BWW Reviews: Cheyenne Jackson Was Vocal Perfection At The McCallum Theatre

You'll get no argument from me: Cheyenne Jackson is a powerhouse vocalist and his charismatic quotient is off the charts. It is easy to gush about his vocal prowess, his versatility as a singer and his movie star magnetism. He is a consummate crooner with a vocal ease that is equally adept at the Broadway, standard and pop/contemporary songbooks. So, why did his recent performance at The McCallum Theatre seem so uneven and why did it leave me and, upon eavesdropping on "after-show lobby conversations", a myriad of other patrons feeling lukewarm?

Let's start with some high praise. "Besame Mucho". WOW! It was both vocally and emotionally thrilling - the kind of performance where you feel the sound in the pit of your stomach. It took my breath away. Jackson completely wrapped his soul around both the melody and the lyrics. Another stand-out moment: Joni Mitchell's "A Case Of You". Riveting. From his heart. From his soul. Jackson sat on the edge of the stage in what he called a "Judy Garland Moment" and the intimacy was palpable. These two performances, alone, were well worth the ticket. Cheyenne Jackson is a master at his vocal craft.

The conundrum. Why didn't the evening completely work? I think it's because the Cabaret/Concert genre is deceptively difficult. It is more than just "a string of songs" and obligatory banter. And, in my opinion, much more difficult in a venue the scale of the McCallum Theatre as opposed to the intimacy of a typical cabaret venue where it is easier to score on trivial banter and "trying out new material". I believe Cheyenne Jackson might have been substantially more successful fronting a symphony orchestra where the sound is everything and the story is less vital to the success. (Believe me, I say all of this as a big fan of Mr. Jackson!)

Cabaret is storytelling - both verbally and lyrically. He seemed to fall short in both categories. It could be that Jackson doesn't yet have a very "storied" career - after all, he is in the middle of building one. But none of the banter that was designed to bind the songs and theme of the evening together was very riveting, interesting or seemed at all important enough to share. It was throw away -- incidental - and thus, took a little of the momentum out of the concert - some of it might have been better left unsaid. As for the songs - the lyric interpretation fell short of the vocal interpretation. Every song is a story - has a point of view and a purpose and a partner - and lyrically, most of the songs left me cold. They were all sung flawlessly, but the connection to the lyrics was missing in almost every case. "Luck Be A Lady", "Something's Coming", "Old Devil Moon" - all vocal perfection. And that makes for a great CD recording or "two songs in front of a symphony" - but for an entire evening to score the only thing that totally captivates is the story - the emotional connection between singer and lyric. And. for me, the story was missing.

I think it is also tricky to insert original material into a show unless it stands up, and even rivals, the other proven material you have selected to sing. Jackson sang two songs he composed. One would have been sufficient and might have added a nice, personal stamp on the evening. Two, conversely, left the impression that the songwriting ability was not as adept as the singer.

Oh yes, Jackson's version of Sam Cooke's "Long Time Coming" was stunning!!!! Ovation worthy. The trick, now, is getting the entire evening up to par. When he achieves that Cheyenne Jackson will own the genre and be unstoppable.

Cheyenne Jackson's magnificent talent and obviously enormous heart far outweigh any criticism I may have had for the evening overall. And, I would be first in line to see him sing again.

The real raves in this review go to Mitch Gershenfeld, President and CEO of The McCallum Theatre, for consistently bringing in emerging artists to the McCallum stage, in addition to the more mainstream fare, and for introducing the desert community to Broadway artists to whom they may be unfamiliar. ( And Cheyenne Jackson was no exception --- for all the critique, above, it was another joyful evening at The McCallum). Gershenfeld continues to provide programming that is diverse and eclectic and satisfying, and desert audiences are lucky to have such a creative and astute captain steering the ship!! KUDOS, again, Mr. Gershenfeld.

For more information about upcoming productions at The McCallum Theatre, visit www.mcallumtheatre.com.

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