Quite possibly Fred Ebb was peering down from a heavenly musical perch. Karen Mason delivered the encore number of the show, “My Own Space,” with a heartfelt and touching authenticity that left us wanting more. Who could fail to feel her pain or understand her story?Īnna Chlumsky with “Bobo’s”, Julia Murney with “The Money Tree,” Rachelle Rak with “There When I Need Him,” and Stacie Bono with “Hot Enough For You,” rounded out The Act’s song list, easily demonstrating why each of these singers is a powerful diva in her own right. Graff’s rendition of the very dark, “Please Sir” was appropriately chilling, a dagger in the heart. The “Boys and Girls” of The Act, the gypsies, Elizabeth Ann Berg, Jennifer Malenke, and Will Porter, had their turn to shine in the only number not written for Minnelli, the gypsies’ lament, “Little Do They Know.” Two songs, which were cut out of The Act in out of town tryouts, “The Turning,” sung wistfully by Mamie Parris, and “Please Sir” sung by veteran trouper Randy Graff, were reinstated. Shedding a raincoat to reveal a shimmering cocktail dress and moving around the audience confidently, Bufford demonstrated an underlying acting ability that perfectly informed the song’s meaning. “City Lights,” was beautifully sung by the bright Carole J.
Cady Huffman, leaping on the piano to begin “Arthur in the Afternoon,” didn’t disappoint with her high-power, high-energy, and jocular take on this comic-relief, sex-in-the-afternoon tune. The Act’s opening song, “Shine It On” and closing number, “Walking Papers,” were sung with clarity by Nikka Graff Lanzarone. The result was a rich tapestry of interpretation made of great depth and complex texture. Bufford – brought her own experience and sensibilities to the music. Stripped to it’s bare musical bones, John Kander’s music shines: each tune the perfect treasure box for some of the most profound and literate lyrics of Fred Ebb’s career.Įach of the divas (dressed in combinations of red and black) – Tony winners Cady Huffman and Randy Graff, Emmy nominee Anna Chlumsky, and Julia Murney, Karen Mason, Nikka Graff Lanzarone, Stacie Bono, Rachell Rak, Mamie Parris and Carole J. His dream of staging a concert version of The Act with a different diva interpreting the songs that Liza sang all by herself, works like a charm. Will Nunziata, the singer and recording artist who’s finding his feet as a director, is such a one. Yet, despite the crash-and-burn history of The Act, its music is beloved by many. Even with six Tony nominations and a win for its star, the show closed after 233 performances, never to be seen again. Critics agreed, despite the high-powered Minnelli, The Act came up short. The show was a vehicle for Liza Minnelli who hadn’t had her own Broadway outing for 12 years it centered around a washed up Hollywood star and her autobiographical Las Vegas nightclub act (the book is by George Furth). Kander and Ebb’s The Act opened at the Majestic Theater on Broadway on Octo– and flopped.
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