Miss Hope Springs
Miss Hope Springs
Metropolitan Room, NYC, March 24, 2016
Reviewed by Joel Benjamin for Cabaret Scenes
Miss Hope Springs, the alter ego of Mr. Ty Jeffries, is a delightfully over-the-top lady with a shady, but sophisticated, past. She writes all her very clever songs and spins entertainingly naughty stories—probably out of whole cloth—to connect them all with old fashioned eloquence. It’s also abundantly clear that this is a lady who can take care of herself, handling the heckling and huzzahs with equal aplomb…plus a few bon mots.
Her songs, beginning with “Say Hello,” fit into her act like a hot dog into a bun and illuminated her stories. Her tales of being a showgirl (“Girl in a Million”), being betrayed by her agent—“I went from the Ritz to the pits!”—and learning how to make the most of her posh physical attributes (“Assets”). Throughout, she showed versatility, including a go at Piaf (“Pigalle”), Noël Coward (“A Sleepy Little Nightclub” and “Pimlico Green”), the bluesy ballads (“Queen of Fools”), and ethnic humor (“Bagels”).
“She’s His World,” a sad reflection written from the point of view of a mistress, was an odd, but welcome, bit of real emotion in the middle of the hilarious ersatz.
Her hand-clapping finale, “The Devil Made Me Do It,” was a deliciously rousing way to send us home on an off-color note.
Her drummer, Scott Neumann and her bassist, Mark Wade, were her complete artistic cohorts, their playing providing all the right moods and colors.
Miss Hope Springs is delightful: buxom blonde beauty; great piano playing; and witty songwriter all in one package. What is equally surprising is that this was her U.S. debut!
Category: Cabaret Reviews, New York City, New York City Cabaret Reviews, Regional
