Love and Death and an American Guitar

Toby Francis has one of those voices. He can sing clean and crisp notes in the stratosphere one moment and warm, chesty tones down two octaves the next. Effortlessly.

Jim Steinman’s music is a good fit, then, to show off Francis’ incredible range and superb voice.

Love and Death and an American Guitar tells two stories simultaneously – that of Steinman’s constant struggle for royalties, respect and recognition, and the attempt to finish writing his incomplete musical, Neverland.

Most would know Steinman for his rock and pop hits including “Bat Out of Hell,” “Total Eclipse of the Heart” and “Holding Out For a Hero.” Fewer would be aware of Steinman’s extensive musical theatre work – such as lyrics for Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Whistle Down the Wind and music for Tanz der Vampire.

Showcasing Steinman’s greatest hits within the context of restoring his unfinished retelling of the Peter Pan-inspired Neverland is clever. Neverland almost begs to be produced as a future musical production.

The ongoing dialogue of Steinman’s career frustration could be better bridged with the workshopping of Neverland. Perhaps the metaphor of Hook as the nemesis and Steinman as Peter could be threaded together for purposes of the cabaret.

Musical Director Andrew Worboys is electric, providing buckets of energy and grit to build what is – out of necessity – a stage bereft of the rock band begging to accompany Francis. Worboys’ backing vocals and narration are pitch-perfect and his musical accompaniment is outstanding. Noni McCallum possesses a killer voice in her own right as Francis' other back-up singer and ‘wows’ with her seemingly limitless high-belt.

Maryann Wright