By Elli – The King Of Broadway
My mother loved music, so our house was always filled with music. As a pre-teen, I remember coming home from school and upon entering the house, hearing something playing on the record player in my mother’s studio. When I closed the front door, the music suddenly stopped as I heard the needle lift and a mad scramble ensue. Before I could get in to see what the commotion was all about, an Alan Sherman record had replaced the husky female voice I had previously heard.
The next time my parents went out, I went into Mom’s studio and looked through the records to see what was being hidden from me. I came across an album with a statuesque woman on the cover Sophie Tucker, and my love affair with the Grand Dame began.
Sophie Tucker had an amazing career and died in 1966, at age 82, a few years before I discovered her (not that my parents would have taken me to see her). But last night, for about an hour, I finally got to see her perform, live and in person, brought back to life by the magic of Cheryl Ann Allen.
Sophie Tucker in Person is the ultimate tribute to a beloved, but almost forgotten performer. Written and directed by Ian Finkel, Ms. Allen has Sophie down pat. From the moment she appears on stage (to wild applause for the initial illusion as a dead ringer for Ms. Tucker), Ms. Allen mimics Ms. Tuckers voice and mannerisms to perfection, transporting us to a bygone era when the mere mention of a love affair was taboo.
Sophie’s origins and early life, through the Ed Sullivan years, are told through anecdotes and song, accompanied on the piano by her longtime collaborator, Ted Shapiro (Steve Michaels). Unfortunately, Mr. Michaels is the only weak part of this performance piece. He could have been more interactive with Ms. Allen when she spoke to him and asked him questions, instead of only nodding and smiling nervously, as if he wasn’t expecting to be spoken to or acknowledged. Other than that, there was never a moment I wasn’t transfixed on this total reincarnation of a show business legend.
The stories are fascinating, the songs, many of which you will recognize, range from “Some of These Days” to “Last of the Red Hot Mama’s” to “Life Begins at 40,” and are, as they were back then, wonderful. The very funny, “I’m Living Alone and I Like It,” will have you chuckling, and the bawdy, “Mr. Siegel,” will surely make you blush. You’ll get misty-eyed as Ms. Tucker (Allen) sings “My Yiddishe Mama,” a song written for her in 1925, dedicating it to her own mother (Sophie Tucker made “Mama” a top 5 USA hit in 1928, with English on one side and Yiddish on the B-side).
I see big things ahead for this tribute show, keep watching this reviewer’s column for future developments of Sophie Tucker in Person. A remarkable evening, I highly recommend you catch the next scheduled performance.
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