On the young side of twenty-something, Scott Gryder is better grounded in cabaret than many boasting double his lifespan. His debut solo cabaret, Not at My Audition, tells with wit and heart Gryder’s struggles to become a performer. Shows about singers’ quests often resonate self-indulgent and may be avoided like swine flu. However, Gryder’s journey does not convey that: we relate to the knot in the stomach as we wistfully leave home to risk dreams. We understand the goal-ascending experience of two steps forward and one step back. Team Gryder chose well in mixing standards and new songwriters and minimizing reprises. The hour-long show seemed shorter. Gryder brings an excellent, supple tenor yet gets that cabaret is foremost about words and emotions. He’s known as a belter but in the intimate performance deck within Club 3160, he instinctively knew to step on the pedal less. The story of his professional seduction of A+ musical director Nick Sula with “On a Slow Boat to China” is especially charming. Gryder’s version of his Latina mother’s pep talk in an over-accented “Everything’s Coming Up Roses” rings as true as it does bigtime funny. Keep an eye on this one; he’s gonna be Gryding high.

Carla Gordon
Cabaret Scenes
July 26, 2009
www.cabaretscenes.org