LEE HARTGRAVE REVIEWS

TYNE DALY – MARVELOUS AND TOUCHING

TYNE DALY IS A BIG STAR AND CUTS A WIDE SWATH as she enters from the back of the Rrazz Room. At first glance she looks like she just threw herself together.  The mauve colored dress that she had on did not create much excitement. And her hair looked wild as the wind. Daly has strong features. Her jaw line is so strong that she reminds of Ethel Barrymore. If anyone makes a movie of Barrymore – then Daly would be the best choice.

O.K. so she didn’t look like the usual over the top glam star, but she becomes more and more beautiful with each song. The magic all starts with “Some People” from Gypsy. Yes, the audience’s socks were rolling up and down and Jan Wahl’s hat blew off her head. And that was a good thing – I could see better with it in her lap.

Daly delighted us with a great rendition of Mercer’s “Oh Happy Day” – and then took us on a great trip with “There I’ve Said It Again”. Why is it so great? Here is why. Daly gave the song a delicate interpretation that made it enormously moving. Here are a couple of the gripping lyrics: “I’ve said there’s nothing to hide. There I’ve said it again.”

“Send Me To the ‘lectric Chair” is just a wonderful hoot. Daly pulls out all the stops with these lyrics: “Judge, Judge. Let me go away from here. Judge, Judge take me to the lectric Chair!” The song is about a woman who has shot her boyfriend to death. Daly sez: “That song always cheers me right up!”

Jerry Herman’s “Dear World” brought the audience to their feet for the second time of the evening. The applause was deafening and seemed to be endless. Daly was really lovin’ it as much as the audience.

She ends with the song “Thank You So Much.”  - “I think you’re darling, handsome and then some. I want you to love me and then some.  Toot, toot ta toot!” Ya know what – you just wanna get up there and hug her.

Daly Tells the Truth: “I always tell the truth, and only lie when I get paid to act,” And that’s from the book of Tyne. This is a show that you should not, or want to miss.  Hey, where else are you going to hear a couple of songs that were big hits from the Original Crooner? Rudy Vallee was before Bing Crosby.

Every now and then, you see a performance that jolts you out of your doldrums.  This is that show!

RATING: FOUR GLASSES OF CHAMPAGNE!!!! (highest rating) –trademarked-

AT THE RRAZZ ROOM. http://www.therrazzroom.com/

(((Lee Hartgrave has contributed many articles to the San Francisco Chronicle Sunday Datebook and produced a long-running Arts Segment on PBS KQED)))