Neile Adams: An Evening With Neile Adams
Neile Adams
An Evening with Neile Adams
Catalina Jazz Club, Hollywood, CA, June 25, 2015
Reviewed by Les Traub for Cabaret Scenes
Using an effective assemblage of show tunes, Neile Adams put on an entertaining and fast-moving show which explored her life and career. The show opened with a clip from the MGM movie, This Could Be the Night, featuring a singing and dancing Neile Adams performing “Hustlin’ Newsgal” (George Stoll). As Adams noted, it was while she was filming this picture that she met and in a few months married the then unknown actor, Steve McQueen.
A very appropriate “When I Get My Name in Lights” from The Boy from Oz was Adams’s first number. Her journey, from the Philippines to the chorus of Broadway shows to starring roles on Broadway and then to Hollywood made for a fascinating tale of how she did get her name in lights. Her humor kept the evening light, although there were emotional moments, such as her tribute to McQueen with a medley of “There Never Was a Baby Like My Baby” from Two on the Aisle (Styne/Comden & Green) and “Time Heals Everything” from Mack & Mabel (Jerry Herman).
She skillfully shaded each of the many verses of Cole Porter’s “It’s De-Lovely” and offered a moving take on “To a Small Degree” from Prettybelle (Styne/Merrill). Her dancing talents were displayed on Chicago’s “Nowadays” and “Roxie,” which she sang without mic so she could suggest some Fosse movements on a small area of the Catalina stage.
Adams’s long-time team of Musical Director, Andy Howe, and director, Ted Sprague, always ensure a graceful flow to the evening and this one was no exception.
Category: Cabaret Reviews, Los Angeles, Los Angeles Cabaret Reviews, Regional
