• Burt Bacharach

Burt Bacharach’s death isn’t really the end of an era since his era ended a long time ago. But his overall work with Hal David marked the last great contribution to the classic American songbook, and his catchy melodies and quirky rhythms made him one of the most distinctive composers of his day back when musical styles were going in a completely different direction. I remember wondering even at the time how “Close to You” became such a massive hit on normal rock stations, but I’m glad it did. I’ve written about him before in a West End show dedicated to his music, Close to You. I also recalled a concert he gave in Tokyo some years back and am reprinting my thoughts below. RIP.

9/10/12 (Mon), Tokyo Billboard

Burt Bacharach had been on my mind after Hal David’s death not even two weeks earlier, so when I heard (only two days before) that he would be in town, I scrambled to see him. The show was nearly sold out, but I suppose because I was a rare single viewer, I managed to snare a great seat in dead center.

Bacharach, over 80 now, moves cautiously and rather deliberately, due partly perhaps to the fractures he sustained in a serious car accident 2-3 years ago. Still, none of that was evident when he sat at the piano and played. He was accompanied by an orchestra of around 6-7 players and three singers (two black women, one white guy). It was basically a greatest-hits show, which was just fine for most of us: there were no new discoveries, but the sheer volume and quality of his hits coming one after the other was extremely impressive.

He is surprisingly poor in his repartee with the audience, and I was struck especially by the lack of any emotion when he introduced the Hal David medley in one sentence. This was presumably his first concert since losing his long-term collaborator, so I would have expected something more heartfelt. The audience (led by me, I’m happy to say) clapped when he mentioned his partner’s name, to which he simply said, “Thank you, he deserves that.” Of course, it’s always hard to judge these things in Japan since he might have been holding back because of the language, but he seemed rather cool.

As it happens, the songs written with David proved vastly superior to the rest of his catalogue as performed here (“Theme from Arthur”? puh-lease), even when they played just the melodies. I had been reading how Dorothy Fields brought out a entirely new swingy side of the starchy Jerome Kern, and it seemed to me here that David did the same for Bacharach. Their songs together, which almost define 1960s cool, haven’t aged in the least. I suddenly became worried about the musical that Bacharach is reportedly working on with another lyricist.

He sang a few numbers for us, which was pretty painful given his aging voice, though his labored “Alfie” was unexpectedly moving. The singers did a nice job with the material, notwithstanding a tendency to try too hard – I realized how lucky the songwriters were to have the understated Dionne Warwick as their muse. All in all, it was a fun evening. My friend had lunch with him the next day and said that he’s talking about coming back next year. I’d be very inclined to go again even knowing that it will probably be essentially the same concert. With his autobiography evidently coming out next year, maybe she can convince him to talk a bit more about the songs and give more of a complete show. Even if not, though, the songs speak (or sing) for themselves.

Also, here is a review of the lackluster 2010 revival of Bacharach’s only Broadway musical, Promises, Promises.

• • Promises, Promises, 9/14/10 (Tue)

A Broadway production of Promises, Promises had seemed unlikely for PC reasons until Mad Men made it acceptable again, at least for now, so I figured I’d better take advantage of the rare opportunity. The critics weren’t overly kind to the show, but it has been a popular draw thanks to the leads, Sean Hayes (from Will & Grace) and Kristin Chenoweth.

It was on the whole a disappointment. The book is not as strong as I had recalled. It had plenty of funny moments, but the main guy’s feelings for the Shirley Maclaine character weren’t convincing in the least, though that might also have been a function of the casting (more on that below). The scenes with the girl in the bar (a spectacular Katie Finneran) were hilarious, and the doctor next door had some funny scenes. If only the rest of the show had been at that level.

More problematically, the score, which I had recalled as innovative and exciting, didn’t hold up in performance. Bacharach’s melodies were still fun with all those jumpy rhythms, but Hal David’s usually reliable lyrics were shallow, lacking in character or theatricality, and were not in synch with the book. Songs like “I Like Basketball” were far too literal; “Wanting Things” gave the Fred McMurray character a moment he didn’t merit; “Where Can You Take a Girl?” had a limp joke for an ending (though it’s a joyful tune). There are still some great songs, especially the three hit numbers, but the lyrics really hold things back. Worse, because they had a star in Kristin, they added two numbers that were not in the original show and really detract from the proceedings: “I Say A Little Prayer For You” and “A House Is Not a Home”. Neither is remotely connected to the story nor did the creators appear to give much thought to halfway justify them. The former isn’t even sung to “you”, but to Kristin’s co-workers about a third party. I can understand the urge to give the star her moment in the sun, but not at the expense of the show.

Then there was the acting, or more accurately the casting. Sean Hayes was likable and hard-working as the lead, and delivered the laughs for the most part. He definitely had the audience on his side. It was just hard to take him seriously as a leading man, especially a straight leading man. His role is the driving force for the show, and, while perfectly competent, he didn’t have the spark to elevate it to the next level. I would describe him as pleasant. He gave the impression of replacement casting.

A much more serious issue was Kristin. She’s a terrific performer, but she’s a tough fireball who can give as well as she gets, not the fragile, vulnerable type that she needed to play here. I’m not sure if acting can compensate for her natural personality, but anyway it didn’t in this case. In her efforts to tone herself down to meet the role, she ended up a lifeless nobody. It was hard to see how the lead would fall for her. True, the part is underwritten, which is another issue, but it would have helped immeasurably to have a Shirley Maclaine up there. This more than anything sunk the show. Her boss also didn’t seem to be trying too hard in his role; he was adequate at best. The part where he gives her the money in lieu of a forgotten birthday gift, an unforgettable movie moment, was muted here.

The one happy exception in the casting was Finneran as the girl in the bar, who was as uproarious as advertised. She brought out the best in Sean Hayes as well, which makes me doubly convinced that better casting of Kristin’s role would have changed the show’s entire flow.

I had high hopes for the dancing, especially “Turkey Lurkey Time”, but choreographer Rob Ashford wasn’t up to the task. The dancing to the overture was tedious, showing office men and secretaries prancing around as the main character focuses on his work. I assume they were trying to establish the period, but it was just distracting. The music by itself would have been better, plus it would have given Sean Hayes a proper entrance for the audience to clap to. And “Turkey” was a turkey, not at all the showstopper it should have been. It was all very half-hearted.

The show in the end was a so-so production of a so-so musical. I’m glad I went for half price.