Review: COHEN, BERNSTEIN, JONI & ME, Upstairs at the Gatehouse
Rarely does a one-person show so effectively capture an audience’s attention throughout. Deb Filler has lived her life so fully, she explodes the confines of Upstairs at the Gatehouse with her highly specific character transformations and musical prowess.
The show is a love letter to her Jewish identity, and the experiences of being the child of a Jewish immigrant family. Her father, a holocaust survivor and native Yiddish speaker’s impact on Filler and her life, music, work ethic, and chutzpah, are tangible. The tender stories of Bernstein’s inter-generational impact on her and her father, were disarmingly tender, and even more significant due to the comic hilarity sandwiching it.
Her mother’s obsession with Judy Garland and the ‘classics’, and such’s impact on Filler is also clear, with her stage presence and storytelling reminiscent of Garland’s apparent ease presenting The Judy Garland Show. Without overly dissecting it, this show effectively conveys the deep love and respect Filler has for her family, and how her past continues to shape her future.
The show also ambles through her many chance (or perhaps not) encounters with stars that have impacted our musical landscape. The humility with which she describes many of these interactions make her inspiring and a tonic in today’s world of instant gratification.
Mitchell Cushman’s direction is also very clear, with the chronology of Filler’s life being methodically staged and paced. Filler succeeds in forging a patchwork show of vignettes that pay off. Despite the seeming chaos of Filler’s life at times, the show never feels unmoored. The set and lighting’s simplicity directly contrasts with Filler’s driving of the audience’s imagination through Auckland, California, Canada, New York, Poland and more! It is very impressive.
It was a real joy to be flooded with the fruits of a dreamer’s life. As Filler mentioned, “a dream is the prelude to finding your own voice”, and gladly hers is ringing loudly in London this January.
***** Five stars
Reviewed by: Jeff Mostyn
