By his own admission, it took about 30 years to bring this song collection to the stage, but Don Black’s From the Heart has been worth the wait. With a vibe designed to evoke a New York cabaret venue, albeit on a slightly grander scale, the piece showcases Black’s ingenuity in creating deceptively simple lyrics, along with his love of music and comedy. It’s running for a limited time at the Garrick Theatre . The premise is simple: to capture the feel of New York’s cabaret venues. A series of songs, mostly new ones written for the show, run through a variety of moods. With each song running a little more than three minutes, the show moves briskly. Each offers a chance to appreciate Black’s economical lyrics, flashes of deadpan comedy, and occasional inspired choices, such as rhyming sex with the (artist) Lautrec. A classy ensemble also brings these songs (and the stories they tell) to life. Clive Rowe delivers the first laughs with a song about doctors. The song is simpl...
