David Gurland and Brian Farley have two of the most beautiful voices in the cabaret scene. Individually, both David and Brian (in his act with his brother) have won prestigious awards from the cabaret community. In their first joint act they are joined by pianist/singer/songwriter/music director Tracy Stark, herself a recent MAC Award winner, in a tribute to perhaps the greatest American song writing partnership, Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein. All the brilliant arrangements were by Stark and she joined in on lyrics and comments at select times. Somehow she made her piano sound like a full orchestra in many of the selections.

The opening was David and Brian as choir boys singing "Morning Hymn" and "Alleluia" from The Sound of Music immediately followed by a humorous duet of "Do Re Mi." They announced that they had two things in common. The second is that both of them were in The King and I in high school. Brian played the young lover and David played the King, both swathed in body makeup, (a photo of young David in King drag adorned the entrance table!) David in his glorious tenor sang "Hello Young Lovers" and Brian a heartbreaking "I Have Dreamed." David finished with "Something Wonderful." The unusual aspect of this show is that none of the genders of the songs were changed, giving a strong sensitive insight into young gay men, and giving new meaning to many of the lyrics. David followed this trio with a rollicking "Wonderful Guy" from South Pacific and Brian sang the verse and all the lyrics to "It Might As Well Be Spring" ("from a man I’ve yet to meet/I feel so gay, in a melancholy way"). The next duet was "Love Look Away" from Flower Drum Song (sung by Brian with the verse) and "This Nearly Was Mine" from South Pacific sung by David, in a great arrangement by Stark.

Humor was not left out of the show. Neither one of them dancers, they mentioned the contribution of the R&H shows to dance and did mocking renditions of "Shall We Dance," "June Is Bustin’ Out All Over," "Kansas City," "Honey Bun," "Small House of Uncle Thomas" and "Happy Talk," doing all the great gestures that the choruses would do behind each of those songs as they sang them. It was a hoot to see the two them attempting DeMille steps and Jerome Robbins gestures!

The two highlights of the show were sensitive individual solos. Brian told a moving story of how he never connected with his father as a youth until one day, watching the movie The Sound of Music on TV, (which the child Brian loved) sitting on his father’s lap, he heard his father emit a deep sigh just before the song "Something Good" when Von Trapp proposed to Maria. Brian sang the song tenderly and with great sensitivity.

David followed with "What’s The Use of Won'drin'?" Now, in his book, Lyrics, Hammerstein stated that the one lyric he wished he would have changed is the last line in the song "And all the rest is talk" because "talk" has a harsh vowel sound for singers to sing. David took that word and held that difficult vowel for a long, long time, adding a glorious finish to his heartbreaking understanding of the song.

The last medley was devoted to how advanced the Hammerstein books and lyrics were in terms of social justice, dealing with interracial love when it was still banned in many states before desegregation. The two sang "Carefully Taught," "We Kiss in a Shadow" and finished with "You’ll Never Walk Alone," which inspired them as youths with hope in their hearts.

And their encore: "I Enjoy Being a Girl," a boisterously entertaining way to end the unusual evening! Rodgers & Hammerstein would be proud and if Gurland and Farley do this show again, don’t miss it!

David Gurland and Brian Farley Sing Rodgers and Hammerstein return to the Beechman July 31.

Joe Regan, Jr.
Cabaret Scenes
July 24, 2008
www.cabaretscenes.org