Anita Gillette: After All at Live At Zédel, London.
Star rating: five stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Barely one year after her successful Irving Berlin tribute act, the wonderful Anita Gillette has been back with a brilliant new show, this time an autobiographical journey, written and directed by Barry Kleinbort who also penned some new updated lyrics to Cole Porter’s ‘You’re the Top’ as well as an original ballad ‘Everyone Needs Someone’.
Broadway and Hollywood veteran Gillette started her show with a spirited mash-up of the Gershwins’ ‘I Can’t Be Bothered Now’ and Frank Loesser and Jimmy McHugh’s ‘Happy Go Lucky’, followed by an Italian medley during which she showed off her still impressive soprano voice.
Every single song played a part in helping Gillette tell her loving audience the story of a fascinating life, both personal, thanks to a transatlantic love affair, and professional, following her involvement with several Broadway and London flops which she commented upon with humour.
Lighthearted moments included songs from Rodgers and Hart’s Pal Joey, starting with ‘That Terrific Rainbow’, followed by a duet with musical director Paul Greenwood to ‘You Mustn’t Kick It Around’ and ‘Plant You Now Dig You Later’. These numbers came as a contrast to the melancholy of others, such as a Show Boat medley.
The performer also gave us Sondheim’s wordy ‘Everybody Says Don’t’ and a heartfelt rendition of ‘If I Could Be With You/Sugar In My Bowl’ but her final statement, ‘Life Is Just A Bowl of Cherries’, just said it all. Always giving as a human being as well as an artist, Gillette held the audience in the palm of her hand.
A survivor and a great entertainer as well as storyteller, she was very happy to be back in London in the company of her accompanist Greenwood, with whom the chemistry was obvious, and so were we to have her back.
Patrick Honoré
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