Singer-actor Goldie Dver began her career in the late 1960s after arriving in New York City from her native Philadelphia. Since, she has had an extensive performing career in nightclubs in New York and across the US. Her solo cabarets include After Today, Woman On The Stage and Back in Mama’s Arms. In 2002, Dver, James Beaman and 
David Maiocco won the MAC Award for their revue, Crazy World: Songs of Leslie Bricusse. She is also a veteran of musical theatre, and was a regular personality on the long-running Joey Reynolds Show “The Jewish Hour” on WOR-AM Radio. Dver is also a makeup artist, with a second career at Smashbox cosmetics. Diagnosed with breast cancer in 2006, Dver took time off from show business to concentrate on her healing. Now cancer-free, she is an advocate for women’s health.
Dver reprises Bridges on Saturday, September 9 and Sunday, October 8 at Don’t Tell Mama. The show is about musical “bridges” that mark time, especially her experience of the sweeping social change of those times, which shaped her values and her vision of the world.
NLE: Coming of age in the turbulent 1960s and 70s you were a witness to many social changes. What big event or events first aroused your social consciousness?
GD: First, thank you for inviting me to chat with you about the exciting things that are unfolding for me this year – both artistically and personally. As we all know – that period of our history was marked by many of the same things we’re experiencing now. Political upheaval, social unrest, war around the world, violence in our society, and our individual freedoms and choices being challenged.
As a young child I experienced shock and utter devastation when our beloved President, John F Kennedy was assassinated. Then a few years later we went through the assassinations of both Robert Kennedy and Dr Martin Luther King, Jr. These horrific events made me realize how vulnerable we all were—both personally, and as a nation.
It seemed from that point on I became very aware of all the events swirling around our lives. The Vietnam War was taking our young men at an alarming pace. None of us was untouched by the loss of a relative or dear friend. Racial unrest reached an alarming level, with riots happening in the streets of every city, including my hometown of Philly. President Nixon was disgraced and forced to resign from office.
Women fought the long hard battle of Roe v Wade—and finally won the right to control their own bodies and their reproductive choices. But I was still seeing these events through the eyes of a relatively innocent and naive child. I wasn’t on the front lines of these battles, but more of an interested spectator who believed everything would be alright. After all—this was America. We would do the right thing, wouldn’t we?
NLE: Your hometown of Philadelphia was one of the epicenters of musical evolution/revolution. What were the groups of the Philadelphia Sound that caught your attention?
GD: It’s interesting that you bring up the Philly Sound—or TSOP (The Sound Of P
hiladelphia), as it came to be known. Gamble and Huff, who created TSOP had offices in the same building as my voice teacher. And I’d pass by their office every week, when I went to my lesson and would run into them in the hall sometimes. Then I worked for many years with several of the musicians who were part of MFSB (Mothers, Fathers, Sisters, Brothers), the studio house band who played on all those records.
Some of my favorite groups from TSOP were Patti LaBelle, The Jackson’s, Teddy Pendergrass, The O’Jays. But in all honesty I was more focused on Judy Garland, Ella Fitzgerald, Eydie Gorme, Streisand, Sinatra and Sammy Davis, Jr.
NLE: What were the venues and what music of New York City attracted you and sparked your interest on your arrival here?
GD: When I moved to New York to attend the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, I became more involved in theatre—and discovered cabaret. This was 1974, when cabaret was thriving, with many venues going strong throughout the city. I was very lucky that my dear friend, Brian, who was a waiter at Reno Sweeney, would get me into the room at any time with no cover, no minimum. So I got to see everyone who played there—and everyone did play there: Peter Alan, Novella Nelson, Baby Jane Dexter, Jane Oliver, Julie Wilson, to name just a few.
I also ventured into many of
the clubs that were around in those days, including Don’t Tell Mama, The Duplex, Paulsons, The Ballroom and the Bottom Line, and also some of the jazz rooms: the Blue Note, The Cookery, and others. But Reno’s was always my favorite place to be. Being able to watch all of these artists work was like a master class in performance.
NLE: As a regular guest on the Joey Reynold’s show you were constantly surrounded by quite an eclectic group of performers. What were some of the things you learned about performance from that experience?
GD: loved the 10 years I spent every Friday night with Joey as a regular on what lovingly came to be known as “The Jewish Hour.” Joey Reynolds was the only talk show host who never took calls from listeners. It was always about what was going on in the studio, and it was always a fun and crazy party. When people used to ask me what the Jewish Hour was, I’d tell them it was like having your dysfunctional family sitting around the dinner table, bitching! There were five of us regular family members.
My late husband, Paul, took on the role of being the thorn in Joey’s side, and his poking and prodding into Joey’s psyche would often produce very funny and surprising moments. He and I were the “young married couple” who would banter and tease each other. I was “the nice Jewish girl,” but with a bit of a sarcastic edge. Mickey Freeman, who was one of the regular characters on the old “Sergeant Bilko” TV Show with Phil Silvers, was a classic old school comic who always had a joke or funny story to inject into whatever came up.
