Iris Williams Metropolitan review by
Nitelite reviewer
Joe Regan October 7th
2013
Iris
Williams, the Wales born lush contralto whose last New York appearance was
years ago at the Algonquin’s Oak Room, made a sensational return to a capacity
crowd at the Metropolitan Room October 5. Her New York musicians were
top-rate: Art Weiss, her music director on piano, Tom Hubbard on bass,
and Jeff Pillinger on percussion and drums. Clad in a stunning tight red
dress all she had to do was enter and the crowd, which included Morgan Freeman, went crazy. Her opening number
was a jazzy “Just In Time.”
She gave us
a bit of her history. She was born in Wales and is one of the Wales
natives to receive the O.B.E. (Order of British Empire.) Others are
Anthony Hopkins and Tom Jones. She began singing in church choirs.
She was given the O.B.E. by Queen Elizabeth II. She got a big laugh by
prolonging a pause before she said “the second.” She discussed how, when
she was booked to sing on a cruise ship run by natives of India, the
receptionist on the ship thought her name was Williams-Obe. When she
tried to correct her, the lady said oh, it stands for “on board entertainer!”
Her second
number was a complete version of Rodgers & Hart’s “Bewitched” and one
wondered if she had ever played that part on the stage. Her acting and
vocal phrasing were superb!
She
recalled her last engagement at the Oak Room when cabaret great Sylvia Sims
would come every night and order her how to improve her act. Sims ordered
her to sing a song! She learned it: “Like Someone In Love.”
One of the
special attractions of the act is a series of Nat King Cole songs.
It begins with “Unforgettable” with special lyrics referring to Cole, and then
she does a stunning and moving “Nature Boy.” After a bouncing version of
“Paper Moon” she tells us about a movie song that was rejected by Vic Damone,
Tony Martin, and Perry Como. Nat King Cole had the taste to record it and
it won the Academy Award. Her version of “Mona Lisa” was a magnificent!
The last Cole selection was “Straighten Up and Fly Right” which she rocked into
a sing-along with the audience on the chorus.
Williams’
contact with her audience is extraordinary…she sings directly to several
members and has a wonderful way of conversing with them between sets, joking
about drinks and where they come from. She discusses her marriages, both
disasters, but she does have a wonderful son from one union. Then she
sang a song she sang for Prince Charles at the opening of a rehearsal hall at her
alma mater The Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. It was a gorgeous
version of “The Rose.” Her next ballad was “Sophisticated Lady” and
her voice glided over that Ellington, again giving a full acting performance
embracing every word and note of that sad standard. Immediately she swung
into one great chorus of “I’m Gonna Live Till I Die” which she told us was
written as a serious ballad!
The love
theme from the Academy Award winning “Deer Hunter” movie, “He Was
Beautiful,” was written by Cleo Laine and Stanley Myers but Williams’ recording
of it was the biggest hit in the UK and led her to perform at 14 Royal
Performances. I don’t remember this song but I expect it was the
background theme during the great romantic scene between Meryl Streep and Robert
DiNero when they were walking and she was looking at him with amazing emotions
of love on her face. Williams’ version tonight was a thing of beauty.
This is a forgotten treasure.
A Piaf
section began with a beautiful “Under the Bridges of Paris” sung in impeccable
French. Then, with only Weiss’ simple piano behind her, she wistfully
sang “La Vie en Rose” first in French, then in English and only on the last
chorus did the rest of the band join her for a big finish!
She did a
surprising rock version of “Ol’ Man River” but then, standing in the crook of
the piano, a tender and moving “Bill” again causing one to wonder if she had
ever played Julie in “Show Boat.”
In 2000 she
was selected to perform at the White House celebration of its anniversary and
Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Phillip were honored guests. There was an
amusing anecdote about an unexpected sight during the tour which was in the
Ford letter she was selected to read. And the payoff was when President
Ford was doing the first dance with the Queen. The band played “The Lady
Is A Tramp!” Of course, Williams sang that number equaling Lena Horne’s
classic version!
During “If
I Ruled the World” she acknowledged her thanks to everyone including Freeman
and her technicians. But the crowd wouldn’t let her leave so she
returned for a tribute song to Mabel Mercer. In 2002 in UK a BBC
television special starring Williams was broadcast: “Iris Williams Echoes
the Life of Mabel Mercer. Williams’ song was a very sensitive “My Shining
Hour.”
Iris Williams is all class and
you owe it to yourself to see this great lady who has lost not a bit of her voice which was
championed by Stephen Holden and Rex Reed when she played the Algonquin over 20
years ago. Williams’ spontaneous patter is rare on the cabaret stage and
you‘ll find yourself loving her for it!
Iris
Williams repeats at the Metropolitan Room, 34 West 22 Street, and October
20 at 9:30 PM. Phone (212) 206-0440. Given the sold out crowd
reservations are a must!
