Karen Mason at Feinstein’s 54/Below – Broadway is Her Native Tongue
Nifty new lyrics by Barry Kleinbort spotlight “Seasons of Love” (Jonathan Larsen – Rent) which pairs with “Hey There Good Times” (Cy Coleman/Michael Stewart- I Love My Wife) for an upbeat opening to Karen Mason’s latest offering. As she segues from one to the other, the artist bounces slightly, twirls, pats her thigh, and side steps just enough to get us bobbing along. Punctuating gestures are selective. Focus is on lyric meaning. Kleinbort’s clever “Vaccinatin’ Rhythm” follows, a small gem.* This “very belated birthday bash,” put off since 2020, is an amalgam of songs with no particular vertebrae but for a smidgen of past theater appearances connected by anecdotal history.
“If I Close My Eyes” (Billy Goldenberg/Marilyn Bergman and Alan Bergman) accompanied by Chris Denny’s floaty piano is ruminative. Mason’s completely still, both hands cradling the microphone, savoring emotion. She’s one of very few few vocalists who can hold an unwavering, often burnished quiet note.
A deftly intertwined “Golden Boy” (Charles Strouse/Lee Adams – Golden Boy) and “One Boy” (Charles Strouse/ Lee Adams – Bye Bye Birdie) features Tom Hubbard’s subtly vibrating bass. Mason manifests resonant yearning. Two couples seated near me take one another’s hands. “Mr. Monotony” (Irving Berlin-cut from Easter Parade–this version from Jerome Robbins’ Broadway) begins with a cool, syncopated turn by Hubbard. I can’t help but wish the entire song would continue with only his instrument backing Mason. Alas, no. Denny’s fresh rejiggering of a tandem “On Broadway” (Barry Mann/Cynthia Weil/Jerry Leiber/Mike Stoller) and “Broadway Baby” (Stephen Sondheim – Follies) is a highlight. Neither brassy nor loud, its mood is darker, its lyrics now bearing gravitas.
There are two signature selections: “Colored Lights” (John Kander/Fred Ebb – The Rink), is a scene-in-one. Here’s the actress. We journey with her swaying between effort to recall and being swept away. And “As If We Never Said Goodbye” (Andrew Lloyd Weber/Don Black/Christopher Hampton – Sunset Boulevard) during which Mason displays the affectation of a silent screen star replete with stylized, exaggerated gesture. Drama works in this artist’s shows because she holds it in reserve.
“Let the Music Play,” A new song by Paul Rolnick and David Friedman emerges anthemic without going over the top. Universal while eschewing cliche, lyrics affect. An excerpt from John Lennon/Paul McCartney’s “In My Life” is finely gauged; real.
Mason’s in fine voice and, as always, projects authenticity and class. She knows when to saturate and when to pare down. Direction is subtle. Like two previous headliners I’ve seen however, the performer looks directly at/connects with her audience less than that to which we’re accustomed with her. Undoubtedly the toll of being away from live performance.
Vaccinatin’ Rhythm, with permission from Barry Kleinbort:
Vaccinatin’ Rhythm/I’m following your lead/Vaccinatin’ Rhythm/I need protection/ I’m so tired of frettin’/My neighbors want to know/When I’m fin’lly gettin’/My first injection/They tell me that I’ll see the world/That used to be/Vaccinatin’ Rhythm/I’m with ‘em/So vaccinate me…
Photos by Maryann Lopinto
Karen Mason at Feinstein’s 54/Below
Director- Barry Kleinbort
Musical Director/Arranger/Piano-Christopher Denny
Bass-Tom Hubbard
Feinstein’s 54/Below
254 West 54th Street
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