Anyone interested in cabaret knows the strong presence John Bucchino’s songs have had in the genre.  His lyrics tell heartfelt stories simply and beautifully and his music always fits perfectly.  So, it’s a joy to actually see the singer/songwriter in person, presenting his songs as he sees them.

Bucchino’s gift to London was a selection of nineteen songs, presented, pretty much in chronological order.  He was joined on stage by three truly amazing singers – Jonny Barr, Alison Jiear, and Sophia Ragavelas – who sang three solos each.

From an intellectual interest point of view, the show is second to none.  It’s such a wonderful insight into a songwriter to know the personal stories behind each song.  Here are some of the more interesting stories and facts:  The second song of the night, “England or Ireland,” was written in high school in the 1970s, with touching lyrics about not having anyone to travel to Dublin with.  It’s easy to see the mature Bucchino in these lyrics, despite it having been written as an adolescent. “Sweet Dreams” was inspired by the poignant vision of two people getting off a bus in L.A.  Bucchino fabricated this amazing story based on that one vision.  Stephen Schwartz convinced him to write for musicals, something Bucchino had little or no interest in, but in 1992 he moved from L.A., to NYC to do just that. Early in his NYC days, he met Sondheim, not having any idea who he was.  Sondheim made reference to Jerry Herman, again, someone not in Bucchino’s vocabulary.  “Waste” was written when Bucchino was in a claw foot bathtub in Bozeman, MT, following a phone call from a friend admitting to a sex addiction – “waste” being the third knob on the tub, after “hot” and “cold.”  “Unexpressed,” Bucchino’s favorite song, was written earlier and had to be put aside for several years.  He rediscovered it when he was moving to New York.  “Playbill” was written for a hunky bartender, and as an homage to Sondheim.  “The Song with the Violins” was written while waiting for someone to arrive for a date.

Musically, Bucchino’s keyboard skills are wonderful, and his voice can convey the emotion of his songs beautifully. However, vocally, the show definitely jumped up a notch when the “friends” appeared.  Alison Jiear sang a gorgeously moving “Temporary,” a heart-wrenching “If I Ever Say I’m Over You” and “Better Than I,” not only emotionally honest, but also the best vocals of the night.  Jonny Barr’s beautiful and simple “Unexpressed” left me wanting more.  His “Taking the Wheel” and “Grateful” were delivered impeccably as well.  Sophia Ragavelas gave truly lovely vocals on “One White Dress” and “Don’t Ever Stop Saying ‘I Love You,’” and treated us to some delicious comedy in “The Song with the Violins.”

Having said all the above, I still have two biggish complaints.  At just under two hours without intermission, the show is too long.  It’s odd to find a wordsmith who, admittedly, hasn’t scripted his chat.  As a result, his stories have a tendency to ramble.  In this instance more is just more, and a bit of “cutting to the chase” is definitely needed.  The other issue is that Bucchino sang with his eyes closed far too often.  From my vantage point, this was exacerbated by his eyeglasses and I often felt I was merely listening and watching, rather than being fully engaged.  Both are simple fixes which will make this a much sharper show.

Harold Sanditen
Cabaret Scenes
August 23, 2011
www.cabaretscenes.org