Review: Eden Casteel Reveals Her Big Voice And Heart In KAHN ARTIST: MADELINE AND ME

Eden Casteel has a big voice and a big heart, and both were on display at Don’t Tell Mama on Tuesday night for “Kahn Artist: Madeline and Me.” Having premiered the show at The Arctic Playhouse and Cabaret in Rhode Island in July of 2022, Casteel presented the third of four NYC performances to a small but very appreciative crowd!

Entering the room in a bright red dress singing a capella, the talented vocalist with a soaring, beautiful legit soprano reminiscent of Kelli O’Hara invited the audience into her world, and that of actress, singer and comedienne, Madeline Kahn (star of several Mel Brooks movies such as Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein and High Anxiety). The opening number “Ain’t Got No Home” was performed by Madeline Kahn on SNL, and Casteel, with well-paced direction by Tony Award-winning performer Faith Prince, delivered it with panache, before showing off her brilliant vocal range with Randy Newman’s “I Want Everyone To Like Me.”

Joining her on stage was pianist John M. Cook. He also joined in some patter, and at one point, played a singing teacher, among other comical interludes, all very entertaining.  Casteel went on to share how she had always wanted to be the “funny one” but felt she couldn’t with her legit chops. That was until she found herself sitting in front of a television and becoming enamored of Kahn in a Michelob beer commercial. Kahn was able to sing operatically while still being hilariously funny! And from then on Casteel made it her mission to be both funny AND have a brilliant voice (mission accomplished)!

Casteel shared anecdotes from her youth through today while intertwining stories of Kahn’s life and career. Coincidentally, Casteel shared that her first kiss was also her first stage kiss - as Tuptim in The King and I - which also happened to be this reviewer’s same experience! This segment was entitled “The High School Story” and included “I Have Dreamed” from The King and I, “Please Don’t Touch Me” from Young Frankenstein and a slightly disjointed mashup of songs from The King and I.

A stand-out moment for this reviewer was Casteel’s brilliant rendition of Susan Werner’s The Movie of My Life. This was followed by the sharing of some somber moments from her life, including when she was struck with pneumonia and was unable to sing for a time. She then delivered a compelling performance of Marcy Heisler and Zina Goldrich’s Funny How The Love Gets in the Way.

And perhaps most impactful, after sharing details of Kahn's passing, was Casteel’s touching rendition of another Heisler/Goldrich tune, “Let Me Grow Old.” Sometimes, less is more. And this reviewer found it was the moments when Casteel wasn’t exemplifying her vocal abilities but showing us pieces of her heart that really made the show.

Her Musical Directors were Jim Rice and Bobby Peaco, with the clever script co-written by MAC Award winner Rod Ferguson. To learn more about Eden Casteel and Madeline Kahn, you can catch her next performance at Don’t Tell Mama on Saturday, December 2 at 1 pm.

To see the show book HERE

More on Casteel HERE

Photo Credit: BWW-Staff

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