Full disclosure, I used to work for the Chicago Humanities Festival. That said their programs can be stodgy, overly academic, and humorless. Those problems were on display in the festival's cabaret presentation last night--A Tribute to Johnny Mercer.
I didn't know much about Johnny Mercer, and the only song title I could name before walking in the door to this performance was Autumn Leaves. I still don't know much about the man, although I do realize that he had a hand in many more songs that I knew--Come Rain or Come Shine, Fools Rush In, Jeepers Creepers, Hooray for Hollywood, Satin Doll.
All of these songs and thirty others were presented in whole or part by five performers--singers Klea Blackhurst and Stephanie Morse, and pianist/singers Billy Stritch, Steve Ross and Charles Cochran. The song selections and connective narration were done by Barry Day--co-author of The Complete Lyrics of Johnny Mercer. Mr. Day was the host of the evening as well.
Okay, 36 songs sounds like a lot--and it was--but not from a length standpoint. The songs were short enough and narration between brief enough that the one-act performance didn't feel too long. However, hearing Mercer's songs back-to-back-to-back-to--you get the point--you realize that his compositional style didn't vary a whole lot. Most of the songs sounded exactly alike; Mr. Mercer wrote songs for crooners, and I would have loved some more up-tempo selections or arrangements to break up the monotony.
There were other issues I had with the performance, but let's just leave it at that.
A Tribute to Johnny Mercer
Created and directed (?) by Barry Day
With performers Klea Blackhurst, Steve Ross, Billy Stritch, Charles Cochran, Stephanie Morse
This one a one-night only event.
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