Tim Flavin performed his cabaret Reflections of a Song and Dance Man at the Crazy Coqs, London
Tim Flavin’s cabaret Reflections of a Song and Dance Man continues at the Crazy Coqs, London until 17 January.
4 stars ****
Tim Flavin returns to the Crazy Coqs with a cabaret act developed in collaboration, with his musical director and accompanist Colin Billing, at a Caribbean hotel where it played for two seasons.
The programme is a pleasing blend of familiar show tunes with the first half featuring songs from shows that Flavin has appeared in. All are put over with the degree of professionalism expected from this experienced entertainer.
He proves to be an excellent raconteur with introductions that recount various stages of his career, together with anecdotes about the shows. There is plenty of humour throughout the evening – even targeted at himself when he makes a couple of errors.
As a reminder of his West End debut he sings ‘On Your Toes’ and ‘Small Hotel’ which he follows up with three numbers from Crazy For You. Recollections of being in Company give way to two great Sondheim anthems – ‘Marry Me a Little’ and ‘Being Alive’ – both sung with powerful expression. He recalls working with the delectable Janie Dee in My One and Only and segues into ‘’S Wonderful’ and ‘Stairway to Paradise’.
Closing the first half, he pays tribute to the two guys who inspired him to become a song and dance man. As the acknowledged heir to Astaire, he tips his top hat to Fred with ‘Let’s Face the Music and Dance’ and ‘Steppin’ Out With My Baby’. He demonstrates the contrasting style of Gene Kelly, his other idol, with ‘You Were Meant For Me’ and ‘Our Love is Here To Stay’. All these numbers are punctuated with the few dance steps that the postage stamp stage allows him.
The musical numbers for the second half come from musicals that he has not been in… yet!
Songs from West Side Story, Oklahoma, Chicago and Guys and Dolls give Flavin the chance to live his dream. Mack and Mabel provides a contrast in delivery styles as launches into a rousing ‘Movies Were Movies’ and then slows things down with an exquisite ‘I Won’t Send Roses’.
His lifelong love of The Wizard of Oz prompts him to deliver his version of ‘Over the Rainbow’. On this occasion he does so with great trepidation as Lorna Luft is in the audience.
After two fabulous hours of entertainment Flavin closes with a personal favourite of mine – ‘The Impossible Dream’. And for some of us, we took away a dream of him, one day, being back on a big stage and playing the title role in The Man From La Mancha.
Barrie Jerram
www.brasseriezedel.com/crazy-coqs
Readers may also be interested in:
Peter Straker – Crazy Coqs – Review
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