Christine Ebersole dazzled with vocal proficiency in Fort Lauderdale on Saturday, with the accompaniment of Seth Rudetsky
SHADE-O-METER RATING
4 OUTTA 5 WERKS: “SHE GAVE GOOD FACE – SHE SERVED IT”
Who’s Christine Ebersole? She’s a two-time Tony-winning actress and singer. Who’s Seth Rudetsky? He’s a musical-theater historian, radio host, pianist, writer and actor. What’s Parker Playhouse? It’s a neo-classical theater in Fort Lauderdale. It opened in 1967, and it holds about 1,200 people. How was the venue? Slightly ostentatious. How was the parking? They have valet, or you can park in grass lots and walk a short distance to the venue. Does the venue serve liquor? Yes. They have a full bar.
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How were the drinks? Wine was $9 for a single and $14 for a double. We didn’t get any liquor. Does the venue serve food? No. How much were the tickets? $57. Where were the seats? About in the middle. Was the show sold out? No. It was about 2/3 full. How was the crowd? The crowd was so old that one would be loath to take a bet that someone wouldn’t kick the bucket before Ebersole sung her last note (but the Geritol must have kicked in—or something—because they pepped-up when Ebersole first came out).
How was the show? The show was presented as a retrospective journey of Ebersol’s career, with Rudetsky acting as both the interviewer and accompanist. After the opening song, Ebersole and Rudetsky went back and forth all night between chairs and the microphone/piano. They talked about Ebersole’s career, and then she sung a number (or two) as an example from it. The ratio between song and talk was about 2:1—Ebersole talked for about 10 minutes, and then the song took five minutes. Ebersole fittingly began the show with “The Lullaby of Broadway,” and she ended it with “Send in the Clowns.” In total, she sung 11 songs, including the encore. The biggest response that Ebersole got was for “Around the World” from Grey Gardens and “Pink” from War Paint. Of the two, “Pink” got the greater reaction, including a standing ovation.
How was Ebersole’s voice? Unlike, for example, Patti Lupone, who’s all belt, Ebersole really has two voices. There’s the “legitimate” head voice, and there’s a jazz-inspired chest voice. She excels with both, but the head voice is probably stronger and more impressive. And there was no better example of her expertise with it than with her version of “The Simple Joys of Maidenhood” from Camelot.
What could have improved the show? Given that Ebersole is not a natural storyteller (Rudetsky is better at this than her), the show could have used some editing—the backstory parts should have been shorter. Despite this, there were some interesting anecdotes, such as when she described the struggles of making it in show business: “I was waiting tables at the time, and I got the call to play the Madeline Kahn part in the Paper Moon musical. So, I told them, ‘I’ve got to leave you, little people. The Great White Way calls.’ But I got the shock of my life when the show didn’t open, and three weeks later I had to crawl back with my tail between my legs, and I was back to waiting tables again. It took me three years after that before I finally got I Love My Wife on Broadway.” What was surprising about the show? That someone one would dare bring an infant to it.
Parker Playhouse is located at 707 Northeast 8th St., in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
