This review of Frans
Bloem’s “Jubilee” at Eighty Eight’s was written by Maya T. Amis and appeared in
Volume III, Issue 1 (April, 1998) of Applause! Applause! published by Dr.
Thomas Robert Stevens.
"Jubilee" - Frans Bloem
Eighty Eight's (228 West 10th Street, NYC)
Reviewed 1/13/98 at 8:00 p.m.
Coming on stage, winding his
way through the tables, Frans Bloem makes instant contact with his audience,
converting them into lifelong friends with his expressive, almost flirtatious
eyes, wide smile and relaxed air. Like previous shows, this one brings his
friends - old and new - up to date on his life and emotional state, using a
conversational style and songs ranging from one of this year's MAC nominees for
best song (Carol Hall and Steven Lutvak's wonderful "A Lover Of High
Wire") to old French favorites (you can almost hear the accordion in the
background when he sings his medley of "Pigalle", "Paris
Skies" and "Windmills Of Your Mind" in French and English).
Not entirely the celebration
its title indicates, this show often has a wistful quality as Bloem ponders
human nature (and his own) and takes the opportunity to look at his life, both
past and present. This is not to say that he can't be funny: he has a sly wit
that glints through at unexpected moments, and he uses his job as a tour
manager as inspiration for some irresistible and heartfelt humor in Noel
Coward's "Why Do The Wrong People Travel". Bloem's unforced, and
totally genuine, continental charm is engaging, and it is easy to see why he is
a successful tour guide, frequently jaunting off to exotic places before
returning home to the West Village -- and to Eighty Eight's -- to regale us
with a new show, sharing the wisdom and humor he has acquired over his years of
travel and adventure.
Bloem has a uniquely
irrepressible hospitality; most of his shows are followed by a party at his
house to which the audience is invited. Somehow, these informal get-togethers
seem an utterly appropriate gesture from this convivial gentleman -- a concrete
example of his expansive personality.
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