Tyran Parke begins singing offstage and I immediately picture an adolescent, so clean and pure is his voice. When he appears on stage, I am surprised to see that he is old enough to have seen Les Miserables on its first Australian tour. Parke displays a youthful vitality, but as his show progresses, he also demonstrates a depth and strength that only maturity brings.
His song selection is of the musical theatre oeuvre, which is my chosen field of musical obsession. I thoroughly enjoyed hearing fresh interpretations of some obscure material. I was happy, too, to learn a few new songs. That Parke is confident in presenting his audience with unfamiliar music is inspiring. That he sells each story so personally is truly remarkable. Parke has an amazing understanding of how to tell a story with a song. He was so connected to every word, and his voice sounded so free and effortless it was easy to forget he wasn't just speaking. Music may well be his first language.
The show's structure is in the mould of a typical cabaret. Parke tells of his long journey to accepting his love of theatre, illustrating his story with anecdotes and songs. I enjoyed his segues, and only a couple of early songs lacked the appropriate context.
Parke's talent is what made the evening so enjoyable, while the show was fairly bare. I would like to think that if Parke continues to tour these songs and stories, he could dress it up a little more, with a sharper costume or two. I also felt the show would have gained a lot to have played around with the musical arrangements. While the keyboard accompaniment was adequate and ably played, the transition between musical styles was sometimes a little jarring. It would be nice to see a musical director bring the various songs into a cohesive musical approach.
See this show if you love musical theatre. Or just music. Or just theatre.
No comments:
Post a Comment