Let’s raise the roof /Let’s make a scene/Let’s hope the gods of love/Will shine above/And show the way. (“Raise the Roof” – Andrew Lippa) The ebullient harmony of Will and Anthony Nunziata bursts forth from amidst the audience with the effect of nightclub evangelism. Heads turn, attention rivets, eyebrows raise, spirits rise. A little sizzle, a lot of resolve and unusually effective eye contact pave their way to the stage. In the Technicolor version, we’d all be singing Hallelujah!
Among the many suggestions the brothers received in putting together this new act was wear the exact same outfit. Will and Anthony are here to tell us they’re not attached at the hip, but separate men and different. “I Believe in You” (Frank Loesser) sings Will into the mirror, looking appropriately puppy-ingenuous. “This is my brother, Will. I like him. He likes him,” quips Anthony. “A lot of people think we experience things the same way…that’s not the case.”
Will’s rendition of “When I Fall in Love” (Victor Young/Edward Heyman) is almost painfully intimate. His eyes sparkle. A natural sweetness imbues every softly sung phrase…ending with a sigh. Anthony’s already found a “Real Live Girl.” (Cy Coleman/Carolyn Leigh). Tedd Firth’s lush, waltzy piano conjures visions only this brother can see…in the distance…over our heads…inside himself. It’s new for him, yes, but somehow not quite innocent. “One Track Mind” (Marvin Hamlish/Craig Carnelia) begins with Will’s awakened pelvis on the prowl and both brother’s admissions that If you’re lookin’ for one who’s rich/I got nothin’ much…but if you like your lovin…A little two part scat bridges the staccato jive. They’re once again, briefly, comrades in arms.
“I Cannot Hear the City” whenever you’re around Anthony sings to his lady. (Marvin Hamlish/Craig Carnelia) The relationship is clearly new. Anthony is surprised. His second tenor voice sails tenderly and high. Firth keens back and forth as the piano grows heady. For a full verse, it’s as if we are watching waves crash against the shore instead of seeing the couple. Then, araia da capo, a stage whisper returns. “What Can You Lose” with so much to win Will sings. (Stephen Sondheim). “Nothing to Lose But Your Heart” (Stephen Flaherty/Lynn Ahrens) Will again. Now we’re in buoyant pop mode. The voices open up and let fly. Anthony curls his hand in a fist for the long notes, Will opens his.
The meticulously paced evening becomes anecdotal with a story about, and duet from, Stephen Schwartz’s Godspell in which Anthony played Jesus and Will Judas, and the history of a Honey Nut Cheerios jingle. I swear. Performing opposite one another, interrelating, the Nunziatas are completely winsome. Like good juggling, the pass-offs are seamless, the fun infectious. “With a name like Nunziata, we grew up listening to the greats…” The classic Neapolitan “Funiculi Funicula” (Luigi Denza/Peppino Turco), sung partly in Italian, would make Mario Lanza beam with its expansive warmth and affectionate schmaltz. Will in particular has a good time with some mugging.
Numbers about and for family follow. “The Prayer” (David Foster/Carole Bayer Sager) is especially moving. Performed in an arc, it begins restrained with the memory of their grandmother, crescendos, and delicately returns. There may be wet eyes in the house. Mingled songs about looking for love close that (bookmarked) chapter with a beautifully configured duet. Voices soar. The brothers are at different places in their journeys. This is very subtly enacted. (A line or two of dialogue might make it more clear.) Listen to the lyrics.
“Getting Tall,” part of scraping knees if we should fall/part of getting tall… a charming Maury Yeston song acknowledging history and “I Will Never Leave You” (Henry Krieger/Bill Russell) musically cement the relationship. Will and Anthony have spent the evening gracefully circling, singing solos as well as duets, expressing themselves while acknowledging their bond. They recognize and salute one another rather than rest on the easier, expected cliché of twins. The show is more interesting for the decision. A jaunty “Make Someone Happy” (Jule Styne/Betty Comden & Adolf Green) is a lovely way to part company.
Will and Anthony Nunziata are extremely talented, and eminently likeable. At this point low simmered solos seem performed with less vocal precision than upbeat choices, though just as much heart. This is a lively, artfully constructed show. It shines with a kind of freshness. Make someone happy: take them to Feinstein’s this week.
It’s a pleasure to hear the eminent Tedd Firth work his usually jazzy magic on lush, melodic arrangements.
Photo credit: Walter McBride
Will and Anthony Nunziata
Tedd Firth, Musical Director/Piano
Eric Michael Gillett, Director
Feinstein’s at Loews Regency
540 Park Avenue at 61st Street
212-339-4095
Through July 23, 2011
