Cabaret Festival

Adelaide Cabaret Festival Review: Tim Freedman – Freedman does Nilsson

Tim Freedman

Frontman for The Whitlams and The Idle, Tim Freedman, dons his Harry Nilsson guise for his take on what a Nilsson concert may have been like.

 

Tim FreedmanPresented by Adelaide Festival Centre
Reviewed 11 June 2014

Tim Freedman is two-faced; marvellously so. The Whitlams and The Idle front-man by day, by night he has donned his Harry Nilsson guise for a show of “live imagining” in Freedman does Nilsson; his take on what a Nilsson concert may have been like.

An intimately lit and cap-wearing Freedman sat as Harry Nilsson at the Steinway, to reveal this extraordinary tale. Chatting with a credible American accent between songs, he pieced together the troubled life-story of one of the world’s best contemporary songwriters, poignantly opening with Fred Neil’s Everybody’s Talkin’, the Midnight Cowboy soundtrack cover that also brought Nilsson fame as a singer.

The sad semi-autobiographical song 1941 showcased Freedman’s extensive vocal range, and his performance of Cuddly Toy (written for The Monkees) set up how Nilsson received his first music-related pay-check. Insights into Nilsson’s compositional technique were revealed with the outstanding performance of One, which confirmed falsetto as being amongst Freedman’s extensive abilities.

From the Nilsson Sings Newman era, a snappy down beat version of Randy Newman’s You Can Leave Your Hat On, with grandly rhythmic piano, made way for the show highlight, the cover, Without You; Freedman’s pure, angst-ridden version, simply spot-lit rendition was emotive, heart-wrenching and exceptional.

Performed largely without a score and with a stunning clarity of sound, Freedman does Nilsson is a humorous, off-beat and wonderful recounting of Nilsson’s talents and tribulations. This is the PG version; happily some stories of Nilsson’s reported mischief, appropriately left out.

Freedman’s affinity with Nilsson’s story and songs was superb. He succeeded in making the rather unlikeable character of Nilsson shine for the true talent that he was. Suffering from horrific stage fright, Nilsson never performed his songs in concert. Freedman’s performance was so good, it is difficult to imagine Nilsson himself delivering a better show.

Find out how Nilsson avoided the draft, how he really felt about The Beatles, and who paid to fix his teeth, whilst becoming immersed in some truly amazing music. This is a fascinating insight into the world of Nilsson, underpinned by the brilliance of Freedman.

See both faces of Tim Freedman in his final show tonight at 9pm.

Reviewed by Gordon Forester
Twitter: @GordonForester

Venue: Dunstan Playhouse, Adelaide Festival Centre, Adelaide
Season: 11-12 June 2014
Duration: 70 minutes
Tickets: $44.90 – $49.90
Bookings: Book online through the Adelaide Cabaret Festival website or phone BASS on 131 246.

 

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