Tears fell onto the stage of Enlow Recital Hall as Alan Cumming finished the song he had dedicated to his estranged father. Alan Cumming Sings Sappy Songs was exactly what the name implied but nothing prepared the audience for the charming spectacle that is Cumming.

On Sunday, September 27, 2015, Enlow Recital Hall was abuzz with excited chatter and anticipation while people hurried to their seats to enjoy a unique concert experience. Patrons sat impatiently at the edge of their seats awaiting the show to start. Every voice in the house was speaking of Cumming’s reputation. “No matter what, it’s bound to be entertaining,” a voice sounded in the distance.

Almost unnoticeably, two musicians entered onto the stage. Music director, pianist and cellist, and what Cumming refers to as his “sloppy seconds,” Eleanor Norton and Lance Horne took their places shortly before the house lights went down and Cumming bounced onto the stage with a smirk. The entire room went silent and he began his show. 

“I’m here to sing you some sappy songs,” stated Cumming half-way through his rendition of “Somewhere Only We Know” by Keane, and he warned the audience, “Beware of a happy ending.”

For one who has never heard Cumming perform, his talent is immeasurable and incomprehensible. His song choice ranged from the rock band Keane, to Liza Minnelli, to a song sang entirely in flawless French. With every note, Cumming shook the audience with power and passion in his voice while still managing to appear personable and engaging with his audience. When Cumming took off his jacket, the recital hall filled with oohs and aahs, reciprocating the flirtatious manner that Cumming classically carries himself in. Somehow, throughout the show, audience members managed to become fast-friends.

“We’re going deep and we’re going deep fast,” said Cumming with a chuckle when he finished explaining how the next song would reflect upon his long-long grandfather’s post-traumatic stress disorder from the war. “I went through that [in a different way]; I’ll tell you about it later, it will be hilarious!” Cumming said. 

Alan Cumming showing off his fun side as he takes a selfie with fans
Photo courtesy of Premiere Stages

Everything Cumming had to say provoked fits of laughter. A natural-born entertainer and storyteller, Cumming covered everything from his appearance in a condom commercial to the tattoo of an ex-lover’s name he got removed.  But what is different about this show was that, although it was humorous and fun, it revealed a more somber side of Cumming.

Not My Father’s Son is Cumming’s memoir that was released last year and it tells the story of growing up with an abusive father. The book also focuses on how he finally discovered what had happened to his grandfather while Cumming working on the show Who Do You Think You Are? “It was the worst thing that ever happened to me,” he said. Cumming laughed and explained that he thought being on the show would give him and his mother some closure after so many years of uncertainty, but finding out that he had died playing Russian roulette in Malaysia wasn’t the best news. This story transitioned into Cumming’s rendition of “Dinner at 8” by Rufus Wainwright, who he refers to as his friend.

After all the sentiment, Cumming managed to throw some comedic fire back into the show by retelling his account of hosting the Tony Awards this past year. Cumming said that the experience was like walking into traffic and was one of the most terrifying things he has ever had to do. A seasoned veteran of live-performance, it was humbling to hear someone so well-known convey such relatable feelings. “These are songs I never thought I’d come to like, let alone perform in New Jersey on a Sunday afternoon,” said Cumming.

The last song, or so Cumming referred to as “the last song” using air-quotes to heighten his sarcasm, was preceded by making a mockery of encore rituals. “I’m going to tell you what’s going to happen,” said Cumming. “I’m going to walk off the stage and you will clap and be sad and when I walk back out, you will act all surprised and I will do another song. But this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do that desperate clapping in between.”

Cumming finished strongly with “The Ladies Who Lunch” from the Broadway musical Company. The sassy nature in which he performed this number was the perfect crest to the almost two-hour long, non-stop show. The song finished and Cumming, Horne, and Norton joined hands center stage and bowed to the thunderstorm of applause from a standing ovation.

Through the hustle and bustle of the exiting crowd, one woman stated, “if he did this again in Vegas, I would fly out just to see it again.” 

Enlow Recital Hall filling up for Alan Cumming
Photo courtesy of Premiere Stages