Review: THE SIMON AND GARFUNKEL STORY at The National Theatre

The National Theatre's Broadway at the National season brought The Simon and Garfunkel Story to DC from January 29 - 30, and from the haunting, acapella opening notes of The Sounds of Silence through the final encore of Bridge Over Troubled Water, the audience was treated to a fun and fast-paced retrospective of the iconic vocal duet.

The Simon and Garfunkel Story is a multimedia concert experience that spans the duo's career, interspersing brief narratives with selections from their entire catalog. It's not quite a jukebox musical - rather, it's a very well produced tribute by a group of talented actor-musicians. The actors fronting the group - George Clements as Paul Simon and Benjamin Cooley as Art Garfunkel - both look like their counterparts, but it's immediately obvious that they're not "playing" roles; rather, they're paying tribute to two of the giants of popular music. It's obvious that both performers have a great love and respect for the material. And the show is all about the music - each number is faithful to the original recording, with the signature harmonies that defined the Simon and Garfunkel sound. (Although it helps that the actors bear a passable resemblance to the originals, the show would work just as well with alternative casting, or even an ensemble of people, as long as they had the same dedication to the music.)

The show follows the career arc of Simon and Garfunkel, starting with their initial recording of Hey Schoolgirl (under the name Tom and Jerry), with both actors taking turns narrating the story. He Was My Brother, a tribute to MLK, and Bleecker Street, from the Wednesday Morning, 3AM album are performed against a constantly changing video backdrop that goes from grainy 50's black-and-white to colorful psychedelia as each succeeding album marks the passing years. Kathy's Song covers Simon's time spent in England, and Leaves That Are Green and Richard Corey round out the offerings from Sounds of Silence. The show then moves to the most prolific and productive period of their career, with Scarborough Fair/Canticle, Homeward Bound, and The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy) checking in from the Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme album. After a brief nod to the soundtrack for The Graduate (Mrs. Robinson), the show tackles the group's two most successful albums, Bookends and Bridge Over Troubled Waters, seamlessly moving through the Bookends Theme, America, Old Friends, A Hazy Shade Of Winter, Cecilia, and Keep The Customer Satisfied.

Throughout the chronology, the video back wall shared facts and milestones from their career together, and their solo work after they split. A re-creation of the Concert in Central Park (where they were reunited for the first time) featured Late In The Evening, and Bye Bye Love, a tribute to the inspiration Simon and Garfunkel drew from the Everly Brothers. An encore of The Boxer and Bridge Over Troubled Water wrapped up the evening on a perfect note.

Clements and Cooley handled the vocals perfectly, and Clements also displayed the guitar chops to take the lead on most of the acoustic heavy numbers. The duo of actors were backed by a tight four piece ensemble that featured Zach Kamins on keyboards, Bob Sale on drums and percussion, Marc Encabo on guitars, and Joshua Vasquez on bass. They supported the leads flawlessly, particularly on the up-tempo numbers.

Technically, the video backdrop was sophisticated and set the right tone for each phase of the group's career. Lighting was clean and minimalistic, creating the right mood without detracting from the action on stage. Sound was clean, clear, and not overwhelming, with a great blend and levels.

All in all, The Simon and Garfunkel Story is an evening of wonderful music and nostalgia, with a few insights into the duo's backstory sprinkled in. The narrative is definitely a soft-focus look at the dynamic between the two men, and no mention is made of their personal lives. It's a loving look at a couple of icons that focuses on the amazing music they created, while reminding us that it's okay to just take an evening and enjoy the ride.

Running time is approximately 2:25, with a 20-minute intermission.

The Simon and Garfunkel Story played at The National Theatre from January 29-31. For more information about The National Theatre and Broadway at The National, click here.

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