Always: The Love Story of Irving Berlin
If we ever got to elect an all-time American Songwriter Laureate, I'd vote for Irving Berlin. There would be debates — some of his contemporaries are prized for their special skills: sardonic urbanity (Cole Porter), complex jazz rhythms (George Gershwin) and devastating pathos (Rodgers and Hart).
But in the end, it's Berlin. He did all of that, and more. From delicate parlor ballads ("Always," "Easter Parade") to rags ("Alexander's Ragtime Band"), to vaudeville-style comedy ("You Can't Get a Man with a Gun"), Berlin wrapped himself around every American idiom, conquering all of them. He's not known for sophistication, but he did that, too: "Let's Face the Music and Dance" is high on my list for greatest pop song ever.
Sadly, though, we rarely get the chance to hear Berlin on the stage — too many of the shows have disappeared. How nice that Always, the "new" Berlin musical, will showcase nearly 50 of the master's tunes, put to use to tell the story of Irving Berlin and his long-term love affair with Ellin Mackay. Always is the brainchild of Mark Nadler and KT Sullivan, two tip-top cabaret performers. It promises to be a lovely evening and a good kickoff for the Prince's mini-Berlin festival, a wonderful way to celebrate a composer whose work will always define America.
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