Rosemary Loar: STING*chronicity
Rosemary Loar
STING*chronicity
Metropolitan Room, NYC, March 8, 2015
Reviewed by Annamaria Alfieri for Cabaret Scenes
Rosemary Loar staged a paean to and a rethinking of the songs of Gordon Sumner, known to the world as Sting. This was not her first sally into this territory, but this time around, she gave the music more than a cabaret-style reading. She imbued the songs with new meaning—sometimes comic, sometimes heartrending—by creating a series of characters, all fans of Sting. Each one has a story to tell. And for each one, Loar sings a Sting composition from that person’s mind and heart. Under the direction of Barry Kleinbort, this creative approach brings out the dramatic potential of Sting’s lyrics in a unique way—nowhere more amusingly so than in “Wrapped Around My Finger,” sung successively by a little girl and her mother, both of whom Loar embodies to perfection.
Pianist Frank Ponzio, who did most of the sophisticated jazz arrangements, along with the sterling bassist Tom Hubbard, provided great musical grounding and a base of musicianship for what was more a dramatic theater piece than merely a musical concert. Ponzio also added vox and drums to his stellar contribution to the proceedings.
Loar—with her big voice and incredible energy—seamlessly switched from one character to another with each introduction. Texts provided by Loar and playwrights Mia Katz, Cheryl Stern, Diana Amsterdam, Matt Hoverman and Mike Folie set the stage, giving the songs their theatrical context. A few of her turns were standouts: Taking the role of famed author of vampire novels Anne Rice, Loar performed an especially creepy rendition of “Moon Over Bourbon Street,” and she turned the tables on Sting by reversing the point of view of “Every Breath You Take” and singing the words in the person of his ex-wife, Frances.
Loar ended the evening with her own song, “Gordon Sumner,” accompanying herself on the piano, showing off just how many talents she possesses.
Category: Cabaret Reviews, New York City, New York City Cabaret Reviews
