Cabaret is a refreshing venue that transports one to the land of love and humor. Last Saturday night in Pine Plains was the season opening for 2025 with actor Sam Gravitte and pianist Jacinth Greywoode. As an actor, Gravitte has played Fiero in Wicked and several other shows. Jacinth Greywoode is both a composer and music director with numerous shows to his credit, including the Roundabout Theater Company’s production of The Rose Tattoo. Saturday night was the Premiere of a new Valentine’s themed cabaret: A Song For You, the title being a noted Stephen Sondheim song which was the closer to a series of songs about the vagaries of love.
They opened with “Love’s in Need of Love Today,” a 1976 hit by Stevie Wonder with the theme that love is hollow unless it is fed; its tone was influenced by radio broadcasting and gospel quartets; the song remains a beloved classic that echoes down the decades. Sam delivered a stripped-down personal statement approach that focused on the importance of tender intimacy.
“Fly Me to the Moon” was a song composed by Bart Howard and made famous by Frank Sinatra. Sam chose not to imitate Sinatra’s ebullient cool and concentrated on the joys of in-depth relationships.
“Easy to Love,” a 1934 Cole Porter Classic that has had celebrated covers from Billie Holiday, Doris Day, Judy Garland, Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, and numerous others offered a raspy, whispering interpretation instead of the stagier resonances.
“In Buddy’s Eyes,” written by Stephan Sondheim (made famous by Barbara Cook) inflected the tender intimacy and satisfaction of a same-sex couple. Sam’s voice flowed with a rich, velvety tone.
“Someone to Watch Over Me,” a 1926 song composed by George Gershwin with lyrics by Ira Gershwin, written for the musical Oh, Kay! (1926). Instead of the original fast tempo of the tune, Sam, like many others (there are over 1,800 recordings of this song) slowed it to a poignant ballad of breathy, emotional nuance.
“Maria” from the musical West Side Story (1957), lyrics by Stephen Sondheim with music by Leonard Bernstein, delivered a mid-show crescendo climax. I have heard many renditions of this song, yet here was the most masterful, eloquent version that I have ever heard.
“Dancing Through Life” by Stephen Schwartz from the Broadway musical Wicked (2003) was a song Sam had sung many times during the production run. He joked that the plot of the musical had a chorus that immediately followed his performance, depriving him of what a soloist wants most: applause! Yes, this was his magical performance of the song in the small town of Pine Plains.
The 1931 jazz standard “I’m Thru with Love” has been covered by many singers from Bing Crosby to Marilyn Monroe (in Some like it Hot, 1959). Sam’s melancholy version dripped with palpable poignancy.
“Wannabe” by the Spice Girls (1996) injected welcome humor into the general theme of love. Sam’s version was convincingly comic.
“Unusual Way” from the 1982 musical NINE, based upon Frederico Fellini’s film 8 ½ was something of a successful surprise that offered a new landscape and feeling to the previous songs.
“What Do I Need with Love” from the musical Thoroughly Modern Millie (2000) offered more poignancy from a male perspective. Here Sam’s tone brimmed with slight bitter regret that offered a contrast to the more poignant themes of love.
For the Finale, Sam sang Stephen Sondheim’s famous “A Song for You” which vied with the noted semi-orchestral version by Ray Charles by introducing more intimate kindness to the ambiance of two lovers singing the same song.
This was an unusual Premiere from two talented men a hundred miles from their stomping ground. For those attending, it was a night to cherish and remember the satisfying role that love plays in the personal intimacy of our lives.
