In Songs in the Key of Black three sublime talents – Irving Berlin, Lucy Maunder and Isaac Hayward – converge in a most enjoyable performance.The great Irving Berlin was one of America’s most popular and prolific composers, famous for songs as diverse as White Christmas and Puttin’ on the Ritz, to Steppin’ Out with My Baby. His songs are simple but unforgettable, ranging from the heartfelt love song to the witty comic masterpiece.
Lucy Maunder’s delicious cabaret, based on selections from his enormous repertoire, begins with his early days in New York’s Tin Pan Alley and moves on to songs from his Broadway and Hollywood musicals.
Maunder sets the scene – a Tin Pan Alley café during the Great Depression in New York. In a prohibition jazz dive patrons drink liquor from teacups, listen to music with lewd and morally corrupting lyrics and dance lasciviously – at least according to some reports. The New York establishment is appalled and predicts the moral downfall of any young woman unfortunate enough to be exposed to it. Irving Berlin was dubbed the King of Tin Pan Alley due to his massive success with Alexander’s Rag Time Band.
Songs in the Key of Black refers to how, as a self-taught musician, Berlin famously only played the black notes on the piano so that much of his early material was in F-Sharp (although many numbers were transposed into different keys).
The highlights of the evening were Maunder’s renditions of some of Berlin’s finest: Cheek to Cheek, Heaven and the deeply affecting, What’ll I Do. With a string of musical theatre credits to her name, as well as a number of awards and nominations, Maunder is a highly accomplished singer and performer. She has a rich tone and a wonderful range and gives each number its due, setting the mood perfectly and hitting the tempo and syncopation on the head.
The finale was a stupendous version of I Love a Piano, with Musical Director Isaac Hayward showing off his piano playing panache with a long and brilliant extemporised piano interlude. The two performers really connected over this piece and the audience loved it.
The show is very tightly scripted and the material, written by Nicholas Christo, is excellent. And it is well directed by Neil Gooding. As this show develops, I look forward to Maunder engaging more spontaneously with the audience to capture some of the free-wheeling repartee that might have occurred in one of these Prohibition era dens.
On opening night the sound balance was slightly out of kilter. Lucy Maunder has a mighty voice and in an intimate space like the Hayes Theatre I wonder if she needs to be amplified at all – her top notes pretty well blew the roof off. I have no doubt, however, the acoustic levels will be adjusted in subsequent performances.
Neil Gooding Productions in association with Hayes Theatre Co presents
Irving Berlin: Songs in The Key of Black
by Nicholas Christo
Director Neil Gooding
Venue: Hayes Theatre | 19 Greenknowe Ave, Potts Point NSW
Dates: 7 – 12 April, 2015
Bookings: www.hayestheatre.com.au
