Review: Jayson Kerr INDECISIVELY YOURS Delights Devoted Audience at The Green Room 42

Singing actor and larger-than-life personality Jayson Kerr played The Green Room 42 on April 30th with his new one-man show INDECISIVELY YOURS, and during his opening monologue the popular performer explained that, post-pandemic, there were questions running through his mind, not the least of which was the prominent, "Do I want to return to performing?" The discussion rated a huge response from the huge audience which would indicate that any such plans that Kerr might have to retire from the stage would be met with protest. The genial fellow does not want for love and affection, for fans and followers, that much is clear. Any time a cabaret room or nightclub is at capacity, filled with people who will cheer an artist on (when not filming on their phones), it's a clear sign that they shouldn't stop what they're doing. Mind, it's just a sign, and maybe Jayson Kerr will actually decide to test the waters of another profession. If that happens, at least he will have the memory of this incredible night.

Indecisively Yours was a very personal night of cabaret for Kerr, something that was made clear, right out of the gate. Jayson's scripted patter was very honest, in every way, authentic to his personality, laden with laughter, lots and lots of laughter, personal confessions, a protestation or two, and an abundance of profanity, perhaps a little more profanity than some people might expect to hear during a club act, but that is their problem, not Jayson's. We live in an age when people (especially the younger) prefer transparency. People today want to know who their public figures are. That's one of the reasons social media is so valued by many - through their social media, people can see what's behind the person who is telling them the news, the politician who is leading their charge, the artist who is singing them a song. More and more these days, nightclub performers are telling their stories, their whole stories, their true stories. That is particularly true (in the observation of this writer) of the gay men who are working on the cabaret stage. Only recently, Broadway World Cabaret correspondent Bobby Patrick reviewed THREE MEN AND A BABY GRAND, a musical cabaret in which the performers wore tank tops labeled TOP, BOTTOM, and VERSE, and the discussion during the program included talk of drugs, parties, and open relationships. A trip to The Carlyle to see Alan Cumming and Ari Shapiro featured much innuendo and the words "versatile, verbal pig" and the Michael Buchanan/Todd Buonopane show SONGS THAT MADE US GAY was equally as eye-opening as the other shows mentioned. Is it because gay people were forced to hide in the closet for so long that the opportunity to live fully in the light must be embraced? Or is it the trend toward transparency that gives artists like Jayson Kerr permission to be entirely who they are in the bright light of the nightclub stage? One suspects it is a combination of both, and whether individual members of an audience are prepared to hear the F-bomb and the C word during their night out or not, the transparency track is here to stay, and it is allowing the artists to show who they are, tell what they think, and live in the light.

Jayson Kerr was living in the light on Sunday night.

In between the telling of stories from his life, Mr. Kerr sang his face off in a program that remained mostly in the musical theater lane, even when a number happened to be from a movie, as was the case with "High Anxiety" - a hilarious addition to the setlist that suited, very well, the Kerr aesthetic and that of the show. Performing songs by Stephens both Schwartz and Sondheim, Jayson chose to stay traditional with a "Ladies Who Lunch" that was both respectful and respectable or to go his own direction, as was the case with a wonderful new arrangement of "Defying Gravity" in which Kerr and Musical Director Matt Everingham restructured the sound and vibe of the modern-day classic. Jayson's natural exuberance never waned, even when acting moments required that he be in the moment and in the lyrics - although not necessarily grinning his million-watt smile, the energy used to put over the tales he was telling was never anything less than one hundred percent. And even though there were moments of seriousness, there can be no denying that the watchword for the evening was 'fun' - this was a man, a performer, an entertainer who came to make people smile, and smile they did.

Kerr's script for the evening read, at times, like a stand-up comedy set, and Jayson (who is incredibly good at connecting with the people in the seats out front) was having the time of his life at every turn. Whether rocking out to some Jaime Cullen, sassing it up to some Bernadette Peters, ot leaning into the lovely with some Brandy Norwood, Jayson Kerr was a bundle of joy, and when a performer, when a person, is in their bliss, it's hard not to go there with them, which is why his audience was with him every step of the way, for the entirety of his presentation - that and his training as both an actor and a singer. His was a properly constructed cabaret, true to himself, and well received by his audience, which would rate the evening as a success. Jayson Kerr may be wondering if he wants to continue performing but from the audience reaction at The Green Room 42, it looks like the decision might be already made up for him. If he'll stay, the audience will stay with him.

The INDECISIVELY YOURS creative team are Matt Everingham as Musical Director and pianist, Morgan Parker on Percussion, Emily Davies on Bass, and Rachel Broadwell in the Director's seat.

Find great shows to see on the Green Room 42 website HERE.

Jayson Kerr's website can be accessed HERE.

Photos by Stephen Mosher; Visit the Stephen Mosher website HERE.

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