Eric Michael Gillett is a cabaret performer with talent, and he obviously believes, stubbornly or courageously–or both–in what he is doing. Of course I'm affected by many years of being who I am, but I felt it a living oxymoron to see a middle-aged man with a neat mustache and goatee, wearing a dark suit and a striped tie with a gold tack, stand up and sing "Over the Rainbow," and "New York, New York," and "Moon River," the latter in a falsetto that almost sounded like a Truman Capote put-on.
But as his show went on, through a strong 90 minutes without intermission, and his material matured to match his appearance and demeanor, he swept me away. Gillett opened at the Kranzberg Arts Center last night and will be there through Saturday, featuring music from the movies, much of thoughtful and not culled from the Hit Parade charts.
Gillett, a long-time actor and director, and a Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus ringmaster for 12 years–he reports that friends tell him he smells better these days–has a fine voice and some glorious arrangements. His "New York, New York," with a yearning, reaching opening was the best version I've ever heard, and I'm not a fan of the song. Dave Troncoso, a locally based standout on the upright bass, made it even better.
"I Can't Make This Movie," sung by the over-amorous Guido in "Nine," was terrific and Amanda McBroom's "Errol Flynn" was tender and lovely. McBroom's lyrics and music by Michele Brourman provided another winner in a winsome, totally charming rendition of "Hope Floats."
Perhaps it took time before the proper sound balance for the small performance space was reached, but in the early going, Gillett was not only too loud but too forceful and heavy. It was as if he thought he was singing at the Fox just up the street. Jule Styne and Sammy Cahn's "Three Coins in the Fountain," a trite title song for a trite movie, got a rendition that might have worked better in La Scala, but the same pair's "Time After Time," from "It Happened in Brooklyn," was lilting and lovely.
Gillett was joined by his pianist and musical director, Jeff Cubeta, on "I'm Wishing," from Walt Disney's first full-length hit, "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," from 1938, with Cubeta singing the echo from the bottom of the well. The mix was just right.
He opened on a bright note with a 1907 song by Joseph Santly, "At the Moving Picture Ball," a red-carpet list from days of yore and a song often performed by Bobby Short. The last few songs also offered a great deal of maturity and a lot less familiarity, a fine combination and a rising crescendo to the finale, "At the Rialto," a John Kander-Fred Ebb beauty from "All About Us." They included Rupert Holmes' "Widescreen," with the simple truth line that "Life's a disappointment when you live on celluloid," and "I'm Easy," the Keith Carradine song that he sings to Lily Tomlin in Robert Altman's classic movie, "Nashville."
Gillett made some superb choices, and they worked delightfully in his multi-layered baritone.
Widescreen: Songs From and About the Movies, performed by Eric Michael Gillett at the Kranzberg Arts Center, tonight, tomorrow and Saturday at 8 p.m.
–Joe
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Triston Wetmore
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