The “three pianists” are Nygel D. Robinson, Michael Maricondi and Madalyn McHugh who celebrate the musical pioneers who refused to fit the mold of “rock star” and forged their own paths in the industry.
“Three Pianos” focuses on pop music created by the women and men who play piano, sing and compose. It features such classics as “You Are the Sunshine of My Life,” and “Sir Duke” by Stevie Wonder, “Crocodile Rock” by Elton John, “What’d I Say” and “Georgia” by Ray Charles and “I Feel the Earth Move” and “Beautiful” by Carole King. The show was the first cabaret project launched after the coronavirus shutdown by FST staff members Rebecca Hopkins, Richard Hopkins and Sarah Durham, with arrangements by Jim Prosser and Scott Michaelsen.
Info: Call 366-9000 or visit FloridaStudioTheatre.org
Bufford’s revue deftly mingles anthems and anecdotes. She also plays with genre expectations, and turns a few old songs inside-out so you’ll hear them in a new way. She notes that, “The proof of a good song is you can bend it and it still won’t break.”
Bufford kicks off Act I with “Everything Old is New Again,” (1974) and dials the clock back to the dawn of the 20th century to prove how flexible the old songs can be. She dusts off chestnuts like “Won’t You Come Home Bill Bailey?” (1902) and traces the drunkard’s walk of its origin.