TO LIFE conceived by Avery Saltzman and Tim French (Harold Green Jewish Theatre Company). At the Jane Mallett (27 Front East). To May 29. $42.50-$79.50. 416-366-7723, hgjewishtheatre.com. See listing Rating: NNN
The cabaret-style show To Life isn’t really about Jewish musicals and doesn’t just troll the canon for great material written by Jewish composers. It honours some of Broadway’s most memorable performers and revives some fine songs that, because they come from shows that failed, aren’t so well known.
The show begins with Spamalot’s irreverent You Won’t Succeed On Broadway (If You Don’t Have Any Jews), but then the skilled quartet of singer/actors focuses on recalling Fanny Bryce, Eddie Cantor, Sophie Tucker and Al Jolson.
This section could use some context. What is it about the Jewish experience and/or Jewish values that fuelled the creativity of these major artists? What did these performers have in common? Over 35 songs are referenced in the first half alone, but some between-song patter could have given the first act more coherence.
As it is, Charlotte Moore triumphs with a kick-ass performance of Tucker’s Some Of These Days, and Gabi Epstein almost manages to make you forget Streisand when evoking Bryce.
To Life is strongest when the cast sings in close harmony as an ensemble, which doesn’t happen until a little too late in the first act. But once they’re belting out those Jolson hits, the show starts hitting all the right notes.
Credit the creators for unearthing some great material, including The Bar Mitzvah Of Eliot Green, from Jule Styne and Don Black’s 1978 dud The Bar Mitzvah Boy, and New Words, from Maury Yeston’s otherwise forgettable One, Two, Three, Four, Five.
This show demands a ton of stamina from its cast. Patrick Cook flags a little toward the end, but that’s a small cavil. Shawn Wright – even when he doesn’t sing a word, as in An Old Man – has a great presence. He and Moore stand out because their acting is as good as their voices. Which is what great cabaret requires.
susanc@nowtoronto.com
