Cabaret Scenes Review - Gerard Kenny

Gerard Kenny has been pleasing audiences with his music for many decades now. This was proved by the enthusiastic response of his audience of fans.

I have to admit, everything about the show felt dated to me. It was a bit like a 1970s/1980s time warp, but not in a retro way. This can work when you perform to an audience who has come to hear your old standards, along with some new material. However, it doesn’t work for a new audience, especially a younger one. I feel almost unpatriotic saying this, but when it came to flag-waving and whistle blowing (during “New York, New York (So Good They Named it Twice),” I just couldn’t bring myself to participate. However, the rest of the audience seemed to know when to blow and when to wave, and even joined in singing parts of the song. Much of the chat between songs also felt very old-fashioned, and stuck in the past. If Gerard wants to increase his fan base, which all performers need to do, a bit of an update is necessary.

I realise his style is his own, but one song in particular, Murray Grand and Elisse Boyd’s “Guess Who I Saw Today,” didn’t work because his arrangement/style just didn’t do the lyrics justice. His best song of the night was “I Made It Through the Rain” (for which Gerard was a co-composer), which he sang truthfully and simply, as he did Paul Simon’s “Still Crazy After All These Years.” I also appreciated his “Son of a Song and Dance Man,” in which he was truly in his element. He’s comfortable at the piano, and plays it effortlessly and beautifully.

I spend a lot of time at Pizza on the Park, and this is the first show I’ve ever been to there, or anywhere else for that matter, with a 45-minute interval between sets. It might be OK for fan club members, but for the rest of us, it’s far too long.

After a year of health issues, it’s good to see Gerard back performing, which will doubtless do him good. It’s also terrific to see the wonderful support he has.

It’s obvious this show isn’t my cup of tea, but it’s clearly a crowd-pleaser for his fans who adore him. Gerard will be returning to Pizza on the Park on May 8.

Harold Sanditen
Cabaret Scenes
April 12, 2010
www.cabaretscenes.org



	Gerard Kenny Pizza on the Park London, UK
Gerard Kenny has been pleasing audiences with his music for many decades now. This was proved by the enthusiastic response of his audience of fans. I have to admit, everything about the show felt dated to me. It was a bit like a 1970s/1980s time warp, but not in a retro way. This can work when you perform to an audience who has come to hear your old standards, along with some new material. However, it doesn’t work for a new audience, especially a younger one. I feel almost unpatriotic saying this, but when it came to flag-waving and whistle blowing (during “New York, New York (So Good They Named it Twice),” I just couldn’t bring myself to participate. However, the rest of the audience seemed to know when to blow and when to wave, and even joined in singing parts of the song. Much of the chat between songs also felt very old-fashioned, and stuck in the past. If Gerard wants to increase his fan base, which all performers need to do, a bit of an update is necessary. I realise his style is his own, but one song in particular, Murray Grand and Elisse Boyd’s “Guess Who I Saw Today,” didn’t work because his arrangement/style just didn’t do the lyrics justice. His best song of the night was “I Made It Through the Rain” (for which Gerard was a co-composer), which he sang truthfully and simply, as he did Paul Simon’s “Still Crazy After All These Years.” I also appreciated his “Son of a Song and Dance Man,” in which he was truly in his element. He’s comfortable at the piano, and plays it effortlessly and beautifully. I spend a lot of time at Pizza on the Park, and this is the first show I’ve ever been to there, or anywhere else for that matter, with a 45-minute interval between sets. It might be OK for fan club members, but for the rest of us, it’s far too long. After a year of health issues, it’s good to see Gerard back performing, which will doubtless do him good. It’s also terrific to see the wonderful support he has. It’s obvious this show isn’t my cup of tea, but it’s clearly a crowd-pleaser for his fans who adore him. Gerard will be returning to Pizza on the Park on May 8. Harold Sanditen Cabaret Scenes April 12, 2010 www.cabaretscenes.org

Gerard Kenny

Pizza on the ParkLondon, UK

Pizza on the Park
London, UK