The Man in Black Returns: Scott Moreau in DARLIN' COMPANION at MSMT

Audience favorite and native son, Scott Moreau returns to MSMT to close out the theatre's 2022 concert series with a new, engaging musical tribute celebrating Johnny Cash and his wife, June Carter Cash, performed by Allison Kelly. Conceived by Moreau and featuring twenty-five songs and duets that the couple made famous, DARLIN' COMPANION (presented by ShowTunes Productions) is a musical feast with a compelling narrative thread.

Scott Moreau has achieved some of his greatest theatrical successes portraying Cash, and his identification with, and intimate knowledge of, the character is so close, as to almost feel as if he is channeling the iconic singer. Moreau brings his dark, rich baritone to Cash's music, and he has mastered to perfection the singer's stylistic traits from vocal phrasing and incisive diction to physical mannerisms. Moreover, he can interpret a song, giving each selection a depth of context that makes the performance a dramatic as well as vocal treat. A charming raconteur, he also knows how to tie the selections together with folksy anecdotes that add to the persona.

Allison Kelly adds to the mix with her sympathetic portrayal of June Carter Cash, capturing the close dynamic between Carter Cash and her husband, conveying the depth of the bond between them both artistically and emotionally. Her powerful alto with a distinctive edge recalls Carter Cash's inimitable sound, and she and Moreau blend their voices beautifully in the many duets.

The four-person on-stage band, comprised of J.R. Alexander on piano and keyboards, Nick White on guitar, Joe Cogen on drums, and David Sonneborn on bass forms a dynamic instrumental ensemble whose combination of electronic and acoustic sound vividly captures the Cash sound and ambiance.

The program resembles a Cash-Carter concert with June doing a warm-up set and then returning several times to sing duets with her husband. The most famous hits are there, but, so, too, are some rarely heard songs, such as Johnny Horton's "When It's Springtime in Alaska It's 40 Below." Among the musical highlights of the evening are definitive performances of "Folsom Prison Blues," "I Walk the Line," "Ring of Fire," and "Man in Black." Moreau's rendition of "A Boy Named Sue" is dramatic storytelling at its best, and "Sunday Morning Coming Down" is tinged with pathos. Among the duets, "If I Were a Carpenter" gets an upbeat take; "Long Legged Guitar Pickin' Man" a rousing one, and the closing "Will the Circle Be Unbroken" an emotional tenderness.

The concert is attractively packaged in visual terms, using THE COLOR PURPLE set whose rustic southern feeling serendipitously serves to evoke Cash, Carter and country music. The lighting is subtly atmospheric; the sound well-balanced; and the costumes recall the period with Cash in his signature black suit, the musicians in black embroidered shirts, and Carter Cash in a pair of contrasting dresses - one colorful print and the other elegant brocade. Anthony Panarello handles the Stage Manager's function with aplomb.

DARLIN' COMPANION is another welcome addition to the repertoire of musical biographies that recreate the life and music of the great Johnny Cash. There is perhaps no one else on stage today who has mastered this material with the same understanding, grace, charisma, and sheer vocal elegance as Scott Moreau, and here, together with the talented Allison Kelly, he finds yet a new way to delight fans of the great singer.

Photo courtesy of MSMT

DARLIN' COMPANION runs from July 31-August 1, 2022, at MSMT's Pickard Theater, 1 Bath Road, Brunswick, ME 207-725-8769 www.msmt.org

To post a comment, you must register and login.