David Vernon: Love
David Vernon
Love
Metropolitan Room, NYC, September 25, 2015
Reviewed by Ron Forman for Cabaret Scenes
David Vernon is a remarkably unique talent whose stage presence is so riveting, it is virtually impossible to take your eyes off of him. Combine that intense presence with great acting skill and a poignantly beautiful sound, and you get a very special artist. His autobiographical show at the Metropolitan Room used an extremely relevant song list that brought the audience into the inner workings of David’s soul. The songs told the story of how the two great loves of his life brought out the whole him, his feminine and masculine sides. Musical Director and pianist Alex Leonard provided the perfect accompaniment for Vernon, occasionally using pieces of classical music to introduce a number.
The opening number, a beautifully haunting “Nature Boy,” essentially defined Vernon, and set the stage for what was to follow. His acting skill made me believe that “Mad About the Boy,” “You Fascinate Me So” and “How Long Has This Been Going On?” were all very descriptive of his life with his two great loves. I have never heard the “suicide song” “Gloomy Sunday” sung with more emotion and depth of feeling than Vernon brought to it. The show closed with a new song by Marc McBarron Kessler appropriately titled “My Two True Loves.” Vernon saved the very best for last in his encore, melding together his mother’s two favorite songs–both by Irving Berlin —“What’ll I Do” and “Always,” sung as movingly as I have ever heard them performed.
Category: Cabaret Reviews, New York City, New York City Cabaret Reviews
