Dec. 15--Here is what is on offer for your holiday pleasure at the Royal George Theatre: a trio of attractive men of a certain age, each with a formidable voice and a great deal of self-deprecating charm, warbling their way through a truly eclectic musical repertoire, ranging from Mozart to Frank, Verdi to Bing and Gregorian chants to Elvis.
And if that sufficeth not, there's also a good hunk of classic Broadway -- "Sweeney Todd," the "Soliloquy" from "Carousel" and "Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin' " performed with the requisite cowboy hat and manly swagger.
When I say formidable voices, I don't use that term lightly. On stage are Lyric Opera of Chicago favorite Nathan Gunn, Metropolitan Opera star Mark Delavan and Broadway name Marc Kudisch. None of these men generally can be heard singing for their supper in this size venue, nor does one routinely hear a singer like Delavan essaying the repertoire of Johnny Cash, nor Gunn wrapping his lungs around "Fly Me to the Moon." Kudisch? Well, he does all kinds of stuff and mostly very well.
The commonality in all this music is that it was either composed for, or famously sung by, baritone voices. Indeed, the premise of the show is that baritones are like the bastard children of the soprano-alto-tenor-bass world, figures who never have enjoyed much respect but who nonetheless represent the common man.
Why are tenors and bass more venerated? Well, the light banter here suggests that tenors are prima donnas, up in the clouds. Basses are dark souls, happiest down in the dungeon. But your friendly neighborhood baritone?
He walks the common streets, wooing girls, pushing gondolas, commanding smoky taprooms and lamenting his own inadequacies even as he reflects the essential optimism of the great American spirit. Unlike the Three Indiana Tenors (or whatever the latest spinoff of that franchise), "Baritones Unbound" is a very much an easygoing bro show. In fact, for much of Act 2, the opera dudes crack open what looks like a few beers and pay homage to baritonical icons of the past, from John Raitt to Alfred Drake.
This isn't by any means a tacky affair -- au contraire, much of the show feels like a roll call of vocal performance as we join the hosts for a trip through musical history, starring He Who is In Between. Timothy Splain provides piano accompaniment.
Honesty obliges me to note that some of the repartee was a bit rough at Sunday's opening -- learn your lines, fellows, although nobody seems to have any such trouble with lyrics. That would, I suspect, be anathema to performers of this level. But this kind of casual, just-among-friends entertainment needs performers who are totally secure in what they are doing. It might also be a good idea either to employ the services of a writer or have these guys do a little more writing of their own. Right now, we have a chronological plod through the history of the baritone -- and there's no duller method of organization than chronology.
Why not mix it up? Why not let all of these fine guys tell their own story? The best parts of the show are when Kudisch drills down into the changing fortune of the baritone and the complexity of the definition. That all could go a lot further. Who decides who is a baritone? What are the limits? What keeps the baritone awake at night? Inquiring minds, and all that.
Impresario Hershey Felder, who is presenting this show, has carved out a very viable and populist niche of shows that celebrate the history of classical music and, of course, the American songbook. His core audiences are a bit like elder hostel learners, eating up the chance to better appreciate the context of the art they are enjoying. "Baritones Unbound" sits very easily and enjoyably in that sector; there is just yet more work to be done.
Chris Jones is a Tribune critic.
cjones5@tribpub.com
Review: 'Baritones Unbound' at the Royal George -- 2.5 stars
When: Through Jan. 3
Where: Royal George Theatre, 1641 N. Halsted St.
Running time: 2 hours, 10 minutes
Tickets: $60 at 312-988-9000 or www.ticketmaster.com
