Photos: Melissa Errico Greenroom 42 'An Acoustic Evening with Sondheim & Melissa'

Melissa Errico brought “An Acoustic Evening with Sondheim and Melissa” to Manhattan's Greenroom 42 stage on March 22nd in honor of Stephen Sondheim’s birthday (and in celebration of her own the very next day!).  Friends, family, and fans turned out to hear Melissa and her musicians perform pared down arrangements of Sondheim classics in honor of the man in his time, and in support of Ms. Errico’s latest CD release “Sondheim In The City” (Concord Records).

The theme for the evening was perfectly conceived as a “throw back” to the 1970’s.  It imagined Sondheim’s music played in a manner and setting befitting the age in which he thrived.  It highlighted that, although he is clearly lauded as a man ahead of his time, he was actually an artist very much OF his time.
Errico set up the night’s theme as an acoustic set you might happen upon outside on a summer’s evening in Washington Square in the 70’s.  She evokes the tone of a green shaded park corner or a Bohemian coffee house in which one would hear music and spoken word in a laid back hippie (not hipster) folk vibe supported only by her own voice – a plaintive guitar – and a pal happily drumming away on whatever percussive instrument was at hand.
Peppered here and there throughout the performance were precise and appropriate readings of quotes from literary artists that spoke to some specific feeling, subject, mood, or correlating theme with the songs and their stories.  The words of Updike, Didion, Ephron and more brought evocations of life, love, and learning in the big city. 
The themes might be specific to New York City but, in reality, they could be about any town at any time in life’s journey.  Sondheim’s topics are both unique and universal all at once. 

Ms. Errico is known in the Broadway and Nightclub world as a glamorous and show stopping chanteuse with a sparkling soprano range.  On this evening she purposely eschewed that mystique and opted for a more relaxed naturalism.  Her one charming nod to the showgirl mythology…next to a vase of flowers on the piano sat a small photo of her Great-Aunt Rose – who had been a Ziegfeld Showgirl.  (a fact that led easily and breezily into a song from “Follies”)
Filling in perfectly as her busking musical mates – her musical collaborator JC Maillard took up the guitar for the night and Thierry Arpino provided the percussive beat behind the groove.

Melissa’s song list included some well known Sondheim classics like “Another Hundred People”, “Anyone Can Whistle”, and “Being Alive”.  It also highlighted rarer gems with “Can That Boy Foxtrot”, “I Remember” and other tunes that were cut from shows or unproduced works. 
Melissa slyly supported her case for Sondheim’s 1970’s lyrically folksier cred by seamlessly following his song “Dawn” with a Joni Mitchell tune (“Chelsea Morning”).  
Folk music by definition is “of the people”.  It is lyrical poetry meant to be accessible by the youth and artists of its time. One might be put in mind of the fact that folk singer Judy Collins had one of her most popular hits with a song penned by Sondheim.

Melissa Errico and her musicians provided a satisfied audience with an original and unexpected turn on the Sondheim songbook.  It was an evening that emphasized lyrical expertise and a simpler performance style of pointedly beautiful tunes.


Melissa Errico – Official Website

The Green Room 42 (venuetix.com)
 

Photos:  Kevin Alvey