By Michael Barbieri***I don’t know if I possess the superlatives to describe the brilliance of Meg Flather’s latest show at Don’t Tell Mama. But I can certainly try. Her tribute, Rodgers and Hammerstein 2021, was absolutely one of the finest cabaret shows I’ve seen! Her thoughtful yet always entertaining analyses of the well-known—and at times, little-known—songs of the famous composers, opened my eyes to just how innovative and groundbreaking Rodgers and Hammerstein truly were.
Meg Flather is a nine-time Broadway World nominee and has won two Bistro Awards and four MAC Awards. She’s released eight CDs of her original material and has written and recorded songs for films, Off-Broadway and on behalf of HIV/AIDS causes, 9/11, Alzheimer’s, Autism, suicide awareness and political activism.
I’ve known Meg since her earliest days in cabaret, as part of the duo Leather and Flather, with her singing partner, Christian Daizey. At that time, she was already a terrific singer. Since then, I’ve seen her become not only a brilliant vocalist, but one of the best interpreters of a lyric as I’ve ever known!
Opening with a clear, concise “Cockeyed Optimist” (South Pacific) paired with “It Might As Well Be Spring” (State Fair), Flather set the tone of the evening beautifully. She then gave us an elegant rendition of “My Favorite Things,” (The Sound of Music) in which she didn’t just simply sing the lyrics, but could be seen actually picturing those things about which she was singing, making her delivery that much more real for us!
Flather went on to describe her vision for the show. She was revisiting the songs of her childhood—the music that always played in her home—but through the eyes of a contemporary singer-songwriter in her 50s. To that end, her version of “I Can’t Say No” (Oklahoma) showcased Rodgers and Hammerstein’s ahead-of-their-time depiction of a woman celebrating her sexual appetites in the heartland of the early 1900s. Flather’s delivery of the song was eye-opening for me—pure strength with none of the gullibility or goofiness often associated with the character of Ado Annie.
With “You’ve Got to Be Carefully Taught” (South Pacific) and “A Puzzlement” (The King and I), we saw how the warnings about hatred and racism are still very much relevant today. It actually seemed to me that because Flather was free of the constructs of the shows’ narratives, the lessons rang clearer than ever. Through Flather’s lens, we saw how “No Other Love” (Me and Juliet) and Oklahoma’s “People Will Say We’re In Love” both evoked forbidden love and brought to mind the LGBTQ movement, not just then, but now. And kudos to Musical Director Tracy Stark for adding phrases from “We Kiss In a Shadow” (The King and I) to her arrangement of the latter song, which simply strengthened that underlying meaning!
Guided with a subtle, almost imperceptible hand, by Director Lennie Watts, Flather explored emotions that ran from the serious to the starry-eyed. In a stunning turn, she gave us a deeply conflicted “Lonely Room” (Oklahoma). Here, she displayed her talents as an actor, going from a forlorn start, then slowly becoming stronger. Eventually, the mental anguish and conflict became so strong, Flather was left literally shaking and breathless. Conversely, her rendition of “Ten Minutes Ago” (Cinderella) was so sweet and charming, we couldn’t help but get swept away by the romance.
One of the most winning aspects of this show is that Flather’s performance is so sincere and approachable, that she teaches us without ever coming across as didactic. Explaining that Rodgers
and Hammerstein always seemed to find hope when all around was dark, she brought up the pandemic—certainly dark times for all, but for performers and audiences in particular. But she reminded us that while people were hidden away inside, nature had a resurgence! Air and water became cleaner, plants and flowers grew more lush, and the world seemed to reset itself. Thankfully, as she said, live entertainment is also coming back… just like nature! This led into her soft and extremely moving medley of “Edelweiss/The Sound of Music” (The Sound of Music), which left most everyone in the room misty-eyed. And as she sang the closing lyric “My heart will be blessed, with the sound of music. And I’ll sing once more,” Flather became emotional, her voice breaking as she held back tears.
Meg Flather wears her heart and her entire life experience on her sleeve, in the best way possible, and with this newest show, I’m very glad she’s singing for us once more!
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