By William Wolf
|
By
William Wolf
Karen Akers and
Stephen Sondheim make a perfect match. Sondheim’s approach to his music and
lyrics is sophisticated and intellectual, but also heartfelt and attuned to the
human condition and the emotions with which we struggle. He also can simply
have a good time with a song.
Akers brings an ultra sophisticated aura to
her cabaret performing, approaches music and lyrics with intellectual
precision, digs deep into emotions with clarity, yet also communicates a sense
of fun. All of which renders her new show “Live, Laugh, Love: Akers Sings
Sondheim,” at the Oak Room Supper Club of the Algonquin Hotel (September
27-Octotber 29, 2011), a very sensible and enjoyable pairing.
Akers’ range is
impressive. On the one hand, looking regal and beautiful as she commands the
stage with the elegance and eloquence that have become her trademark, she can
dig deeply into such Sondheim treasures as “I Wish I Could Forget You” from
”Passion,” “Losing My Mind” from “Follies” and the iconic “Send in the Clowns”
from “A Little Night Music.” But she also puts an amusing spin on zippier
Sondheim numbers.
Take “Let Me
Entertain You” from “Gypsy.” Akers gets the right mixture of sexuality and good
taste—nothing vulgar here. She does the number looking ever so classy but with
underling sex appeal. It is similar with “You Gotta Have a Gimmick” from
“Gypsy,” the number in which strippers chant about the gimmicks required to
stand out. Nothing vulgar there either. Akers can give enough of a suggestive
body movement to capture the humor in the number while still maintaining her
upscale style.
A joy throughout is
the total effectiveness of her interpretations via her exquisite, fine-tuned
voice. Also, there is no contemporary singer who brings more sharpness to every
word in a lyric, really every syllable, so that each little meaning is brought
to the fore with effectiveness.
There are numerous
special pleasures, to cite a few, including her rendition of “More,” from “Dick
Tracy,” “The Story of Lucy and Jessie” from “Follies, “Remember” from “A Little
Night Music,” “Not a Day Goes By” from “Merrily We Roll Along” and “What More
Do I Need?” from “Saturday Night.”
Akers strikes a good
balance singing the acerbic “Could I Leave You?” from “Follies.” There is not
the outrage and fury that Jan Maxwell angrily displays in her tour de force
interpretation of the number in the current “Follies” revival. But Akers gets
enough hostility to go with the sarcasm to make the song work nicely for
projecting feelings in a mode in keeping with her own cabaret persona.
Her new show has
been directed by Eric Michael Gillett, and her musical director is Don Rebic,
who does his customary accompaniment wonders at the piano. At the end on
opening night she introduced from the audience the eminent Julie Wilson as her
inspiration. Akers is certainly carrying on the Wilson tradition, and this is
yet another good opportunity to enjoy her in action--and in the appropriate
setting. At the Oak Room, Algonquin Hotel, 59 West 44th Street. Reservations:
212-419-9331 or bmcgurn@algonquinhotel.com
