Emotion, humour and provocation: Morrissey takes Broadway by storm
Morrissey Lunt-fontanne Theatre, New York ★★★★★
Morrissey stormed the heartland of New York theatre by doing exactly what he has been doing for nearly 40 years: crooning lyrically audacious, melodically gorgeous songs about the trials of being Stephen Morrissey while a tightly drilled band conjured up a wall of thrilling rock.
The lighting was artful, the visuals stimulating, the sound crisp, the audience excited and attentive, but at its centre was one man singing about his life in a set overflowing with emotion, humour, aggravation and provocation. It was hair-raisingly magnificent. Or, in his own words, “not bad for a week night”.
At 59, the controversial British icon is performing a seven-night stint at the 1,500-seater Lunt-fontanne Theatre, just off Times Square and opposite the award-winning musical Hamilton.
His distinctive voice was in fantastic shape, a creamy baritone rising up to sweet falsetto, descending into gruff barks and extending into yodelling warbles. He delivered his material with a theatricality reminiscent of such pre-rock’n’roll troubadours as Anthony Newley and Charles Aznavour, turning up the collar of his jacket to evoke isolation during an utterly bereft Seasick, Yet Still Docked, or whipping his microphone cord as if in combat during a stinging The Bullfighter Dies.
It was an odd set, packed with album tracks and B-sides. Although he has a new album of cover versions out later this month, he previewed only one song from it (the lovely Morning Starship by Jobriath). The album is titled California Son, emphasising
his allegiance to his adopted home.
Morrissey’s controversial support for Right-wing political causes (including For Britain and Tommy Robinson) has created a quandary among a British fan base who perhaps idealised him as a liberal champion of the oppressed. There were moves to boycott his tour last year, which was pre-emptively cancelled, and no UK dates have been announced for his latest venture.
Yet much of this American show seemed aimed at Britain. He poured a world of withering sarcasm, hurt and disdain into If You Don’t Like Me, Don’t Look at Me, a 2006 B-side to which he improvised the very British payoff: “Don’t get your knickers in a twist.”
“Do you get it?” he asked the New York audience, who loyally cheered, whether they got it or not. The unfolding narrative was a depiction of Morrissey’s feelings of bewilderment, hurt and anger at his homeland turning against him. He delivered it with such passion and pizzazz that it didn’t matter to his US fans that the message was not intended for them.
The universal element of all his hit songs, from The Smiths to his solo career, is that each of us has a universe of feelings beneath our skin that the outside world can never see. This was a message driven home by a monumental version of Smiths classic How Soon Is Now?, with Morrissey wailing, “I am human and I need to be loved… just like everybody else does!”
The audience responded to every song as if it were a classic, because, frankly, in that intimate venue, every song sounded like it was. Morrissey has been pretty consistently great over the years, and right now, on the cusp of turning 60, he is performing like his life depends upon it.
Even though he has said many ill-considered things, it strikes me as a tragedy that this extraordinary Englishman no longer feels welcome in his homeland. Because this is a show that should be seen, a slice of rock theatre as life-enhancing, thought-provoking and emotionally powerful as any West End drama.
Morrissey’s album, California Son, is released on May 24 on BMG