Joan Ryan
On the Edge
Tom Rolla’s Gardenia, West Hollywood, CA, June 1, 2014
Reviewed by Les Traub for Cabaret Scenes
Midway through her show, Joan Ryan announced that she is a belt-aholic. She demonstrated, though, that she hasn’t yet completed the twelve steps and, based on her exuberance during the performance, she probably has no intentions of reforming. Making her entrance through the audience, she opened with Lady Gaga’s “Edge of Glory” (co-written with Fernando Garibay and DJ White). She offered a delicate, light touch on a beautifully delivered “Shall We Dance?” She did change to her powerful belt at the end of it though, which led to her belt-aholic comment. A special material song, “Belt-aholic” by Stephen Witkin, ably showed off her powerful chops and range. The structure of her show was based on career and family. She told an amusing story about her first audition, a poignant story about meeting her husband, and others about her life, all of which were punctuated with appropriate songs. From her starring role in the Los Angeles production of Ruthless!, she re-created “It Will Never Be That Way Again.”
Special guest Eric McCormack dueted on a delightful version of “Suddenly Seymour,” followed by a beautiful McCormack solo on the Burton Cummings-recorded “Dream of a Child.”
Todd Schroeder and his five-piece band kept the energy level on high, and director Andrew MacBean paced the show well.
Tags: andrew macbean, Joan Ryan, Lady Gaga, on the edge, todd schroeder, Tom Rolla’s Gardenia, west hollywood
Category: Cabaret Reviews, Los Angeles, Los Angeles Cabaret Reviews
