By Marilyn Lester . . .
On June 13th, 1983, two twenty-something hopefuls, pianist Alex Rybeck and vocalist Jeff Harnar, made their cabaret debut together at Palsson’s Supper Club. A few years later young director Sara Louise Lazarus joined the pair, making the alliance a long-standing and hugely successful triumvirate. This fortunate confluence of talent was exuberantly and gloriously celebrated exactly 40 years to the day at 54 Below in a room packed with all manner of cabaret royalty imaginable. Our 40th Anniversary Songbook was a testament to talent, community, friendship, history and more— so much so that the ultra-high energy of the evening could have fueled a rocket to the moon and back. The two star performers radiated such joy and delight that from their humorous introduction of each other to the stage to the last magnificent moments of the encore, the cares of the world slipped away; all that mattered was the love radiating and defining a well-deserved triumph that went by all too quickly.
It was no wonder that Harnar opened the show with “My Personal Property,” (Cy Coleman, Dorothy Fields), with special lyrics by Barry Kleinbort—an anthem for all who love the richness of this great New York City of ours, and a tune of great personal significance to the singer. This 40th anniversary show was as much about what’s happened in four decades not only as a personal history, but in a larger sense of all that’s been gained and also lost in the cabaret and cultural ethos of New York. “I’m Gonna Sing Your World Alive” (Robert Chimbel) from the duo’s first show together, was, for instance, performed at a club that no longer exists. Toppled over like a row of dominos into the past are too many rooms in which Harnar-Rybeck performed and now no longer live. A delightful “Strange Duet Medley,” with music and lyrics by various artists—and performed with humor and verve—played at the now defunct 88s and The Ballroom. The two also had great fun with “Put ‘em in a Box, Tie ‘em with a Ribbon (And Throw ‘em in the Deep Blue Sea)” (Jule Styne, Sammy Cahn) and a hugely relevant “Political Medley” from the 1959 musical Fiorello! played respectively at the late Firebird and departed Algonquin Oak Room.
The first tune that Rybeck arranged for Harnar, an exquisite version of “Blue Skies” (Irving Berlin), with the seldom-heard verse, was heard at Mr. Sam’s Supper Club. And as for that fabled Oak Room, the set included the torchy ballad “How Little We Know” (Hoagy Carmichael, Johnny Mercer), a spirited “Come Back to Me” (Burton Lane, Alan Jay Lerner) and the complete and wondrous version of “It’s De-Lovely” (Cole Porter). Also among the gems in this sparkly crown of cabaret jewels in Our 40th Anniversary Songbook was “What a Funny Boy He Is,” composed by Rybeck (who now has many songs to his credit) with lyric by Michael Stewart. Harnar, who long ago demonstrated his abilities to inhabit a lyric and evocatively put a song across with a golden vocal tone and fabulous range, shone throughout, putting a stamp on his artistry with the encore “You’re My Home” (Billy Joel, arranged by Brian Lasser).
How did Alex Rybeck and Jeff Harnar begin their magical collaboration? It was due to the intuition of the late cabaret doyenne, Sylvia Syms. Another savvy recommendation brought Lazarus into the picture. Harnar cited others who were important to the spinning out of this success story, some of them long gone: Donald Smith, Erv Raible, Brian Lasser, and also in the audience, Stephen Holden and Barry Kleinbort. Over these forty years the triumvirate can celebrate countless shows and concerts (some filmed by PBS) that include The 1959 Broadway Songbook, Because of You: Fifties Gold, Dancing in the Dark, Sammy Cahn All the Way and A Collective Cy, among many others, as well as several albums.
Our 40th Anniversary Songbook was a passionately felt, evocative deep dive into talent, commitment, friendship and the many ties that bind. Fortunately it will not only live on in memory but in the captured livestream. The direction of Lazarus, the backing musicianship of the superlative Steve Doyle (bass) and Ray Marchica (drums) and the brilliance of the two men of the hour is recorded for posterity. Now, is it too soon to hope for the 50th celebration of Rybeck and Harnar?
Photos: Maryann Lopinto
