The Researchers
Most people don’t know the name, let alone the work, of Roger Edens. It’s one of the unique pleasures of cabaret that you can find, in a New York club like Danny’s Skylight Room, a show that highlights the life and work of this important yet largely unsung composer/lyricist/producer. In fact, The Roger Edens Songbook is the kind of act that gives life to the very concept of cabaret.
Edens worked at M-G-M during that studio’s golden age, from the 1930s into the ’50s. Often overlooked by fans and historians because of his subordinate position to Arthur Freed, the kingpin producer of M-G-M musicals, Edens wrote tunes for more than a dozen movies that were among the greatest achievements of their era. He worked as an associate producer on more than 25 of these films, in addition to providing music and lyrics for many of them. He is also noteworthy as the one person at M-G-M who believed in the young Judy Garland’s talent before she became a star; Edens was her biggest booster and wrote the “Dear Mr. Gable” section of her version of “You Made Me Love You,” which gave Garland her big break. He would remain closely associated with her throughout their time together at the studio.
Sills put together a superbly researched show that gracefully suggested Edens’ contributions to the great American songbook. Without overstating the man’s impact, Sills gave us a context for Edens’ work and thereby opened a window into Hollywood’s creative process. We learned that movies essentially written by others contained songs composed either in part or in their entirety by Edens; for instance, while Edens didn’t write most of the score for Singin’ in the Rain, he did come up with the music and lyrics for the “Moses Supposes” number. And though we think of Panama Hattie as a Cole Porter musical, Edens wrote “Hattie from Panama” for the film version of Porter’s show.
Sills had a bad cold on the night we saw him perform. Still, even if his voice was not up to its usual level, the show was really about the fascinating information that he delightfully delivered in patter and in song. The tone of the show was gently loving, demonstrating Sills’ awareness that Edens was not a world-class composer. It was also sharply amusing in Sills’ references to the bigger-than-life stars with whom Edens worked, such as Ethel Merman, Danny Kaye, Fred Astaire, and — of course — Garland. Great anecdotes, effective vocals, and engaging arrangements by musical director Ed Goldshneider all helped to create a show as insightful as it was entertaining.
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Research comes in a variety of forms. For her show at Judy’s Chelsea, Fresh as a Daisy, Carol Shedlin and musical director Jon Delfin have done an impressive amount of song excavation, mining the hidden corners of the Great American Songbook to unearth a number of lesser-known gems.
Loosely structured around the songs of Shedlin’s youth, the show is anchored by more famous tunes like “Sweet and Low-Down” (George & Ira Gershwin), “I Let a Song Go Out of My Heart” (Ellington/Mills/Nemo/Redmond), and “In the Still of the Night” (Cole Porter). The program is filled out with obscure but delicious numbers like “The Half-of-it-Dearie Blues” (the Gershwins), “The Mad About Him, Sad About Him, How Can I Be Glad Without Him Blues” (Dick Charles/Larry Markes), and “The Four Months, Three Weeks, Two Days, One Hour Blues” (Robert Wells/Mel Tormé).
Shedlin’s patter is economical and to the point but she delivers it in an off-putting, less-than-spontaneous fashion. What distinguishes the show is the passion that Shedlin displays for her tastefully chosen material. After you get used to the fact that it’s a constant battle for her to hit the right notes, you may come to appreciate how often she hits the right emotional tone. Shedlin may not sing very well but she clearly knows what each song means to her.
Delfin is a particular asset to this show. His arrangements are quite lovely, yet they never overwhelm the small-voiced Shedlin; on the contrary, he and bass player Frank Wagner support the singer with a quiet yet artful delicacy. Shedlin and company have another show coming up at Judy’s Chelsea on Thursday, November 21 at 8:30pm.
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[More reviews by the Siegels can be found at www.cabarethotlineonline.com. For information on the First Annual Nightlife Awards, to be co-presented by Scott Siegel in January at The Town Hall, click here]
