The Songs That Got Away: The Music of Harold Arlen

The Songs That Got Away: The Music of Harold Arlen
Written and performed by Johanna Allen. Directed by Stuart Maunder. Melbourne Recital Centre. 12th-13th June, 2015 (3 shows only)

Although we don’t see it that often these days, we still know Class when we see it, and Johanna Allen is one very classy lady.

Dressed in an exquisite silver beaded flesh coloured gown, her hair immaculately coiffed, Allen brought all her class to the stage in a cabaret show, that she wrote herself, celebrating the music of Harold Arlen. It should be said upfront that Arlen wrote the melodies, not the lyrics, so it’s almost ironic that Ms Allen’s greatest gift, more important even than her stunning vocal chops, is her ability to interpret lyrics, and move us with profound emotion. However, little is said of the lyricists who turned these marvellous melodies into iconic torch-songs.

Basically Allen plays a “Chanteuse”- like character, recalling the life of Arlen from his early days in the Cotton Club. It’s all told chronologically and although Allen has done a more than competent job with the script, it could afford to be more adventurous, and mix things up a little. For example, Allen gives us a fabulous rendition of Stormy Weather, written by Arlen and Ted Koehler and made famous by Ethel Waters. Yet most of the audience would associate Lena Horne with the song, from the 1943 film of the same name, still showing on late-night Foxtel…it might have been interesting to do the first half of the song in the Waters mode….then let the fabulous Mark Simeon Ferguson trio “noodle” while she told the story of Lena Horne, then pick up the song again with a slightly varied arrangement in the mode of Horne. Two different interpretations within the same song would help break the “And then he wrote” mode of storytelling; and it is probably the script that needs something extra in order to (hopefully) wow international audiences. Allen is such a superb singer, and Arlen such a magnificent composer, that both deserve a script that is beyond just “good”.

But there is no faulting her rendition of the songs themselves, songs like “Come Rain or Come Shine”, “The Man Who Got Away”, “One For My Baby” and the iconic “Somewhere over the Rainbow. Allen can belt a number, or bring it down to a breathless hush; can fill you with joy or great melancholy – she has all the gifts that the very best cabaret artists in the world strive for. Stuart Maunder has directed the show within an inch of Allen’s life however. Every movement of the hand, every finish to a number is so tightly choreographed that one does yearn for just a smidgin of “spontaneity” – even if it’s rehearsed; a closer connection with the audience. After all, connection with the audience is what Cabaret is about, and Allen certainly has the skills to do that. When she introduces the band after her last number, her natural Aussie warmth and enthusiasm positively shine and only serve to pinpoint that the storyteller character often seems to be running on autocue. It’s all beautifully done but I’d sacrifice just a teensy bit of the professional for an extra serve of Allen’s personality.

Nitpicking aside – this is a terrific show with even more potential waiting to be tapped, and, with all three performances sold out, I’m glad I got to see Allen’s splendid talent.

Coral Drouyn

FOOTNOTE.

Next door to The Melbourne Recital Centre, in a bar/bistro called Blondie….or rather outside it…we were treated to some terrific jazz grooves by a very cool band called SWAY ( www.SWAYJAZZ.COM ) who play there Friday and Saturday nights. With a repertoire of great Jazz standards, they are augmented by young musicians studying Jazz at VCA or Monash (the band itself are all VCA graduates.)  It’s great music and a free Jam session. They play from 5pm – 8.30 so we were able to book-end the cabaret with some very cool jazz….a perfect beginning and end to a great night out.

More Reading

Coral Drouyn's interview with Johanna.

Subscribe to our E-Newsletter, buy our latest print edition or find a Performing Arts book at Book Nook.