to his show, and all three women were simply marvelous.

The kick-ass MUSIC OF MY LIFE band is made up of Brian Kennedy - MD/piano, Kenny Brescia - Guitar, Perry Cavari - Drums, Frankie Centano - Bass

Richard H. Blake MUSIC OF MY LIFE plays The Green Room 42 again on August 28th at 7 pm. For information and tickets visit The Green Room 42 website HERE.

Follow Richard H. Blake on Instagram HERE and Facebook HERE

Photos by Stephen Mosher

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