Jeffrey Wright is an affable sort of guy, and he's performed to critical acclaim in recent productions of Pippin and High Fidelity. He has an everyman sort of quality that allows him to take on a variety of lead roles and remain perfectly charming, even when his character isn't. His cabaret show, An Evening with Mr. Wright, which played a return engagement at the Kranzberg Arts Center, provided me with the opportunity to see how his talent would translate to a more intimate setting. And, while I'm impressed with the confidence and sincerity he projects on stage, I feel he's still finding his voice as a singer.

Starting off with the bouncy swing of Harry Connick's “Recipe for Love,” Wright seemed completely at ease and in his element. He paused to explain how his desire to perform reached back to his youth, showing a photograph him wearing a corduroy jacket and carrying a toy microphone. He talked about his early years in Little Rock, AR, watching musicals with his family and singing along with those classic tunes. This led into a slowed down rendition of “On the Street Where You Live” from My Fair Lady.

A lovely version of Roger Miller's “River in the Rain” was followed by the plaintive number, “I Was Here” (The Glorious Ones). A sadly pedestrian turn on Elton John and Bernie Taupin's classic rock standard “Your Song” led into “Laura, Laura” (High Fidelity), before the tempo picked up a bit for Randy Newman's “You've Got a Friend in Me” (Toy Story). A couple more ballads followed, including Charlie Chaplin's “Smile,” before a humorous snippet of “Tomorrow” (Annie) broke the mood, and provoked the intended derisive response. This allowed Wright to swing a little bit with “That's Life,” but even this number was given a subdued treatment.

A run through George and Ira Gershwin's “They Can't Take That Away from Me” neatly segued into Ben Folds' “The Luckiest”—easily Wright's most inspired choice of the night. But, then I'm a huge fan of Folds' complete oeuvre. Cy Coleman and Carolyn Leigh's “The Best is Yet to Come” provided Wright with an upbeat closer, and then he returned for a single encore of “Corner of the Sky”(Pippin), which actually fit his vocal style much better.

Neal Richardson offered up his usual splendid accompaniment on piano, providing a sensitive and technically proficient background for Wright. They work well together, and their interplay is amusing. I only wish there were more uptempo numbers to better balance out the evening.

Like many of the young performers who have gravitated toward the burgeoning cabaret scene in recent years, Wright is still developing his act. But if he can continue to grow and stretch his range and his material, he'll likely find an audience eager to hear the results.

Chris Gibson
Cabaret Scenes
March 14, 2009
www.cabaretscenes.org