Photo by Alan Glaze (click to enlarge)

Photo by Alan Glaze
(click to enlarge)

 

 

Reviewed by Joe Regan Jr.

 

On the occasion of Sondheim’s 80th birthday, Daryl Glenn did a one night event at Feinstein’s at the Regency entitled “Daryl Sings Steve: Songs by Sondheim.” Glenn never repeated the show. However, on Sunday evening at the Winter Rhythms series, Glenn, who is singing better than ever, brought back his Sondheim show and it was a joyous occasion.

Glenn was smart enough to engage some great musicians: Karen Dryer as his musical director and pianist, Ivan Bodley on bass, Jeff Barone on guitar, and RJ Rabin on drums and percussion. Special guest artist was Dominic Paolillo who cued Glenn on his selections and all the musicians harmonized and dueted with Glenn on many of the songs.

The opening was a buoyant “Everybody’s Got the Right” from “”Assassins” and “Now You Know” from “Merrily We Roll Along”. Autobiographical in nature, Glenn grew up in Kentucky and was entranced by the original cast album of “Into the Woods” although the vocal selections book did not contain his favorite song from the score “Giants in the Sky.” A friend contacted Sondheim and for a birthday present he received a lead sheet of that selection. He started writing Sondheim and Sondheim personally answered every letter. When he moved to New York City, Sondheim invited him to his apartment and there he heard many anecdotes about the Sondheim productions. There was a great medley of the songs from “Dick Tracy.”

Sitting on a stool, Glenn told us how he received a VHS from Sondheim of “Evening Primrose,” the original TV show Sondheim wrote. Tenderly he sang “I Remember Sky” and “Take Me To the World.” Then another song from “Assassins,” “Unworthy of Your Love” sung in the show by Hinckley and Squeeky Fromme. On this quirkly tune Glenn dueted with Dryer.

Glenn discussed the controversy over Sondheim’s Tony winner, “Passion” and did heart-breaking match up of “Loving You” (first reciting the lyrics as poetry) and “No One Has Ever Loved Me.” Absolutely beautiful was “So Many People” from “Saturday Night.”

Glenn went back stage and Paolillo took center stage and rocked through “Another Hundred People” and tenderly sang “Being Alive,” going for glorious high notes. Glenn came back in a glorious red suit and the two dueted on ”No More” and “It Takes Two.”

Glenn, solo, burst into “Now You Know” from “Merrily We Roll Along” with participation from all the musicians and Paolillo. For his last number, he sat by the piano, and with only Dryer, sang the tender “Not While I’m Around.”

Let’s hope that Darryl Glenn does this show again!

This was another great show in the WinterRhythm series. There are several more star studded shows: on Wednesday Adam B Shapiro’s “Nothing Normal” and a jazz jam with Barry Levitt and four stellar vocalists; on Thursday “Broadway By Guitar” with Sean Harkness and mega stars Karen Akers, Janice Hall, Stearns Matthews, Scott Morgan, Nina Hennessey, and Karen Oberlin; on Friday a program of MAC Award winning songs with, among others, Julie Gold, Sidney Myer, and an open MIC Night hosted by Joe Bachana and Jenna Esposito; on Saturday an all star tribute to Jim Henson and a Salute to the Singer/Songwriters of the Seventies with Carole J. Bufford, Natalie Douglas, Meg Flather, Lauren Fox, Laurie Krauz and Barbara Porteus. Sunday is the gala closing night with Seasonal Songs and Disney too.

For tickets which cost $25.00 for every show except the gala, you couldn’t get better value for your money. Almost every show has sold out. Urban Stages is located at 259 West 30 Street. Go to www.urbanstages.org for schedule or call 212 868-4444 for tickets.