Myra Chanin, who was dubbed “Mother Wonderful,” and later became a critic on the cabaret scene, looked and sounded like your typical Jewish grandmother, but she was sharp as a tack wi
th a wry sense of humor. The one and only Sidney Myer joined “the family” at my behest and added his unique style of humor and personality to the mix. Sidney had the knack of saying just the right thing, at just the right moment, to make a point or get a huge laugh.
Joey was the consummate host, the head of the family, the ringmaster who ran the show and kept us all in line (more or less). I learned so much from each of these talented people: about comic timing, trusting my own instincts, always listening and being in the moment, being part of an ensemble, and feeling confident and comfortable performing on a live radio show every week. From time to time either Sidney or I would perform a song as well, especially if we were promoting a show we were doing.
The guests who would come on every week were the name performers from cabaret, jazz, comedy and theatre, who would chat with us and usually perform something live in the studio. Everyone came through that studio—Tovah Feldshuh, Steven Van Zandt, Soupy Sales, Jeffrey Ross, Karen Mason, KT Sullivan, Mark Nadler, Les Paul, Keely Smith, Bucky and John Pizzarelli, Jay Leonhart—just to scratch the surface. It was a “fun hang” to work with all of these people on the show and get to know them a bit.
NLE: The powerful anthem “This Is Mine” was written for you by your Musical Director Michael Roberts. What was the genesis of the song and your collaboration on it?
GD: That song is very dear to my heart. The concept of our show, Bridges, was to connect the events of my childhood, which we spoke about earlier, with what’s going on in our world today. It seems that now, 50 years later, we’re not only going through all of the same issues we did then, but that we’ve taken a few steps backward in whatever progress we had made.
But now I’m experiencing it a
ll from the perspective of an adult—a woman who’s lived a life. And now I am personally involved in trying to find ways to help bring about positive change to counter all the division and vitriol that runs through our society. It was very important to me that I express my feelings about the way our freedoms and personal choices are being dangerously threatened today. But we couldn’t find a song that expressed my thoughts in a philosophical way, rather than politically, or heavy-handed.
Michael, who’s an exceptional composer/lyricist was able to get inside my head (not always a safe place to be), and lyrically translate my thoughts and put them to music. “This Is Mine” speaks to everyone’s right to make the choices that are right for them – and not try to control other peoples choices. It has rightfully become one of the high points of our show, and seems to be connecting emotionally with everyone who hears it.
NLE: Your recently released CD is titled Sweet Beginning and this show is called Bridges. What are your ultimate goals for continuing your journey forward?
GD: I’ve been singing my whole life: musical theatre, cabaret, band singer; but at 68 years old Sweet Beginning is my debut CD, hence the title. And why not—what am I going to do? Sit at home and knit a sweater?
The CD is actually the studio version of the show I did when I returned to performing, after a 10 year absence (life just had other plans). It was done in 2019 at Don’t Tell Mama, and it was called Back In Mama’s Arms (Dir, James Beaman; MD, Bill Zeffiro). I’ve learned so much from Chip Fabrizi at 
PPI Recording over the past two years about the magic of the studio, where we could fully realize the orchestrations I kept hearing in my head (arrangements created by Michael Roberts and Bill Zeffiro). The studio has become as fulfilling for me in its own way, as live performance has always been. Sweet Beginning is now available on Footlight.com on the Original Cast Records label. (Wow! Feels so cool to be able to say that – lol!)
We’ve already spoken about why our current show is called Bridges (Dir, James Beaman; MD, Michael Roberts). All of us who are of a certain age can relate all too well to the connection between what we experienced then as we came of age, and what we’re all going through now as adults, trying to navigate through the very precarious world we live in today. Many of the songs we’ve chosen to tell our story are from the 60s and 70s, but could’ve been written yesterday—the lyrics are so relevant. We also sprinkle in contemporary songs, including one by Pink, which I do as a duet with Tanya Moberly, my special guest for the evening. Even those born in the eighties and later will connect with the musical journey so beautifully supported by my band: John Miller, bass; Marc Daine, guitar/sax; and Chip Fabrizi, drums.
Regarding the future, I’m blessed to be able to still perform and express my art through my music and my voice. For me, the joy of singing is when my audience and I connect, and share the experience of the (hopefully) entertaining and emotionally satisfying journey we travel together through our show. That connection, that energy is the best feeling in the world—right up there with great sex!
We’re currently laying down studio tracks from Bridges, which I’ll be sharing on my YouTube channel to let “my children” start to breathe in the universe. And early next year, we’ll be taking Bridges first to my home town, Philly, and then other venues beyond NYC. We also have plans in the works to do a fun Christmas show in early December at DTM. But that’s just a tease—can’t let too much out of the bag yet.
And then, who knows? I will continue to work with my dear friend of 26 years, the brilliant collaborator and creative director, James Beaman. I also look forward to continuing my musical journey with Michael Roberts, my multi-talented and sensitive music director/arranger. I believe in always being open to possibilities. Every day you wake up to bitch about something—it’s a good day!
Photos by Conor Weiss
