As an entertainer who performs for audiences of all ages all over the country I LOVE to watch and study performers who show pizazz, have wonderful stage presence, timing, and who can pull off a boffo comedy routine and song. Which brings us to British performer Eric Storm’s gem on You Tube.
To younger readers:If you’ve never heard of a “counterpoint” song here is a perfect example. This song, a more than 50 year old song by Irving Berlin from the Broadway musical “Call Me Madam,” starts out with one melody line, and then there’s a second melody line — sung by the same performer, in this bit taped using a split screen technique.
The final part of a counterpoint song is where the two melodies come together, not just in harmony but with overlapping melody lines that gell perfectly. If done in a theater, its an instant “show stopper” — which this song is.
Why does this You Tube show a great performer?
1. Watch Storm’s reactions carefully. While version of himself is talking, the other is constantly reacting, often with amusing facial expressions.
2. Note the pizazz “each”version of Storm gives in performance.
3. Note how seamlessly the two melody lines gell and his musical gifts.
4. Note his relaxed stage presence.
If you put all of this together, this gem, hidden on You Tube, shows a Great Performer:
Joe Gandelman is a former fulltime journalist who freelanced in India, Spain, Bangladesh and Cypress writing for publications such as the Christian Science Monitor and Newsweek. He also did radio reports from Madrid for NPR’s All Things Considered. He has worked on two U.S. newspapers and quit the news biz in 1990 to go into entertainment. He also has written for The Week and several online publications, did a column for Cagle Cartoons Syndicate and has appeared on CNN.