“Who’s that?” I asked. My friend tried as hard as she could to contain her excitement, “he was the lead in HAIR the musical! and he’s coming next week to perform!”
“Oh,” I responded. I may not have sounded as excited as my other two friends, who have somewhat obsessive personalities when it comes to broadway musical stars, but I was still interested in seeing what the performance would be like.
I had never really taken interest in broadway musical soundtracks. It just wasn’t my genre. While I’ve enjoyed every musical production I’ve seen, I’ve never really gone on to listen to the music of the show outside of the theater atmosphere, maybe because I cannot seem to separate the songs from the plot that plays out on stage. So when I heard Gavin Creel was a broadway star, I imagined him screaming out high-energy show tunes on a stage by himself. This didn’t seem fitting for the Kerrytown Concerthouse.
Much to my surprise, however, I was very wrong about Gavin Creel and the nature of his performance. Graduate of the UM Musical Theater school, Gavin Creel has gone on to do much more than sing show tunes. Apart from being a broadway star, he is a singer, songwriter, gay rights activist, and founder of the nonprofit, Broadway Impact, not to mention Tony nominee. The concert served as a preview of songs from his new album, and as a fundraiser for Broadway Impact, which unites members of the Broadway community to fight for marriage equality.
Happy to return to his alma mater, Creel jumped up on stage, and acknowledged the many familiar faces that had come to see him: high school friends, voice coaches, professors and fans alike. Joined by his guitarist and songwriting partner, Robbie Roth, Creel sang a mix of old and new songs, along with a few covers as well. There was a satisfying, relaxing, acoustic sound that echoed through the walls of the Kerrytown Concerthouse. The intimate setting made for a perfect, coffee-house type guest performance, without the background noise. “Can we like dim the lights a little bit?!” Creel asked. “Relax, sing a long, take a little nap if you’d like,” Creel encouraged. Most of his new songs are quite melodic and calm, but songs from Creel’s previous album were jumpy and fast, providing for a varied set list.
Creel was very engaging with the audience, and his goofy, energetic self kept people laughing in between almost every song. The concert, in this sense, felt more like an exclusive, informal listening session, exhibiting raw talent that continued to immerse the crowd in Creel’s carefree singing. Creel also shared with the audience his personal stories and experiences that have served as musical inspiration. He reflected on his childhood growing up in the midwest, and sang ‘Hot Ohio’, a song about waking up everyday to the sticky, heat of summer as a boy who never stopped dreaming about making the move to the big city.
Concluding with “I Got Life”, a classic tune from Hair, Creel pretended to be ‘Claude’ for the remaining minutes of his concert. Broadway fans erupted in enthusiasm, and I too for once, felt the need to BE-IN.
Great review! Gavin Creel was amazing.