By Marilyn Lester**** If ever there was a match made in entertainment heaven, it is Natalie Douglas with Dame Shirley Bassey. Both singers have remarkable vocal instruments—powerful voices and the wherewithal to use their gifts with considered artistry. In this tribute show (one of a series of homages to various entertainers), Douglas noted that Bassey could “yell” and still get emotion and nuance across. So it is with Douglas, whose ability to manipulate vocal dynamics from soft to belt and back again is perfectly timed. She’s like a kite in the wind, bobbing and dipping gracefully through a dramatic arc of storytelling. And as it should be in any well-executed tribute, the idea is to show appreciation of the artist, not to be a carbon copy of him/her. That principle is nowhere better illustrated than in the James Bond themes and music: “No Good About Goodbye,” “Diamonds Are Forever” and a boffo “Goldfinger,” which featured a creative arrangement with a nifty tempo change.
Now 81, Bassey has enjoyed a decades-long career at the pinnacle of popularity and success. She’s been a force of nature, glamorous and dramatic and (no cliché) larger than life. Douglas’ admiration of her subject is clear. All about Shirley Bassey was the informative biographical narrative that laced between numbers. This kind of presentation can fail when not well thought out and entertainingly delivered, but does not here because of Douglas’ authenticity. She’s makes what is surely scripted text seem completely spontaneous. She’s direct and personal, and so very true to who she is as a person as well as a performer. Best of all, Douglas is fun (and often funny). Her ability to tap her inner child and convey that undaunted enthusiasm is apparent throughout, but best illustrated in her introduction to a fun tune, “Get the Party Started.”
Compared to Bassey’s instrument, Douglas in lower registers can match her in throaty, rich, sultry tones. In the 1950a and into the 60s, Bassey sang in higher keys, settling into a comfort zone of lower registers as she moved along the decades; yet her range was always large. Douglas moves up and down the scale in her interpretations, from the big showpiece numbers, such as “Hey Big Spender” to those tunes that require more dramatic interpretation. Douglas’ rendition of “I (Who Have Nothing) was intense and affecting. Her “If You Go Away” was a softly sung rendition with a heart-piercing dramatic flow. Like Bassey, Douglas maintains an emotional connection with her audience in her vocal delivery no matter what the volume.
An especial treat in the show was the pairing of two songs by Oliver! creator, Lionel Bart. The former, “How Can I Tell You I Love You” was discovered by Douglas via YouTube, researched and eventually transcribed. The song appears to be an earlier version of “As Long As He Needs Me,” the second song in this remarkable pairing. Backing Douglas was a sextet of excellent musicians: Musical Director Brian Nash on piano and keyboard, Joe Choroszewski on drums, Danny Hall on trombone, Mimi Jones on electric and acoustic bass, Stantawn Kendrick on reeds and Tim Wendt on trumpet and flugelhorn. It would be difficult imagine a tribute to Shirley Bassey without such a full compliment of instrumentation. The band had ample opportunities to display its skill and finesse, especially on “Something.” When not occupying a featured spot their tight playing never overpowered Douglas. Band and singer shared a symbiotic relationship that resulted in a splendid show that would have made Dame Shirley proud.
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