‘Frank and Friends’ returns to Smith Center’s Cabaret Jazz

The Smith Center’s just over a year old — and it’s already reunion time.

At least for “Frank and Friends,” which returns to The Smith Center’s Cabaret Jazz this weekend.

Frank is composer-performer Frank Wildhorn, whose hits range from Broadway to the pop charts.

The friends: resident Cabaret Jazz headliner Clint Holmes and Grammy-nominated vocalist Jane Monheit, who joined Wildhorn at Cabaret Jazz in November.

Wildhorn’s more than happy to be reprising that musical get-together.

“I love The Smith Center — I love playing there,” he says during a telephone interview.

So much, in fact, that Wildhorn — whose musical “Jekyll & Hyde” returned to Broadway this month — hopes The Smith Center will become a breeding ground for future stage projects.

This time around, however, cameras will be rolling for Vegas PBS; the footage will be used as a possible pilot for future TV coverage of Cabaret Jazz performances, according to Kareem Hatcher, Vegas PBS’ interim production manager.

Smith Center officials contacted Vegas PBS regarding the shoot, Hatcher says.

And that’s no surprise to Wildhorn, who calls Smith Center President Myron Martin “a wonderful producer. He makes adventure happen.”

For now, however, the focus remains on this weekend’s musical adventure. (Along with such other projects as an in-development “Jekyll & Hyde” movie, and a new “Excalibur” musical, to debut next year in Switzerland.)

Wildhorn’s spent most of his professional life as a producer and composer; his stage credits include “The Scarlet Pimpernel,” “The Civil War,” “Wonderland” and, most recently, “Bonnie & Clyde.”

But he “started playing again” about a year ago, he says, recalling his days as a performer in Hollywood, Fla., during the ’70s.

“It’s my therapy,” he says. “I’m just the piano player.”

The piano player with plenty of stories about the likes of Whitney Houston (who had a No. 1 hit with Wildhorn’s “Where Do Broken Hearts Go?”), Julie Andrews (Wildhorn collaborated on additional songs for the Broadway version of “Victor/Victoria”) and Sammy Davis Jr., one of numerous luminaries who have recorded Wildhorn’s tunes.

To say nothing of Linda Eder, Wildhorn’s ex-wife (who kicked off The Smith Center’s holiday concert season last year), who not only co-starred in “Jekyll & Hyde” but recorded 16 albums of his music.

“The crowd seems to like” such showbiz tales, says Wildhorn, who debuted “Frank & Friends” at New York’s legendary jazz club Birdland last year. “But at the end of the day, it’s about music.”

And that music covers an eclectic range — from pop to Broadway.

Not that there’s necessarily a gap between the two, he says.

After all, such “Great American Songbook” legends as George and Ira Gershwin, Cole Porter and Irving Berlin were perfectly happy to write hits.

“When they had a chance to write a real song that could get up and walk out of a show, they did so — with no apologies,” Wildhorn says, noting that he seizes such opportunities whenever possible.

As a result, such songs as “This Is the Moment,” “A New Life” and “Someone Like You” (all from “Jekyll & Hyde”) have moved beyond their theatrical origins to showcases at the Olympics, the Super Bowl, political conventions and presidential inaugurations.

But even his most familiar songs take on new dimensions in “Frank & Friends,” Wildhorn says.

Although Monheit’s known primarily as a jazz singer, “she’s also a very good actress who does well with theatrical songs,” he says.

And Holmes — whom Wildhorn describes as “one of my favorite musicians and singers,” as well as a longtime friend — brings fresh energy to familiar material, the composer says.

“Clint does an amazing version of ‘Where Do Broken Hearts Go’ that’s totally different from Whitney’s version,” Wildhorn says. “He’s made it his own.”

That sort of musical metamorphosis “happens incredibly frequently,” the composer says.

Sometimes the changes prompt a less-than-enthusiastic response, Wildhorn acknowledges, citing talent show and pageant renditions that have mangled his melodies.

“Sometimes, you hear versions where you say, ‘Oh, my God’ ” — and not in a good way, Wildhorn says. “But the bar is so high with Clint and Jane.”

Not that he needs to worry when they perform one of his songs, he says.

“With somebody like Clint — he’s such an artist,” Wildhorn says. “It’s the best surprise a songwriter can get.”

Contact reporter Carol Cling at ccling@
reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0272.