TIO NYC: “Hold On To Me Darling” & More

15 Apr TIO NYC: “Hold On To Me Darling” & More

Did you ever notice, probably in retrospect, that trips often appear to have been planned around a theme? And then remembered that the theme was inadvertent? This Telluride Inside… and Out stay in New York seems to have had one of those accidental through-lines; in this case, music.

Susan already blogged about “Mabel Madness” at Urban Stages (music); Steve Martin’s “Bright Star” (music and dance); our evening at the Metropolitan Room with Marissa Mulder and Jon Weber (music).

Gabrielle Stravelli

Then there was a night out at Birdland listening to Gabrielle Stravelli. No surprise, given the venue: she sings jazz, working the edges of the genre, mostly eschewing familiar selections from the American Songbook for more obscure works (at least to us), including several of her original compositions. All were delivered in a voice that seamlessly soars from a credible baritone on through to a clear soprano, just as pure at a whisper as when belting – the lady has an amazing instrument. Near the end of the show, Stravelli did a few Willie Nelson numbers: Willie originals and her version of Willie singing “Stardust.” A jazz singer doing Willie doing Hoagy Carmichael? The mind boggles!

Later that night we moved uptown a few blocks to La Rivista to hear Marissa Mulder, this time accompanied by Bill Zeffiro. Our acquaintance with Marissa began several weeks ago in Telluride. On three nights, she and Jon Weber performed, starting with an open mic event. I was one of the Telluride locals who sang. So when Marissa invited me to join her at La Rivista, I happily agreed. That was my New York debut: of all the places in the world I have performed, a Big Apple venue had eluded me.

Marissa, in Performance

So, how does “Hold On To Me Darling” fit into the picture? Better to ask how we came to see the play. When I saw an early review of “Hold On…”, read that it was about a country music star, I became intrigued – and surprised to learn the lead role, Strings McCrane, was played by Timothy Olyphant. The hook was set: Susan and I spent a few months with Olyphant last year binge-watching six seasons of “Justified,” a series in which he played an Elmore Leonard creation, Raylan Givens of the U.S. Marshal Service.

Strings & Duke (Timothy Olyphant & C.J. Wilson)

When the play begins, Strings’ mother has just died, touching off an existential crisis: the man suddenly feels is tired of the adulation; can’t think of anything but getting back to a simpler life; can’t stop talking about it.

Olyphant’s Strings has made it: he’s an icon, knows it, and as much as he protests, can’t help but turn his own efforts to simplify into another part of his act. He is so touchingly self-centered, unconsciously egotistical, we couldn’t take our eyes off him.

The rest of the cast complemented perfectly. Keith Nobbs (Jimmy) had been with Strings since he hit the big time. Manager/best friend, the man has to swallow his pride, in order to feed Strings’ insatiable ego. Jenn Lyon (Nancy) is sensuous as the vehicle for Strings’ return to a more normal life, and beautifully hides her own ambitions. C.J. Wilson (Duke) is Strings’ older brother, a gruff Jiminy Cricket as played by, oh, I don’t know, John Goodman? Some of the funniest moments in the play were the exchanges between the brothers. Adelaide Clemens (Essie) is sweet, a bit naive, ultimately strong, as Strings McCrane’s second cousin, twice-removed. We don’t see much of Jonathan Hogan (Strings’ father, Mitch), but he is quite restrained in what could have been a syrupy scene at the end.

Kenneth Lonergan has written an interesting tale about the stories we tell ourselves. Walt Spangler’s sets (seven by my count) rotated into view; each defined its scene. As directed by Neil Pepe, “Hold On To Me Darling” was occasionally over the top – but appropriately so.

Throughout the play, Strings complains that the idol worship of the masses is a symptom of our national disease, but can’t wait for another beautiful woman to assure him he is not the one to blame. “Hold On To Me Darling” (or darlings) as allegory for our time? The case could be made with the current presidential race as case in point. And all with a “my woman done me wrong” country song playing in the background.