August 5-11, 2004

theater

Once in a Lifetime: The Anthony Newley Songbook

by David Anthony Fox

theater review

Anthony Newley?? Before seeing the simply marvelous show that singer-bandleader Eddie Bruce has concocted, I was ready to consign Newley — that handsome British luvvie extraordinaire — to his own Jeopardy! category, namely '60s kitsch.

After all, Newley romanced some of the great sex kittens of the era (he married Joan Collins and had an affair with Diana Dors). In 1969, he directed one of the all-time cult flop films, amazingly titled Can Hieronymous Merkin Ever Forget Mercy Humppe and Find True Happiness?. As a performer, he's best remembered for the original Dr. Dolittle (1967). And among the songs he composed, the one that stuck out in my mind — "The Candyman" — is, for better and worse, an absolute distillation of its moment.

What brave, tanned lounge lizard in an ultrasuede jumpsuit would try to rescue Newley's reputation as a songwriter?

Well, shut my mouth and meet Eddie Bruce. The Philadelphia-based Bruce believes fervently in Newley's material — and dammit, by the end of the evening, we do, too.

First, Bruce reminds us that, in fact, Newley's canon of songs is vast and varied, including several big hits I had forgotten he'd written: "Gonna Build A Mountain," "Once in a Lifetime," etc. Newley had two Broadway musicals to his credit: Stop The World I Want to Get Off, and The Roar of the Greasepaint — Smell of the Crowd. (I do wish he'd liked shorter titles, given my word limit.)

Best of all, Bruce sings this material with just the right combination of heart and showmanship. He has a first-rate voice that's perfect for this — a chocolaty baritone with a slight, sexy rasp that can deliver climactic tenorial high notes both loud and soft. Newley's songs tend to self-abasing drama ("What Kind of Fool Am I?") — no wonder they were favorites of Judy Garland and Shirley Bassey — and like those divas, Bruce isn't afraid of supersizing his emotional delivery. Yet he can do intimacy, too, and some of the smaller moments in the show (impeccably played by a combo including pianist Dean Schneider, Kevin MacConnell on bass and Bob Farina on drums) are equally satisfying.

Finally, no matter how good the musical values, a cabaret show ultimately stands on the charm of its performer. Here Bruce is simply superb, holding the audience in the palm of his hand with genuine warmth and witty patter. I can think of several far more famous performers who could take a lesson from this veteran Philadelphian.

The only downside is that Bruce's show has already closed — but given the cheering audience, surely he'll be asked back very soon.

ONCE IN A LIFETIME: THE ANTHONY NEWLEY SONGBOOK July 28, Morgan's Cabaret at the Prince Music Theater