Copyright 1995 Toronto Star Newspapers, Ltd.   
The Toronto Star 


July 26, 1995, Wednesday, FINAL EDITION 

SECTION: ENTERTAINMENT; Pg. D3 

LENGTH: 446 words 

HEADLINE: Prolific performer Brent Carver adds superb song show to career 

BYLINE: BY GEOFF CHAPMAN TORONTO STAR 

BODY: 


Brent is brilliant. 

The world premiere of Brent Carver's song show last night 
insists you surf the superlatives to describe it. 

Episode three of Harbourfront's bargain "Magnificent Seven" 
series has this performer, known in Canada for many dramatic 
triumphs including Hamlet, Cyrano de Bergerac, Tartuffe, David 
in Unidentified Human Remains and even Dr. Frankenfurter in The 
Rocky Horror Show and abroad as the Tony Award-winning 
flamboyant gay window-dresser Molina in the musical Kiss Of The 
Spider Woman, singing marvellous material - and singing it superbly. 

To his array of credits over a 20-plus year career on stage and 
screens big and small, you can now add one of the best one- 
person shows I've ever encountered. 

If Michael Crawford can emerge from the persona of nitwit Frank 
in the TV Britcom Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em to become a vocal 
star, B.C.-born Brent can surely move on from traditional acting 
roles to achieve the same regard, as the numerous arty 
glitterati in last night's capacity audience at the Premiere 
Dance Theatre will surely attest. 

With a program sans Tin Pan Alley boilerplate that ranged from 
chirpy comedy songs through Kurt Weill, Jacques Brel, Leonard 
Cohen and Shakespeare the Bard to heavyweight, three-ply Kleenex 
issue numbers like "The Phoenix" and "The World Is Changing," he 
demonstrated an elegant, sophisticated and vital delivery, 
controlled phrasing, splendid body language - well, you'd expect 
that - and the will-o'-the- wisp ability to connect, 
passionately, with the spectators. 

Their appreciative roars were a constant occurrence during two 
hours that sped past too quickly, and thus Carver could get away 
with emoting with his back to the audience, an occasional first-
night flub and a smattering of comedic gestures that fell somewhat flat. 

With empathetic support from pianist Laura Hunter and a four-
piece string quartet, he picked away at gems from the creators 
of musicals and song- writing sophisticates elsewhere. And he 
was quite comfortable adding the spoken word to the musical 
feast - a Shakespeare sonnet, a talk-through of A.A. Milne's 
"Change In The Guard," words from the musical Dracula. 

There were highlights aplenty, their presentation aided by 
skilful arrangements and his clear diction and understanding of 
tone and color. The opening traditional "Tum Ba La Leka," the 
Brel/Richard Ouzounian number "My Land," sendups of early rock 
days complete with Elvis wiggles and Johnny Ray wa-wahs, the 
droll "When The Idle Poor," a campy "Love Potion Number 9," the 
plaintive "Ten Cents A Dance," and many more, just one from Kiss. 

Hit the phones. He's only here through Sunday. 



GRAPHIC: photo: BRILLIANT: Brent Carver last night presented the 
world premiere of his one-man show and the results were superb, says critic Geoff Chapman. 

LANGUAGE: ENGLISH 

LOAD-DATE: July 27, 1995