For more than four years, acclaimed British musical theatre actor and choreographer Gavin Lee has been charming critics and winning the public’s heart with his sensational portrayal of Bert in the Disney musical, Mary Poppins.  Soon to leave the Broadway production for a much needed three month rest before heading to Chicago to star in the National Tour of Poppins in January, Lee took the Metropolitan Room by storm in a one-night only cabaret; something he’s never done before, either in London or here in New York.  The result can only be described as ‘supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!’  Possessed with a million-dollar smile and square-jawed handsomeness that brings to mind a boy-next-door in a Herb Ritts photo, Lee has a brassy, lyric baritone perfectly suited to musical theatre repertoire, as well as a commanding stage presence that he channeled to perfection in his nightclub debut.

For someone who has never done a cabaret show before, Lee appeared remarkably calm and in total control of the room.  Deftly accompanied by Stephen Bocchino, who also occasionally provided backing vocals, Lee’s musical choices were inspired, varied and, with very few exceptions, rarely heard.  He credited no writer or director, but Lee did thank cabaret veteran Craig Pomranz at the end of the show for his help and guidance.  Pomranz deserves special praise if his hand guided Lee’s maiden effort as the transitions were smooth, the patter delightful, and Lee’s presentation polished and professional.

Opening with a clever use of “I Want To Go Home” from David Shire’s 1996 musical Big, Lee then segued into a medley of two songs from the show he claimed was his West End debut, the 1985 production of Me and My Girl, which starred Robert Lindsay and Emma Thompson.  Both the title song and “Once You Lose Your Heart” were beautifully performed with Lee’s burnished timbre, but true theatre devotees knew that Lee’s actual West End debut was two years earlier (when he was only 11) in the Paul Williams musical Bugsy Malone, based on the 1976 Alan Parker musical-film which starred a then unknown Scott Baio and Jodie Foster.  (Unbelievably, one of Lee’s cast-mates in that infamous stage debacle was 13-year old Catherine Zeta-Jones who played the leading role of Tallulah, Foster’s role from the film.)  But we won’t hold that against him.

More interesting selections followed, including several unexpected medley’s that, while perhaps questionable on-paper, proved knock-outs on-stage: the Gershwin’s classic “A Foggy Day” coupled with the John Mayer hit, “City Love”; a medley of “I Like Her” (from the recent Summer of ’42) joined with Cole Porter’s “Night and Day”; and Kander & Ebb’s “Coffee in a Cardboard Cup” married to Sondheim’s “Everybody Says Don’t” all displayed Lee’s versatility with a lyric and winning acting chops.  Surprisingly, I never thought I’d hear anyone sing “Big-Ass Rock” from The Full Monty in a cabaret act but Lee pulled it off with delightful ingenuity.

Half-way through the show, Lee’s wife of six years, the American-born actress Emily Harvey, joined him on-stage for a cute duet of “Any Place I Hang My Hat Is Home” to illuminate the challenges of travel for an actor, as well as to highlight the fact that she’ll be joining him on the tour of Mary Poppins.  Harvey, who has a strong and lovely lyric soprano, then performed a delicious solo version of “Dancing on the Ceiling” by Rodgers & Hart, which, if you’ve seen Lee in action as Bert in Poppins, will be self-explanatory.  To conclude the show, a clever duet of “It Was Nice” from Ahrens & Flaherty’s Lucky Stiff with Bocchino preceded Sondheim’s “Take Me to the World” and Lee’s encore of “Make Someone Happy” from Do-Re-Mi.  Throughout the show, the lights and sound provided by Michael Barbieri were perfection and Lee looked as if he’s been doing this kind of intimate performing all his life.  Let’s hope he decides to do it again soon.

David Hurst
Cabaret Scenes
August 31, 2007
www.cabaretscenes.org