THE HANGOVER REPORT – In FLAMING SEPTEMBER, Justin Vivian Bond voluptuously channels Marianne Faithfull

Justin Vivian Bond in St. Ann’s Warehouse’s production of “Flaming September” at St. Ann & the Holy Trinity Church (photo by Adrian Dimanlig).

Last week, I had the great pleasure of attending a Justin Vivian Bond concert at the ornate St. Ann & the Holy Trinity Church in Brooklyn Heights. Entitled Flaming September and presented by St. Ann’s Warehouse, the performance was a gorgeous tribute the artistry of Marianne Faithfull, particularly material culled from the latter portion of the English singer’s career. In 1990, Fathfull released Blazing Away, an album recorded live at St. Ann’s Church (the venue that would eventually evolve into St. Ann’s Warehouse). Flaming September isn’t merely an attempt to recreate that recording, but instead a voluptuous endeavor to channel Faithfull and manifest a follow-up concert at the same site.

Although the event on paper may seem just the latest in the long parade of Viv’s themed cabaret-style shows, Flaming September stands alone as a uniquely special event — a far more elaborate, more theatrically satisfying experience than what your typical playfully meandering Viv show. This is in no small part due to the contributions director Daniel Fish (the mastermind behind the radical Tony-winning reinvention of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!), who has shaped the evening into a haunting meditation on the depth, complexity, and beauty of the human experience through the lens of the Marianne Faithfull songbook (special mention must go out to John Torres’s poetic lighting design). Indeed, songs like “Sister Morphine” registered on both operatic and devastatingly personal levels.

Despite the grandeur of the setting and presentation, Viv remained defiantly vself, looking glamorous in three different outfits. Over the course of the evening, Viv had the audience bewitched by the mastery of v’s bantering — so present, so alive with anecdotes — and the seductive drawl of v’s gravely voice, which wrapped around Faithful’s songs like a velvety, well-worn glove. Joining Viv at the altar were the usual suspects, led by the ubiquitous music director and arranger Matt Ray on piano, in addition to Nath Ann Carrera on guitar, Mike Jackson on bass, Bernice “Boom Boom” Brooks on drums, and Claudia Chopek on violin. All in all, Flaming September was a night to cherish.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

JUSTIN VIVIAN BOND: FLAMING SEPTEMBER
Concert
St. Ann’s Warehouse at St. Ann & the Holy Trinity Church
1 hour, 45 minutes (without an intermission)
Closed

Categories: Cabaret, Music, Other Music

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