BWW Reviews: Jonathan Groff, Reji Woods Take the Cabaret Stage in Lancaster

Lancaster's music scene has been greatly enriched by the stirrings of cabaret that have begun over the past few years. The end of January was notable, however, for two days of outstanding cabaret in a row on the 30th and 31st, first with Lancaster-based performer Reji Woods at the Ware Center, and then with Lancaster-bred performer Jonathan Groff giving a fundraiser at Ephrata Performing Arts Center.

Starting with Groff, whose Tony-nominated (SPRING AWAKENING) career began in community theatre with EPAC, the evening at the Sharadin-Bigler Theatre was entertaining, though not thoroughly so - not thoroughly so because, thanks to the GLEE star's many stories about beginning his performing career in Lancaster, there was less music than there could have been. Since Groff is a talented performer, and since his accompanist/musical director, Mary-Mitchell Campbell, is one of the best at her game, "a little less conversation, a little more action, please" would have been more satisfactory.

Groff's routine included a tribute to his past national tour of THE SOUND OF MUSIC with a one-person, one-song medley of the show's numbers, including, amusingly, "Lonely Goatherd." He followed with more Rodgers and Hammerstein, especially with a song cut from "South Pacific" whose melody made it to "The King and I," and traced the history with which the song's spot in "South Pacific" ultimately yielded "Younger Than Springtime." He may not be an academic, but he's certainly a fine presenter for musical theatre history; for musical history buffs and for Rodgers and Hammerstein fans, this was one of the highlights of the show.

Another highlight, generated from a story about his childhood - which included hearing Britney Spears on the radio as well as listening to Stephen Sondheim, was a medley of Britney Spears and Stephen Sondheim numbers, leading to Groff's observation that "sometimes you can't tell which is which." The medley ranged from "Hit Me, Baby, One More Time" to "Being Alive," and indeed sounded relatively seamless in arrangement, which may be a concern for Sondheim.

Groff's tribute to EPAC and to community theatre included bringing EPAC performers to the stage to sing from Jason Robert Brown's THE NEXT FIVE YEARS, and a nod to his voice work in Disney's FROZEN led to a duet of "Reindeers are Better than People" from the film, with a Conestoga Valley student and a stuffed "Sven" doll.

Other numbers included "Left Behind" from SPRING AWAKENING and Erasure's cover of "A Little Respect" from Groff's current television show on HBO, LOOKING.

Groff closed with Jason Robert Brown's "Goodbye Until Tomorrow" but the closing highlight was Groff's duet with EPAC artistic director Edward Fernandez in a rendition of Judy Garland's and Barbra Streisand's iconic "Get Happy/Happy Days" medley, as the original divas performed it on CBS in 1963. Although it was presented without an introduction, most of the audience needed no assistance in recognizing it.

Fernandez announced that Groff will be the honorary chair of EPAC's "Future Generations" capital campaign. Groff explained to Broadway World that his purpose in headlining the campaign is to make sure that community theatre is as accessible to future Lancaster-area students as it was to him, since his work at EPAC solidified his desire to have a career in acting.

A lesser-known but equally talented Lancaster-area performer, Reji Woods, was part of the Ware Center's Jazz in the Skies series, presenting his own one-man cabaret act, "Someone to Fall Back On" on Friday, January 30 under the skylights of the Ware Center's third floor. Woods has been a regular performer with Sight and Sound Theatre in Lancaster as well as with PRiMA, although he's also been part of New York's vocal jazz quartet (and MAC nominees), Bending Threads. As summarized by Ware Center director Laura Kendall, "Reji Woods is an incredible performer."

In his first foray into solo cabaret, directed by actor/director Dan Deal, Woods displayed his vocal chops in full force. He's one of those tenors who slides into falsetto seamlessly, the sort who makes Frankie Valli look as if he had difficulty doing it. The theme of Woods' act was "Relationships, even between a performer and audience."

Opening with "Let's Fly Away" and "Fly Me to the Moon," Woods presented a varied repertoire ranging from "I'm Not My Father's Son" from KINKY BOOTS, backed by cellist Melissa Brun, to a Motown session with guest performers including Michael Fisher, another Sight and Sound performer, and Westley Todd Holiday of Bending Threads. Fisher, in a solo, brought the audience "Let's Start Tomorrow Tonight" from NBC's series about Broadway, SMASH. Also performing with Woods was Julie Morimoto, who joined him in "What is it About Her" from THE WILD PARTY. Morimoto soloed on "With You" from GHOST. Fisher and Morimoto then backed up Woods on a Stevie Wonder medley.

Woods closed his well-received act with a fine rendition of "What's Love Got to Do With It" seriously slowed down and beginning with solo piano by Mike Truitt, that begged for a saxophone to join the band.

Bringing Jonathan Groff back to Lancaster is a challenge, but Woods is in the area - the area would be far better off musically with Woods performing cabaret more often at the Ware Center if not at one of the area clubs. The audiences for both shows prove that there's strong desire, including among area theatre lovers, for cabaret. The musical presentation form that some have declared a dying art is alive and well, and there's demand for it in this region.

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