David Scheel

REVIEWS FROM OPENING CONCERT OF 2007 NEW ZEALAND TOUR

 

REVIEW

 

Comic behind the keyboard

 

David Scheel In Concert, Royal

Wanganui Opera House, Friday.

Reviewed by Mary Bryan

 

ALTHOUGH it’s some years since                     For me his funniest comedy

David Scheel  sealed  his reputation                     routine   was  trying   to   buy  a

as  a  world  class pianist-comedian                     frozen   turkey   without   a   bar

with this hit show in London’s West                    bar code  in a  supermarket  in a

End,  and at  Edinburgh  Festivals, it                    purely  British  area  just  outside

still has a captivating freshness.                            Adelaide.

      A superb, extremely witty racon-                   He is a superb mimic.

teur and pianist, with a great sense of                   His retelling  of  the dialogue

fun,  he entertained for almost a solid                   he had with the British shop assis-

two hours.                                                          tants,  all of  whom  had different

       The entire show was as scintilla-                  accents, was side-splittingly funny.

ting as his nimble,  quick,  light touch

playing.

       A  brilliant  mix  of  the  classics,

send-ups of the classics, and topical/     [Wanganui Chronicle, Sat.

social satire, which on Friday target-                  9th September, 2007]

ed MP Benson-Pope, it was a show

one didn’t want to end.

       I don’t  think I  will  ever  again

listen to  Scotland the Brave  in the

same way, after hearing it  played in

the style of Mozart and other classi-

cal composers.

       Nor   Bach’s   Jesu,   Joy   of

Man’s  Desiring,   which  he com-

bined with Lloyd Webber’s  Mem-

ory, from Cats.

       Other highlights included Walt-

zing Matilda,  his  favourite Gersh-

win tunes,  a medley of the 20 most

requested   tunes   -   including   the

William  Tell   overture  and  Beet-

hoven’s  Fur  Elise,   and  his  own

composition, Fall, in which he used

music to paint a picture of a Canadi-

an autumn scene.