I’m A Stranger Here Myself
(© Carol Rosegg)
Mark Nadler’s I’m A Stranger Here Myself is a hybrid between a one-man musical and cabaret show. Produced by the York Theatre Company and directed by David Schweizer, Nadler takes audiences on a multilingual history lesson beginning with Weimar-era Germany through the Holocaust.
The dragging hour-and-forty-five-minute-long show attempts to explore the Jewish European expatriate experience using German and French artists such as Kurt Weill, Friedrich Hollaender, Lotte Lenya, and Marlene Dietrich as examples. The overzealous Nadler weaves facts about the era into a personal story that he strictly forbids any audience member to discuss, using the warning from the film Witness for the Prosecution to support his confusing demand. Nadler attempts to liven a dull subject for the majority of viewers with songs from the era. Regrettably, most of them are sung in poorly pronounced French and German accents. These songs are supported by accordion player Franca Vercelloni and violinist Jessica Tyler Wright, who, despite their ill-fitting costumes, aid the flailing show with over-the-top facial expressions and reactions to Nadler’s many humorous attempts.
The set design appears to be the convoluted motif of a retro cruise ship, which Nadler sings about using his center stage-situated baby grand piano. The odd orange backdrop and lighting do not aid the show’s already-dated feeling. James Morgan’s set also features a large projection screen by Justin West. The flashy images to which Nadler frequently refers are a combination of a 1990s-style PowerPoint presentation and a clichéd Bar Mitzvah video, which further support discussions about his Jewish heritage.
Nadler is no doubt a gifted storyteller and has the energy, stamina, and enthusiasm to remain a successful singer, but he should stick to the cabaret scene instead of trying to uphold a tiresome and tedious one-man musical. By the end of the show, all previous acceptance of Nadler’s quirky passion for the subject is lost. If the musical was transformed into a briefer cabaret show, audience members might stay engrossed for the length of his performance. Nadler’s energy seems to be draining on everyone except himself. It is obvious that he has put a great deal of effort and emotion into this one-man piece, but it needs to be cut down to a single act. Despite the countless shortcomings, Nadler does put his heart into I’m A Stranger Here Myself and his vocals are wonderful even when the songs, in this context, are not.
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