By Michael Barbieri***We need Amanda McBroom! We may not have realized how much we needed her, but boy, did we need her! Her mellifluous voice. Her luminous spirit. Her masterful storytelling. Her sly sensuality. Her confident, yet comforting stage presence, and above all, the songs! Amanda McBroom, Musical Director Michele Brourman and bassist Steve Doyle took to the stage at Birdland Jazz Club and their show, Crimes of the Heart felt like a warm hug from a friend we’ve been missing for far too long!
McBroom came to prominence with her song, “The Rose,” made famous by Bette Midler in the film of the same name. McBroom is a Grammy nominee, a Golden Globe Award winner and her songs have been recorded by such varied artists as Barry Manilow, Judy Collins, Barbara Cook, Stephanie Mills, The Manhattan Transfer, Harry Belafonte and Kurt Cobain. Her many recordings include Voices, her most recent recording on Gecko, the label she founded in 1985. Her musical, Heartbeats, based on her own songs, debuted in L. A. in 1989. She and longtime musical collaborator Michele Brourman have written all of the songs for 16 animated features for Universal Studios, including the “Land Before Time” films. With such celebrated credentials, I wasn’t surprised to see Birdland packed to the rafters with loving fans!
The evening began with “Eggs,” one of McBroom and Brourman’s own compositions. With a smooth, jazzy feel, this humorous “morning after” song was practically whispered and her seductive delivery of lyrics like “…how do you like your eggs?” and “…how about some hot cross buns?” got appreciative laughs from the audience. Another original tune followed—“The End of Isolation,” a funny, bouncy song with a country & western feel—that was an ode to coming out of Covid. Showing that she also knows her way around classics from the Great American Songbook, she gave us “Let’s Face the Music and Dance” (I. Berlin), but paired it with Leonard Cohen’s “Dance Me to the End of Love.” McBroom’s delivery o
f the well-known Berlin ballad was, as you might suspect, lovely and romantic, while the Cohen song had an almost mysterious feel. And as she remarked at the end of the medley, “…there’s nothing sexier than Berlin when he decides to be sexy!”
With “Sometimes,” another of McBroom’s originals, the singer showed off her storytelling skills. A beautiful, homespun account of old memories and heartbreak, the piece featured an evocative nod to The Beatles’ “Hey Jude,” which triggered an appreciative wave of nostalgia from the audience. Additionally, Brourman’s accompaniment of the song was wonderfully expressive and lyrical. And while “Send in the Clowns” (S. Sondheim) isn’t exactly a story song, in my opinion, McBroom transformed it into a tale of loss and regret, not just singing, but acting the number expertly. To me, this rendition was the equal of Sarah Vaughan’s version, which I consider one of the very best.
On the lighter side, we heard two of McBroom and Brourman’s “Britches Songs,” evoked by several of Shakespeare’s female characters. “Titania,” was a lively piece dedicated to the Queen of the Fairies in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. “Pants,” a satirical jab at male superiority, inspired by Portia from The Merchant of Venice, and Rosalind from As You Like It, was funny and dead on target. We also got a sexy “You’ve Really Got a Hold on Me” (S. Robinson), performed to an almost heartbeat-like rhythm from Brourman and Doyle, with McBroom playfully working the crowd. Lastly, “Everyone Wants To Be Sondheim” (A. Chapman) demonstrated her skill with a tongue-twisting, humorous patter song.
After a moving solo by Brourman, McBroom began wrapping up the evening with “Evolution” (I. Lins, B. Walsh), which she called a love song to the planet, and an absolutely breathtaking interpretation of “Carousel” (J. Brel, E. Blau). While I’m not a big fan of Brel’s work, I happen to love this particular number and McBroom did not disappoint! As is usual, the song began slowly and quietly, with a dreamy feel, but gradually built to a frenzied, chaotic pace with McBroom putting her own vocal spin on certain words or phrases—dexterous touches that propelled the song to it’s thrilling final moment. Brourman’s superb, swirling arrangement and the subtly shifting lighting all assisted in creating the crazy carnival-like feel, making this one of the most exhilarating versions of the song I’ve ever heard!
Of course, no Amanda McBroom show would be complete without her own version of “The Rose.” When I worked as tech director for McBroom and Brourman’s shows at The Metropolitan Room, I was always captivated by her rendition—after all, there’s nothing like hearing an iconic song performed by the creator, and McBroom’s delivery is simple, quiet and gorgeously truthful. This evening’s performance was particularly special, as Bette Midler herself was in the audience, 
unbeknownst to most of us. Unbelievably, it was the first time the singer and composer had ever met! Needless to say, McBroom’s gorgeous take on her own song had me in tears.
Amanda McBroom is a treasure! Combined with Michele Brourman’s superb talents, they’re simply among the best that cabaret has to offer! If you’ve never seen them perform, you absolutely owe it to yourself to catch one of their shows. Crimes of the Heart stole my heart away and Amanda McBroom will steal yours as well!
Photos by Michael Barbieri
