Nadim Naaman and guests performed at Live at Zédel, London.
Star rating: four stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩
Nadim Naaman has managed to acquire an impressive set of credits at a young age, and his selection of songs for this evening at Live at Zédel was ably served by an impressive voice.
Opening with Jason Robert Brown’s ‘Shiksa Goddess’, he moved on to a lesser-known song from the film of Guys and Dolls, followed by Leslie Bricusse Anthony Newley’s ‘What Kind of Fool Am I?’ and Sondheim’s ‘Not a Day Goes By’.
He has a warm, likeable personality, and relates the songs to career moments from his university days and first forays into musical theatre to Phantom and Sweeney Todd. His style is influenced by time spent singing with a big band, rather than character-led singing, and he excels in the fast patter songs like ‘Shiksa’, and his encore from Victor/Victoria, ‘King’s Dilemma’.
Emma Kingston, the first of his three guests, was sensational. Her ‘I’d Give It All To You’ was superb, but she topped it with a show-stealing rendition of ‘My Man’ that would give Streisand a run for her money.
Wendy Ferguson sang a poignant ‘Somewhere’, and duetted with Naaman on ‘You Must Meet My Wife’ from A Little Night Music. Jeremy Secomb joined Naaman for a nod to Sweeney Todd, a show they performed in together as part of the acclaimed pie shop production back in 2015. Secomb gave us an intense, richly sung ‘My Friends’, and they then sang ‘Pretty Women’, and from The Secret Garden, ‘Lily’s Eyes’.
With songs from Thoroughly Modern Millie and Christine’s ‘Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again’ from The Phantom of the Opera, we also got the iconic title song from The Sound of Music, ‘Anthem’ from Chessand Bernstein and Sondheim’s ‘Something’s Coming’.
Naaman, accompanied on this occasion by Alex Parker on piano, has an impressive and varied range. Adding to his credits is the soon to be seen musical Broken Wings for which he has contributed book and lyrics, which premieres this August at the Theatre Royal Haymarket. An enjoyable evening of fine singing and unusual repertoire.
Leon Ferguson
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