Mandy Patinkin in Concert *** TNT
Mandy Patinkin is a performer right down to his fingertips, and a Performance (definitely with a capital “P”) is just what you get in his solo show, an amalgam of well known favourites and more obscure musical theatre songs which also includes a speech from The Tempest and a plea for peace.
Probably best known over here for his role in the long-running TV series Chicago Hope, Patinkin (informally dressed in black, with casual white trainers) never lets you forget that he’s not just a singer, but an established serious actor too, with awards and nominations going back to his portrayal of Che in Evita almost thirty years ago.
We get very little biographical detail – his sons get a mention, as does a male bonding interlude with fellow Juilliard graduate William Hurt. The emotion is all in the delivery of the songs. At times, the words seem to be almost wrenched from the bottom of his soul – so much so that there were occasions when I’d rather just have heard the result than witnessed the effort taken to achieve it.
But he also has a lighter, playful side – his rich tenor voice reaches notes high enough to impersonate a little girl, there’s a brief Charlie Chaplin walk, and a snippet of White Christmas sung in Yiddish! Sondheim fans are in for a treat (Sunday in the Park with George features heavily) and Patinkin’s emphatic style demands attention.
Yet despite his showmanship, he’s also generous in his praise of pianist Ben Toth who (apparently drafted in at the eleventh hour) provides two hours of quietly unobtrusive accompaniment to songs as wide ranging as John Lennon’s Imagine and Jalvert’s impassioned prayer from Les Mis.
Duke of York’s, St Martin’s Lane, WC2 (0870 060 6623). Until 18th January.£25- £35
Mandy Patinkin is a performer right down to his fingertips, and a Performance (definitely with a capital “P”) is just what you get in his solo show, an amalgam of well known favourites and more obscure musical theatre songs which also includes a speech from The Tempest and a plea for peace.
Probably best known over here for his role in the long-running TV series Chicago Hope, Patinkin (informally dressed in black, with casual white trainers) never lets you forget that he’s not just a singer, but an established serious actor too, with awards and nominations going back to his portrayal of Che in Evita almost thirty years ago.
We get very little biographical detail – his sons get a mention, as does a male bonding interlude with fellow Juilliard graduate William Hurt. The emotion is all in the delivery of the songs. At times, the words seem to be almost wrenched from the bottom of his soul – so much so that there were occasions when I’d rather just have heard the result than witnessed the effort taken to achieve it.
But he also has a lighter, playful side – his rich tenor voice reaches notes high enough to impersonate a little girl, there’s a brief Charlie Chaplin walk, and a snippet of White Christmas sung in Yiddish! Sondheim fans are in for a treat (Sunday in the Park with George features heavily) and Patinkin’s emphatic style demands attention.
Yet despite his showmanship, he’s also generous in his praise of pianist Ben Toth who (apparently drafted in at the eleventh hour) provides two hours of quietly unobtrusive accompaniment to songs as wide ranging as John Lennon’s Imagine and Jalvert’s impassioned prayer from Les Mis.
Duke of York’s, St Martin’s Lane, WC2 (0870 060 6623). Until 18th January.£25- £35
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