The Actor’s Group’s staging last night of “It’s Delightful, It’s De Lovely, It’s December!” was a no-brainer. To add to the alliteration in the show’s theme, it’s delicious, it’s debonair, and it’s delirious. It’s demanding, too. And a dandy!
Two terrific singers, Shari Lynn and guest buddy Mary Gutzi, made their debut together in a holiday special. In side-by-side collaboration, in solo struts, they’re dandy. Togetherness paid off; they’re highly compatible.
Shari wore a bejeweled white pants suit, Gutzi donned a black ensemble. That was the extent of their differences.
Both have profound skills in Broadway theater, Gutzi with credits on the Great White Way and on stages around the globe, Shari in a number of triumphs on local stages, principally at Diamond Head Theatre.
And clearly, this was a demanding gig, surely a test drive for TAG, which likely is thinking of a future tradition in the making. TAG billed it as “a dark night series,” meaning a show presented in the little theater’s stage in-between the season’s show’s off nights. There were two performances, at 4 and 7 p.m.; I attended the first show.
Backed by the indispensable Jim Howard on electric keyboard, Shari and Gutzi surely know how to deliver a melody. They are seasoned troupers who really sell a song.
The evening was simply a showcase of the individual talents, but also a demonstration of unity, sisterhood, and mutual admiration.
“White Christmas” typified their skills, with splendid, expressive harmonics. “Sisters,” not a holiday tune, demonstrated their melodic bond.
Shari’s “Santa Baby” was sultry and sexy.
Gutzi’s “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” captured the seasonal gusto.
There were funny stuff, like “It’s Christmas and We’re Jewish,” with cultural pokes. And Shari took the lead on an outrageous, giddy but joyous parody of two tunes, “My Favorite Things” and “Rudolph the Red-Nose Reindeer, with lyrics that were naughtier than nice.
Gutzi’s shining non-Christmas moments including “Lullaby of Broadway,” which was an introduction to her Broadway past and her role as Mary Magdalene in a touring company of “Jesus Christ Superstar,” and thus she offered a medley of “Everything’s Alright” and “I Don’t Know How to Love Him,” reflecting her projection savvy.
“Silent Night” also was a beaut, another give-and-take contribution, Gutzi singing in English, Shari rendering periodic Hawaiian translations.
Gutzi’s “O Holy Night” solo was another keeper, delivered with rich emotion.
The closing number, “Happy Days Are Here Again,” was a bit of an oddity and perhaps a holiday hope that the clouds of life will vanish. If the wish was for the sun to come out tomorrow, there’s a Broadway classic that also expresses this wish…
‘Harry Potter’ has Broadway magic
There’s been a major surprise in the No. 1-grossing Broadway play: “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” outgrossed the usual musicals for the coveted spot for the first time, for the week ending Dec. 7. Perhaps a bit of hocus pocus helped the popular drama.
The Top 10:
1—”Harry Potter and the Cursed Child,” $2.939 million
2—“Hamilton,” $2.745 million
3—”Wicked,” $2.700 million
4—”The Lion King,” $2.410 million
5–“Chess,” $1.955 million
6—”Mamma Mia!,” $1.871 million
7—”ART,” $1.594 million
8—”Death Becomes Her,” $1.491 million
9—”MJ the Musical,” $1.462 million
10—“Just in Time,” $1.448 million
The complete list, courtesy the Broadway Guild:
And that’s Show Biz…