HARNICK…HEARTFELT & HEARTWARMING

Sheldon Harnick, who passed away in 2023 at age 99, is alphabetically in good company among the great Broadway writers. His name comes after E.Y. “Yip” Harburg — whose work and personal encouragement inspired him as he began his career — and the witty Lorenz Hart, but before Jerry Herman, who similarly brought out an optimistic outlook in show tunes. Historically, time periods of Broadway musicals Harnick wrote for include the days of Adam and Eve (The Apple Tree), King Henry VIII (Rex), and New York City Mayor La Guardia (Fiorello!). His lyrics had characters asking such questions as “Where Is My Son?” and “Where’s My Shoe?” and those that ponder feelings of romantic attraction: “Will He Like Me?”; “Do You Love Me?”; “When Did I Fall in Love?”;  and “What Makes Me Love Him?” While vocalist Jennifer Roberts doesn’t get to all of the above, it’s clear she loves Harnick’s work, especially the musical She Loves Me (a show she appeared in, regionally, in the lead role of Amalia), and She Loves… Sheldon! — the curated cabaret cornucopia of his outstanding output – puts it right out there on stage.

In various venues, the singer has returned several times to this fond tribute over the last several years. On April 22, to celebrate Harnick’s 101st birthday, she was at The Green Room 42, sharing the stage again with her majorly magnificent musical director/pianist Tedd Firth (a plus in anyone’s book for any songbook) and the very fine bassist Steve Doyle. Her director is Lance Roberts (no, they’re not related). Early on, the smiling, genial Jennifer tells of her initial exposure to the lyricist’s oeuvre and reads aloud from a letter she wrote to him to express her admiration. It isn’t until quite a bit later in the show — spoiler alert! — that she reveals that he replied and that they met in person when he attended one of her performances, and he gave her some rarer material. Some bits of bio (about the performer and the writer) are sprinkled between songs, but nothing especially dramatic or eyebrow-raising … unless you count choosing to name her cats after people relevant to the history at hand.

The Roberts range and timbre are pleasing, although the soprano might sound just as effective or even more so if a few numbers were in lower keys. While there is variety in mood (a mix of gentle humor, some broader stuff, and serious-minded fare), the set list favors a few of the scores with Sheldon Harnick’s best-known collaborator, composer Jerry Bock. (Yes, that’s the name of one of her furry felines.) It’s not surprising that those scores would be prominent. She Loves Me songs for Amalia are most sampled, with a few picks from The Apple Tree, too. While other surveys of the team’s work (such as the recent one at 92NY’s Lyrics and Lyricists program) gave heavy representation to their mega-hit, the frequently revived Fiddler on the Roof, Jennifer Roberts kept her distance from it, choosing only a cut song called “As Much as That.” There is something about her involvement with the Fiorello! number about wishing to marry “The Very Next Man” who proposes that suggests more connection.

The focus is on presenting the material, not keeping the spotlight solely on herself to express her personal feelings and experiences through songs as if they could have been her own inner thoughts. That cabaret conceit, that which supposes a contract with the audience to suspend its disbelief, is not the M.O. here. Jennifer Roberts is mostly stepping into the shoes and mindsets of particular characters in specific situations — and many of the lyrics are too glued to plot situations to be generalized. Material is treated respectfully, but with not much straying from the beaten paths of the original theatre contexts or tempi. No risky, radical reinvention or excessive experimentation here. It’s tasteful and classy, but somewhat conservative — coloring within the lines more than thinking outside the box. It could arguably be more dramatic or daring if things took a further “Go for it!” step into poignancy and vulnerability in the serious matters, judicious belting. or looseness in the comedy. Your wardrobe will survive intact because this act doesn’t boast the kind of style that emotionally grabs you by the collar, tugs at your sleeve, or knocks your socks off.

Beyond the selections from the full scores of Bock & Harnick shows, the set includes “One Family” from a musical version of A Christmas Carol (composer Michel Legrand, “Someone’s Been Sending Me Flowers” (music by David Baker), and some comical early numbers with Harnick’s own attractive music. There’s plenty more left untouched, such as things ghost-written for other people’s Broadway shows, English lyrics for operas, trunks of cut songs, and other under-the-radar material. Could a “Part Two” program be at hand?

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