All You Ask Of Me

To be honest, I only went to see All You Ask of Me because I knew it would be sweet and innocuous.

A safe sort of show I could confidently take my visiting 86-year-old English mother to see - no sex, no swearing, and nothing too loud. Just a selection of pretty, happy highlights from nice, favourite musicals. Surprisingly, I enjoyed the show as much as she did – and she thought it was brilliant.

The premise is simple. Carly Graeme ignores the songs she’d really like to perform and sticks with the crowd pleasers, while Rowan Bakker accompanies her on the piano.

What moves it from pleasant but potentially dull into the realm of funny and moving are the quips and commentary between the numbers, when Graeme shows her caustic side. Maybe it helps that I’m on the same side as her, agreeing that Cats will always be dire no matter who sings the bloody songs. ‘Memory’ is one of the most over-sung songs of all time, she says, before launching into a version that proves why it’s such a favourite.

She sends herself up too, admitting she’s at that certain age where the roles she gets are changing – if she gets them at all, she adds, laughing with us as she described the auditioning process.

It’s a lovely behind-the-scenes type show, where the singer shows us the thoughts and processes that occur away from the limelight. There are plenty of rolling eyes and raised eyebrows moments, but the comedic element never detracts from the beauty of the singing.

The pair conceived the show together, and although Bakker stays in the background, he adds his personality with facial expressions from behind the keyboards. Sometimes his playing is exuberantly thumpy, other times deliciously delicate, and often more complex than I remember the original soundtracks being, so he’s no doubt enjoyed the chance to create arrangements that give Graeme all the backing she needs with just one instrument.

Together they whip through 50 songs from favourite musicals, some given the full goosebump-raising treatment, others woven into medleys. One of the funniest parts is their irreverent take on the classic black numbers in an ‘equal opportunities’ skit.

She’s got a beautiful voice, walloping out some Sound of Music material and a belting version of Cabaret, then enchanting you slower numbers like her magnificent delivery of I Dreamed A Dream from Les Miserables.

I didn’t expect one singer, a pianist and some simple but excellent lighting to present a show full of such energy, power and passion.

All You Ask Of Me runs at Sandton’s Auto & General Theatre on the Square until November 30. Tickets from Computicket or from the theatre on 011 883-8606.