New McBroom sweeps through… “THE STAGE”
John Martland, Light Entertainment Review
Returning to London’s premier cabaret spot, Amanda McBroom’s programe consisted almost entirely of her own songs. The sole exception was Marieke, one of Jacques Brel and Eric Blau’s most potent numbers, which received spectacularly theatrical reading.
McBroom is in a completely different class now from most of the other cabaret performers around, and this is largely due to the fact that her material is witty and profound, with a specific and relevant point of view.
There was no sign of the Dieter’s Prayer (“Oh Lord, if you love me, won’t you please shut my mouth”) on this occasion, but a brand new equally funny piece about plastic surgery (“When you look in the mirror, do you see your mother or your older brother?”) more than made up for that.
Errol Flynn, McBroom’s homage to David Bruce, her film actor father, was as heart breakingly poignant as ever, and it was so good to revel again in the emotion of Ship in a Bottle, the first love song she ever composed. One of her chief assets is the way she moves smoothly from lower to upper registers holding the mood while blending one number seamlessly into another.
Her writing collaborator on several songs, including the claustrophobic Hot in Here and the tender In His Hands, is pianist and musical director Michele Brourman. their mutual respect for each other, and McBrooms warm rapport with the audience, contributed to a rare and wonderful experience.
