Review: The Midnight Company's JUST ONE LOOK Continues to Wow Audiences

On this past Thursday, The Midnight Company, and its perpetually sold-out show, JUST ONE LOOK, made the move to City Winery St. Louis. The Midnight Company had initially planned a run of three shows at the beginning of this year. But this show, based on the life and music of Linda Ronstadt, has been extended multiple times and was being performed for the thirteenth time in 2023. After seeing the show twice in a smaller cabaret venue, it was a curiosity to see if the show played as well in a much larger space. Not only did it transfer well, but the performance quality has continued to grow. JUST ONE LOOK continues to wow its audience thanks to Linda Ronstadt’s chart-topping songbook, the compelling narrative written and performed by Joe Hanrahan, the exceptional vocals from Kelly Howe, and the incredible accompaniment from the JUST ONE LOOK Band backing Howe. 

Hanrahan has written a script that when seen for the first time can seem a little contrived and simplistic. Critics were tough on Hanrahan’s delivery of the dialogue in his early performances and his concept of the aging rock reporter who has had a long-term infatuation with the artist. But it is his scripted content about Ronstadt’s life that makes this show more than so much more than just a tribute concert. He created a theatrical cabaret production with a narrative that adds significantly to the overall entertainment value of the piece. His script revisits Ronstadt’s career from its beginning and examines the many talented people with whom she has worked. Hanrahan’s rock reporter character asks question that cover the beginning of Ronstadt’s career with the Stone Ponys, her work with Glenn Frey and Don Henley who later became The Eagles, how her record companies handled her career, her work with Dolly Parton, Emmy Lou Harris, Aaron Neville, Joseph Papp, Chuck Berry and Nelon Riddle. Hanrahan also dives into some of her personal relationships with California Governor Jerry Brown, George Lucas, and Mick Jagger. What became more apparent seeing it for the third time was that Hanrahan’s script brings Ronstadt to life for her adoring fans in the audience. He has created a human-interest piece on the 1970’s rock goddess that gives the show significant heart and reminds the audience of the musical juggernaut that Ronstadt became.  

Howe’s performance was spectacular from the first shows she performed, but as the show has aged, she has comfortably fallen into a vocal performance that is extraordinary. Her meticulous phrasing and body language has continued to mature with each performance. She comfortably inhabits Ronstadt’s voice and delivers the songs with self-assured ease and panache. As a Ronstadt superfan it is hard to pick a favorite song, but Howe delivers “You’re No Good,” “When Will I Be Loved,” “It’s So Easy,” “Tumbling Dice,” and “Just One Look” like she herself is a rock goddess. The audience mouths the words of Ronstadt’s well-known classics, bob their heads with the beat, and responds with thunderous applause following each number. It is not until Howe takes on Ronstadt’s later in career work that the audience gains appreciation for Howe’s immense talent. Her version of “When You Wish Upon a Star” is out of this world. She confidently handles “Poor Wondering One” from Gilbert and Sullivan’s operetta PIRATES OF PENZANCE, and skillfully sings “Por Un Amor” in Spanish from Ronstadt’s album “Los Canciones de Mi Padre.” Howe digs into every Ronstadt song she sings and delivers a memorable performance that allows the audience to reminisce in the music that defined female rockers for a generation.  

The JUST ONE LOOK band is led by music director Curt Landes. Landes, on piano and background vocals, is joined by Mark Rogers on drums and background vocals, and Tom Maloney on guitar. The experienced band masterfully recreates the sound of the multiple different genres of Ronstadt’s songs. Landes and Rogers perfectly complement Howe’s singing with their background vocals to create Ronstadt’s unmistakable sound. These three musicians are a massive part of why JUST ONE LOOK is the most successful show The Midnight Company has ever staged. 

Currently there are no additional scheduled performances of JUST ONE LOOK. Any fan of Linda Ronstadt owes it to themselves to see this amazing theatrical cabaret show about her life and music. Let’s hope this is not the last performance because this magnificent piece deserves to run for a “Long, Long Time.”