"You Know, David Beukema *Can* Sing" at the Hive Collaborative

I know that David Beukema can sing, having seen him in several musicals. But more often in the last 10+ years I've seen him in plays; he's the rare #TCTheater actor that moves back and forth between plays and musicals, seemingly with ease. Turns out he has a case of Musical Imposter Syndrome (MIS), which he works through in his charming cabaret show entitled You Know, David Beukema *Can* Sing. It's the sort of solo show you might see at a Fringe Festival, combining stories from his life with songs that are meaningful to him. He's funny and vulnerable and endearing as he tells his story in song in the cozy cabaret setup at The Hive Collaborative, with only three more performances this weekend!

David is a self-described old soul; most of the songs he sings are standards or musical theater songs from the early to middle part of the last century. Between songs, he tells us how he got into musical theater in an unusual way - through his love for The Muppet Show. And if any performer appeared on The Muppet Show, he became a fan for life, with a goal to see them perform live in person. He did see many of them, and has the awkward stage door stories and photos to prove it! After performing in many musicals in high school, he ended up in an acting program in college, which was separate from the musical theater program, and this is where his MIS began. He has slowly worked his way back into musicals and rebuilt that confidence, culminating in this declarative cabaret. He tells us that he's dreamed of doing a cabaret for years, and has had many different ideas for it, so in this show he gives us a little bit of each one, complete with a catchy or punny title and funny photo graphic (photography by Bonni Allen and graphic design by Grant Henderson). So he sings about his love for birds, his struggles with dating, and his pride in his home. All perfectly chosen songs, including some clever mash-ups of seemingly contradictory songs, to illustrate his point.

David Beukema and one of his many cabaret show ideas
(photo by Craig Johnson)

But this is not strictly a solo show. David is joined by everyone's favorite music director and accompanist, Bradley Beahen, who doesn't just play the piano and add harmonies. He also gives David someone to converse with and play off of, making this feel more like a conversation, or a living room concert. Because the Hive always feels like someone's cozy and welcoming living room (with snacks!), especially with the cabaret tables set up around the space in front of the rows of seats.

One other thing David talks about is his love of women (just not in that way), and he's asked several of his favorites to join him. From a rotating cast of music-theater performers, each one a true talent in her own right, he was joined at the performance I saw by Melanie Wehrmacher, Jennifer Eckes, Hope Nordquist, and Emily Dussault (you may see someone different when you go). They each sang a duet, a song specifically chosen for each specific friendship. Finally, the four women acted as the best backup girl group as David sang a lovely song from Gilda Radner to conclude the evening.

You Know, David Beukema *Can* Sing is a well-structured 90-minute cabaret show (with creative consultant Craig Johnson), simply designed with just a couple of stools and a table holding a bouquet of tulips and a framed photo of Miss Piggy and Linda Lavin, and well-performed by David Beukema, about whom it can now be said without any doubt, can sing!