Daryl Nitz: Bright Lights, Big City

Carla Gordon | December 1, 2014

Daryl Nitz

Bright Lights, Big City

Davenport’s, Chicago, IL, November 1, 2014

Reviewed by Carla Gordon for Cabaret Scenes

Recently celebrating the 1,000th show anniversary of the Nitz Howe Experience, iconic entertainer Daryl Nitz is appreciated by fans of all ages for his funny music stylings on such high culture classics as “The Penis Pokey” and the audience participation “Hot Nuts.” In Bright Lights, Big City, celebrating Nitz’s 25th year as a Chicago entertainer, we see the other side of Daryl, the personal side. He is dear, crediting much of his success to role model Pudgie Cardella and mentor Denise Tomasello. He offers a George M. Cohan medley of Americana songs, explaining how performing it in third grade got him hooked on show business forever. While Nitz sings well, laughs are the focal point of the Nitz Howe Experience. Luckily for us, in this show, Nitz sings especially well. His a cappella version of “His Eye Is on the Sparrow” blended a rich baritone with effectively understated storytelling. The same can be said for “Sing No Sad Songs for Me,” a most excellent lemons- to-lemonade song (performed most notably by Julie Wilson). Of course, any Daryl Nitz show will be funny as exemplified with the Neil Diamond/Carol Channing duet of “You Don’t Bring Me Flowers,” with each voice offered by talented impersonator Nitz himself.