Broadway Voices is a vocal quartet of members of The New York City Gay Men’s Chorus who, like Uptown Express, have been singing in their own shows for about two years. The current show features the songs of Richard Maltby Jr. and David Shire, whose major Broadway shows have been Big and Baby, although they have had off-Broadway shows (The Sap of Life, Closer Than Ever, Starting Here, Starting Now) and at least three of their songs have become cabaret staples: "If I Sing," "I Don’t Remember Christmas" and "Starting Here, Starting Now." In addition, Shire has composed many film scores and Maltby has established himself as a successful theater director.

Maltby & Shire’s Broadway songs are very wedded to the plots of their musicals. Few of them stand alone without the benefit of the plot’s lead in. After few bars of "Closer Than Ever," "Doors," a song about expectations, is sung by the full group. Dan Boille, Eric Saggese, Sonelius Kendrick Smith, and Phil Zipkin each have individual personalities and they sing great harmony, but in a smaller room their volume can be overpowering and works against the intimacy. They could do well without microphones.

Several songs meant to be sung by heterosexual couples are adapted to to gay relationships. “You Want to Be My Friend,” about a man whose live-in lover breaks the news that he only wants to be a friend, is sung energetically by Zipkin to Smith. The humorous and moving trilogy, “Fatherhood Blues” from Baby, easily adapts to same-sex parents. A torchy "It’s Never That Easy" is sung effectively and intimately during a quiet moment in the set, as is "Starting Here, Starting Now."

The real find is “Earth Bound,” a beautiful song sung by Amelia Earhart from Take Flight, a musical about several aviators. The lyrics express Earhart’s desire to reach for the stars, but she is “earthbound” until “he” appears and now she’ll never be earthbound again. “When you sailed into my life, I can fly.” This one also works well with same-gender singers, and whets the appetite for the new show.

Joe Regan, Jr.
Cabaret Scenes
April 25, 2009
www.cabaretscenes.org