Cumming Attraction

Comments (0) By Michael Fox Wednesday, Jul 7 2010

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You may have recently seen Alan Cumming introducing the fall '09 season of Masterpiece Mystery! (currently in reruns) on PBS, dapper in a three-piece suit and playing it straight, if you catch our meaning, so as not to frighten the Golden Agers tuning in for Miss Marple or M. Poirot. The multitalented Scot considerably loosens the tie tonight when he brings to town his acclaimed one-man show, Alan Cumming: I Bought a Blue Car Today. Showcasing his uncommon gifts as a singer, actor, raconteur, and monologist, Cumming’s cabaret act is an amalgam of songs and anecdotes, the latter conveying a new citizen’s delight and mystification at his adopted country’s peccadilloes. There’s a special pleasure in seeing a movie and/or TV star deliver the goods live (hence the plethora of name actors treading the boards on and off Broadway), and receiving a blast of his charisma in person. With his delightful swagger, crack timing, and musical brogue, Cumming was born to play the role of entertainer. And if it’s wittily romantic mood music you’re hankering for, a pianist and cellist are on hand to lend tasteful support. Classy down the line, but not especially straight.
Sat., July 10, 8 p.m., 2010