Randy Newman at TPAC
by Michael McCall
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Success as an Academy Award-winning film composer seems to have only sharpened Randy Newman’s deliciously caustic narratives and occasional romantic swoons. He no doubt relishes the fact that his melodic brilliance, once overshadowed by his sly skewering of human foibles, brought him fortune in the glamour capital he once drew such delight in lampooning. One of the few who can sustain an evening’s entertainment with just his voice and a piano, Newman will dip into his rich catalog for still-ripe songs about self-hanging racists, devastating floods, sleazy back-alley hustlers and the fresh ache of love. But he’ll devote even more time to songs from the last two decades, concentrating on self-hanging corrupt politicians, sleazy front-page hustlers and the enduring ache of love. As always, his songs will prove the adage about how the truth hurts—even if it makes you laugh.
Tue., Oct. 14, 7:30 p.m., 2008
Tue., Oct. 14, 7:30 p.m., 2008
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