Tim Connell’s Dreamin’ Again at Pangea Was Balm for the Soul

By Michael Barbieri***In his opening number, Billy Joel’s “Summer, Highland Falls,” Tim Connell sang “..we are always what our situations hand us, it’s either sadness or euphoria.” Indeed, from the stories Connell told us, that seemed perfectly to sum up his personal experience during the Covid lockdown. Either the euphoria of spending time alone—doing what he wanted, when he wanted, without anyone’s judgement, or the sadness of isolation and the need for human contact. This was the running theme of Connell’s wonderful show, Dreamin’ Again.

Connell, who made his acclaimed debut at Carnegie Hall, with the Mabel Mercer Foundation’s Centennial Celebration of Jerome Kern, has been lauded for his ability to connect with an audience, and that ability was on full display in this performance at Pangea. From the very start, his crystal clear tenor and warm presence won me over. Indeed, with the Billy Joel opener, as well as the next two numbers—“Skylark” (H. Carmichael, J. Mercer) and a medley of “My Foolish Heart” (V. Young) and “How Deep is the Ocean” (N. Washington, I. Berlin), Connell’s style was remarkably presentational—almost as if he was telling us a story in his own living room.

With his boyish charm and easy, laid-back manner, Connell got the crowd laughing with comedic numbers like an updated version of Cole Porter’s “Anything Goes,” with new lyrics by Bryan Batt and Connell himself. This hilarious new take on the old classic featured references to gay marriage, Mayor Pete and his husband Chasten, the Kardashians, internet porn and even the My Pillow Guy! And in a funny reminiscence of a past relationship gone wrong, Connell delivered “He Never Did That Before” (D. Barsha, M. Campbell), about an old lover showing off new tricks in bed and the suspicion of where he’d learned them and how! The number started off with a slow, sultry tempo, which became bouncier and more aggressive as Connell got angrier and more mistrustful. Very funny indeed!

His softer, more romantic side was evident as well, though tinged with sadness. “Romancing the Blues” (F. Wildhorn, J. Murphy) seemed an ironic take on loneliness—a happy tone, yet sad underneath. John Bucchino’s “Playbill,” a story song inspired by Bucchino’s experience in a singles bar, had a rolling tempo, a Sondheim-esque feel and, as acted so beautifully by Connell, a palpable sense of loss and longing. Lyrics like “You’re too beautiful, I’m too plain, it’s impossible, it’s a joke, but somehow while we spoke, I forgot” rang sadly true for anyone who’s reached out for companionship in New York’s bar scene. He also set up two numbers by the legendary Jerry Herman with a story of an audition in San Francisco, where he met his extraordinary Musical Director and accompanist, James Followell, thus beginning a 35-year musical partnership. The story led into a powerful “I Am What I Am,” which displayed Connell’s formidable belting skills and a tender rendition of “It Only Takes a Moment,” from Hello, Dolly!.

Other notable moments included an emotional medley of “Bless the Beasts and the Children” (B. Devorzon, P. Botkin, Jr.), paired with Sondheim’s “Children Will Listen,” which Connell used to illustrate his love of family. He also gave us a stirring performance of Sting’s “Fragile,” which seemed like a prayer for the human interaction we all craved so desperately during lockdown. Here, Followell contributed a simple, lovely harmony which made the song all the more moving, especially when sung during a quiet a cappella break.

Wrapping up the evening with John Bucchino’s “Taking the Wheel,” Connell sent a strong message about the resiliency of the human spirit. And his sweet, wistful delivery of The Carpenters’ “Yesterday Once More” and John Bettis’ and Joe Raposo’s “Sing,” left us with a wonderful sense that we’d all be just fine and soon get back to a more normal life with friends, family and loved ones.

Dreamin’ Again was directed by Steven Petrillo, whose touch was light, unobtrusive, and gave the show a nice flow from moment to moment and emotion to emotion. And James Followell’s musicianship was superb—always adding texture and sensitivity under Connell’s gorgeous vocals.

We may have been left a little fragile, as Sting put it, during the pandemic, but Tim Connell’s beautiful show was a balm for the soul.