Tuesday, August 12, 2003

Closing the Fringe with Mom - Part 9

Tell Me On A Sunday
Patty Nieman

Mom says, "She has a truly beautiful voice. It would be a pleasure to listen to her sing just about anything."

After the relay race we'd run for the first two-thirds of the day, having the luxury to just stroll down the block to Illusion Theater, where we'd be for the last two shows of our Fringe marathon, was a welcome respite.

Mom and I had similar reactions to this one. Love Patty. Love her accompaniast. The music? Bleh.

Yes, it's easy to take shots at Andrew Lloyd Webber. But there's a reason for that. His recent work is needlessly repetitive to the point of being maddening.

However, Patty and the music did manage to create a fully-formed human character. We could also discern what was taking place with the unseen characters she sang to and about throughout. Some of the songs are not without their charms.

Any chance to hear Patty sing is a treat. She's an amazing performer. But I found myself wishing I'd been able to find a way to take Mom to see Sisters of Swing instead.

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