There is no magic formula for success in the music business. If you want to make it, you must begin by believing in yourself and your talent—regardless of your rank. As a singer or songwriter, you should develop your own personal vision and stick with it. This brings me to multi-award-winner Tom Andersen, as well as some interesting neophytes I've seen lately.
Such is Andersen's success it almost seems absurd to lump him in with "newcomers." But 10 years ago, when I first saw him at the Cabaret Convention prior to his debut at Eighty Eight's, that's exactly what he was. Since then, he has gone on to win three Bistro and five MAC awards, and play the Kennedy Center, Carnegie Hall, and numerous other prestigious venues in New York and around the country.
I'm making a point that everyone in the music business needs a jumping-off spot, and cabaret has proved fortuitous for Andersen, who, having achieved unanimous acclaim as a singer-songwriter, has returned to clubs after an absence of almost two years. This time out, he's doing a show of all original material on Sundays at Don't Tell Mama with musical director Ian Herman and his band.
Andersen is best known as a crooner of standards and Broadway songs with a penchant for country-flavored pop tunes. His songwriting career is taking off with verve; several respected artists are singing his tunes. With this new show, he guides the audience through a kaleidoscope of emotions. Happy and moving songs are juxtaposed with his trademark quirky and sometimes poignant banter that captivates the audience.
As a singer, his expressive, soft tenor soars with every note. As an entertainer, he can be laugh-out-loud wacky, starting with a riotous "opener" called "Opening Song" (about not doing one), and "I'm Here," a fun ditty about a show diva written with Herman. But he can also be so deeply caught in the moment that he rivets the emotional core of every phrase. For instance, a trenchant new ballad about a mother hearing from the child she gave up for adoption called "Another Tuesday" was deeply moving. There were audible sobs when he sang his best-known story song, "Yard Sale," about a frail man selling his wares and running out of time. Other highlights included "Then Again," a tender ode to letting go written with Tim DiPasqua (who often collaborates with him), and a great country ballad co-written with DiPasqua and Herman called "Someone Like You." There's much to recommend in the Tom Andersen songbook. You'll hear unique material you won't hear anywhere else; like the artist himself, it all deserves more attention. With only a $10 cover charge, treat yourself. He's at Mama's Sundays, Nov. 11, 18, and 25 at 5:30 pm.
I've said before that few things are more exciting for a critic than seeing new talent on the rise. In his recent shows at Arci's Place, elfin rookie Johnny Rodgers, who has been musical director for Jim Caruso and Donna McKechnie, said, "I'm the new kid in town—I'm gonna milk that for as long as I can." Well, if history is any gauge, Rodgers won't have long to wait. Like Peter Allen and Barry Manilow, both of whom emerged from the boites, this new kid will take flight. With proper guidance, Rodgers, 26, might wipe away the competition with a career that is sure to climb in leaps and bounds. He's a fresh-faced original bursting with charm, raw talent, and sophisticated musicianship.
A jazz-tinged singer-pianist-songwriter, Rodgers' talent seems to know no bounds. He has a terrific voice and charisma to spare. He skillfully sailed through jazzy arrangements of a tender "Feels Like Home" by Randy Newman and a beautiful original called "Lullaby For the Sleepless Soul" about lost love. He fused "Sweet Georgia Smile," another original that is getting some attention around town, with persuasive phrasing that was nearly flawless. Like others early in their careers, Rodgers' songs are not all perfect. However, I dare say without hyperbole that I was in the presence of brilliance. This guy lived up to the buzz about him and is likely the hottest new talent in town. There was Feinstein. There was Connick. And now...heeeere's Johnny!
Another newcomer, twentysomething Australian visitor Chelsea Plumley, is on leave from the theatre, where she is currently playing Rizzo in "Grease" in a touring company Down Under. Her self-effacing whimsy, fused with hysterical and poignant set ups, guided the audience through a delightful, entertaining hour at Don't Tell Mama.
Opening with an overzealous "Born To Entertain" from "Ruthless" that showed off a big belt, she then segued into a whispery "Fly Me To The Moon" that recalled a young Judy Garland in her MGM days. She is such a confident performer that it's hard to view her as a newcomer. Whether crooning standards such as "Bewitched" or showing off her darker side on a dramatic "Much More Married," a song about obsession, Plumley has both the technical and artistic prowess of an established veteran.
Like a young Carol Burnett, she was positively loony on comedy numbers like "Everybody's Girl" from "Steel Pier," which was pulled off with bawdy comic timing that belied her youth. Her reenactment of her television debut at age 12 to the tune of "I've Got Rhythm," complete with appropriate camera cues and hideously harebrained faces, was one of the funniest bits this observer has seen in a long time.
Vocally, she also displayed moments of bliss that were pure and unadorned. This was particularly so on "Autumn Leaf," co-written with brilliant musical director David Young about her sister's longtime struggle with addiction. This personal, well-crafted song evoked painful memories that were handled without shameful discomfort. I recommend you catch her this weekend on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday at Mama's.
Another newcomer, London-based Aussie Alison Jiear, made a terrific local bow with a recent series of shows at Don't Tell Mama. Like Sharon McNight, this bubbly diva ignited the room with campy banter that had the audience in stitches. And like other ladies from the school of bawdy fun, Jiear has rapidly found a cult following of mostly gay men who love the campy asides mixed with pathos that made up her recent show.
Seeing her full act with the gifted Christopher Marlowe at the piano, I found her to be an amalgam of brassy theatre belters from the school of Judy Kaye and the great Shirley Bassey. While over the top on some numbers that called for more reserve, Alison Jiear is well on her way to claiming her place as a force to be reckoned with.