Reviews of InspiRAYtion: The Musical Legacy of Ray Charles (2011)

Elaine St. George may not have done many shows in the fourteen years since I first saw her sing, but to paraphrase a remark Spencer Tracy made about Katharine Hepburn in Pat and Mike, what she's done has been "cherce". Two qualities have distinguished everything she's presented: intelligence and wit. Add to that her voice, which over the past few years has developed into an even more beautiful instrument: a mezzo with the crystalline clarity one often associates with sopranos. Finally there are her interpretations: I've never known her simply to choose a good song and merely sing it well; rather, she approaches each song purposefully, with a distinctive point of view. Her current offering, which celebrates the Ray Charles songbook, is no exception.

Early in the proceedings, St. George makes it clear that she and her collaborators (musical director and pianist Ross Patterson, bassist Adam Armstrong) do not intend to replicate Charles's arrangements or style. Instead, they use his original treatments as jumping-off places‹and as she says, sometimes they jump farther than others. Collaborators is very much the right word to use here, for throughout the evening, the arrangements and instrumental accompaniment make an invaluable contribution, and all elements seem at one with each other.

The Ray Charles songbook reflects his catholic taste in music. So, too, this show. For example, one would not think of Rodgers and Hammerstein's "Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin'" as Charles material, but he recorded it and sang it many times in concert; here it is given a sunny, playful interpretation, with a striking jazz arrangement that makes us listen afresh. It's followed by a medley of selections more recognizably in the Ray Charles groove, "Hallelujah I Love Her So," "This Little Girl of Mine," and "This Little Light of Mine," the first two formally credited to Charles, himself, and the third by Harry Dixon Loes; not only does this work as a musical number, it also provides St. George the opportunity to make a wry comment about Charles's writing.

That's just one of many pointed and funny observations she makes over the course of the show, commentary that displays the wit and intelligence I alluded to in my opening paragraph. Contrasting his personal conduct with the sentiments he chose to express in song, she sings "Come Live with Me" (Felice & Boudleaux Bryant), a celebration of traditional romantic relationships; as befits the sentiment, she gives it a lovely, heartfelt interpretation.

St. George performs Buck Owens's "Crying Time" without the emotional schmaltz that often characterizes country music (and which Ray Charles brought to his rendition); hers is a more gentle expression of pain and sadness, and as a result, it is that much more affecting. On the other hand, a pairing of Curley Williams's "Half as Much" and Don Gibson's "I Can't Stop Loving You" cooks with the juices of country, rock 'n' roll, and R&B and it's terrific.

Three numbers have an especially potent emotional impact. St. George's rendition of Paul Simon's "Still Crazy After All These Years" is exquisitely focused and introspective, so we feel as though we were eavesdropping on something very private and personal. She fills the Gershwins' "How Long Has This Been Going On?" with reflective, tender wonder, and she pairs a passionate "The Long and Winding Road" (Lennon & McCartney) with Hoagy Carmichael and Stuart Gorrell's "Georgia on My Mind," which she infuses with understated but palpable longing. Superb work on all of them.

In this evening of contours and contrasts, we also get a performance of Melanie Safka's "What Have They Done to My Song Ma" that is even more freewheeling than Ray Charles's version, if that's possible, with St. George and the band throwing themselves into the number with infectious abandon. It's outrageous and it's great fun. - Roy Sander, BistroAwards.com

Elaine St. George claimed to not have followed the musical arrangements of her subject, Ray Charles, in her Metropolitan Room show, but she certainly captured much of Charles's spirit and style. In her smooth and appealing soprano, St. George shifted moods and styles easily and often, presenting a varied selection of the blues, ballads, show tunes, country and rock numbers that Charles championed in his career. Songs as different from each other as "Oh, What a Beautiful Morning" and "Let's Go Get Stoned," which St. George paired with "There'll Be Some Changes Made," and ended with a skyward glance and a plaintive, "Oh, Ray."

Her audience, whether primarily Ray Charles fans or Elaine St. George fans, certainly enjoyed the tribute to him. With Curley Wiliams's "Half as Much," St. George had many of the heads in the room actively bobbing. Then, for "Hit the Road Jack" ("and don't you come back no more, no more, no more, no more"), her audience chimed in as if it were a karaoke contest.

Blind from the time he was seven, music was Charles's method of communication, and there were few more successful at it. The son of a sharecropper and a railway employee, his songs and performing brought him fame, millions of dollars and multiple prestigious awards, including a Grammy lifetime achievement award and the National Medal of the Arts. St. George smoothly interspersed tidbits of Charles's life into her patter, though she tempered her admiration for the musician with her less-than-admiration for the person ¬ a rounder, at least with the women in his life, to put it politely. Among other particulars: he was married twice, but fathered twelve children with nine different women.

Musical Director/pianist Ross Patterson provided excellent arrangements and with his sublime bassist, Adam Armstrong, several entrancing instrumental breaks. The bass backing on Charles's own "Swanee River Rock" was stunning.

This show was a tribute to Charles, and the diversity of styles that he alternately favored. Yet the switching from one type to the other had a bit of the effect of a roller coaster, shooting up, then suddenly changing direction and zooming down. St. George was so adept at each of the musical styles, however, that I long to see her create another show where she stays within one ballpark, as it were. I found her rendition of Paul Simon's "Still Crazy After All These Years" so moving, that ¬ if she wants a suggestion ¬ that song would be a highlight in a future show she might create: "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover" ¬ a Paul Simon tribute. - Peter Leavy, Cabaret Scenes

"On Wednesday evening, it was off to The Metropolitan Room for Elaine St. George in InsipiRAYtion: The Musical Legacy of Ray Charles. Joined by David Epstein (subbing for musical director Tedd Firth) on the piano and Adam Armstrong on the bass, Ms. St. George put on a terrific show. Thoughtful, engaging, informative, and beautifully executed, the show covered a wide variety of the material performed by the legendary performer. From the expected ("Hallelujah I Love Her So," "Hit The Road Jack," "Georgia on My Mind") to the unexpected ("Oh, What a Beautiful Morning," "Crying Time," "How Long Has This Been Going On") Ms. St. George assembled a program that was truly representative of the incredible spectrum of material recorded and performed by Mr. Charles. From musical theater to blues to standards to country, he dipped his talented toes in just about every genre he could. Ms. St. George did a wonderful job of presenting the material in her own way; she wisely never tried to imitate Mr. Charles or do his exact arrangements but she let herself be inspired by his recordings and found her own way to do justice to them. Patter was kept to a minimum, and the anecdotes about Ray that were shared were small, entertaining snippets from his colorful life. Throughout the show, Ms. St. George's warmth, intelligence, and wry sense of humor shone through, making it a highly enjoyable evening! The show will be returning to The Metropolitan Room this spring - be on the lookout for dates to be announced soon!" -- BroadwayWorld.com 2011