Double Standards was reviewed at the 1901 Arts Club, London.
Star rating: five stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
An all-American trio delivered a nostalgic, emotionally charged cabaret at London’s intimate 1901 Arts Club, presenting more than just a concert: Double Standards, conceived, directed and performed by Michael Ferreri, a versatile artist whose career spans from London’s Pizza on the Park to directing A Slice O’Minnelli at the Apollo Theatre, was a bold journey through identity, memory and musical subversion.
The title reflected the trio’s provocative choice to perform songs across traditional gender lines in the way of Broadway Backwards, while preserving original keys and pronouns to champion authenticity and challenge established norms.
Ferreri set the tone with wit and warmth, joking that “Cabaret is a gay man’s Tupperware party”, his stated goal being to leave the audience with something shiny and new. The thoughtfully structured programme, split into a vibrant first act of humour and flair followed by a deeper, introspective second act, delivered precisely that transformative experience.
Ferreri’s comprehensive vision shaped every element of the production, from selecting the venue and curating the setlist to writing bespoke arrangements and collaborating seamlessly with co-performers John Carden, the youngest countertenor ever contracted by the Metropolitan Opera and now assistant professor of musical theatre at the University of Mississippi, and Tony Oakley, a Durham native with 27 years of New York stage experience, ranging from Broadway’s Tommy to collaborations with jazz legends like Natalie Cole.
Without any microphones, the trio opened with a fiery rendition of ‘Raise the Roof’ from The Wild Party, immediately showcasing Carden’s nuanced, comedic high baritone and Oakley’s resonant, charismatic baritone, while Ferreri’s samba-infused accompaniment added both rhythmic energy and theatrical flair to the proceedings.
The programme masterfully blended musical theatre with profound emotional depth, as demonstrated in Sondheim’s ‘Agony’ from Into the Woods – a comedic duet about romantic longing that highlighted the trio’s natural chemistry, with Ferreri’s sophisticated accompaniment perfectly balancing wit and musical complexity. In contrast, ‘I Miss the Mountains’ from Next to Normal offered moments of contemplative stillness, with Ferreri’s piano work evoking orchestral warmth to underscore Carden’s deeply introspective delivery.
Ferreri’s rendition of ‘Another Hundred People’ from Company emerged as a clear standout and a tribute to the city where he worked for a long time, prefaced by a heartfelt personal story about the trio’s decades-long friendship and recent reunion. This transformed the song into a poignant meditation on memory, change and belonging.
His seamless piano-vocal multi-tasking blended conversational warmth with theatrical intensity. Although the 1901 Arts Club’s compact stage occasionally limited the trio’s physicality, their extraordinary vocal prowess and emotional connection consistently shined through.
The second half deepened the evening’s emotional tone considerably with two pieces by Jason Robert Brown, Oakley’s interpretation of ‘To Build a Home’ from The Bridges of Madison County proving particularly striking as his rich baritone lent impressive gravity to the song’s soaring melody. Ferreri’s accompaniment demonstrated remarkable range, shifting effortlessly from Bach-inspired counterpoint to a gentle waltz, showcasing both his classical grounding and innate dramatic instinct. Carden’s ‘I Love Betsy’ from Honeymoon in Vegas sparkled with irresistible charm and feather-light falsetto, propelled by Ferreri’s crisp, samba-driven harmonies.
Later selections including ‘Falling Into You’ and ‘Best Worst Mistake’ skilfully mixed sincerity and humour, delivered with impressive vocal polish throughout, and in the dynamic ‘You’re Nothing Without Me’ from Cy Coleman and David Zippel’s masterpiece City of Angels, Oakley’s grounded baritone beautifully complemented Carden’s comedic energy, while Ferreri anchored the rapid-fire duet with precise Broadway sensibility.
The trio brought the evening to a deeply satisfying close with ‘Take Me to the World’ from Sondheim’s only TV venture, Evening Primrose, which distilled all of the evening’s central themes of longing, connection and return into one powerful moment. Carden’s tender opening verse, Oakley’s confident baritone and Ferreri’s warm tenor unified beautifully in the intimate acoustic space, creating a moment of fragile immediacy that lingered long after the final notes faded.
This cabaret represented a genuine triumph of emotional honesty and musical sophistication, leaving the audience with a profound sense of connection and discovery that felt both personal and universal.
Ferreri’s visionary leadership – masterfully blending vulnerability, wit and technical mastery – crafted an unforgettable evening that not only celebrated cabaret’s inherent intimacy but boldly pushed its boundaries, ensuring its continued relevance and vitality for a new era of performers and audiences alike.
His understanding of the cabaret form, his versatility as a musician, and his ability to create work that is both accessible and deeply affecting make him a singular force in the field. Long live cabaret in London!
Patrick Honoré
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