Review: Bill Murray and 'New Worlds' show varied, entertaining

SCHENECTADY — Bill Murray seems like he does only the things he wants to do. This includes teaming with acclaimed German cellist Jan Vogler for “New Worlds,” a collection that paired chamber music with pop standards and readings from classic American authors.

It’s an intriguing project for the comic legend and beloved actor. Monday night at Proctors, Murray and Vogler, accompanied by Mira Wang on violin and pianist Vanessa Perez, brought it to life with a deft touch for a consistently entertaining two-hour performance that showcased the versatility of all performers and their thematic interconnectivity.

The show began with Murray reading from an Ernest Hemingway interview in which the literary titan talks about playing the cello poorly. It served to introduce Vogler and his tasteful rendition of the first movement of Bach’s Cello Suite No. 1. This led to a reading of Walt Whitman’s “Song of the Open Road” and a pairing of James Fenimore Cooper’s “Deerslayer” with Schubert’s Piano Trio No. 1 in B-flat that illustrated the largeness of the world and its possibilities.

From there, the show moved from the Earth to the people living on it. After reading the Billy Collins poem “Forgetfulness,” Murray sang “Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair.” He handled the delivery of the lyrical content (marital separation and yearning) delicately and thoughtfully, showing himself to be a savvy interpreter of song.

Murray’s most triumphant reflection on the human condition was an absolutely stunning cover of Van Morrison’s “When Will I Ever Learn to Live in God.” The ensemble shone here, providing an arrangement that heightened the song’s dramatic arc and tension, while Murray changed his vocal style from that of a gentle crooner to an impassioned shouter and pleader that had the audience roaring in appreciation.

After reading from “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” and James Thurber’s satirical “If Grant Had been Drinking at Appomattox,” where Murray utilized different accents and dialects to great dramatic and comedic effect, the ensemble played a triptych of selections from “West Side Story” to close the main set. “Somewhere” served as a thematic companion to the Thurber story, which was originally written to mock the “what if” brand of historical fiction in that era. “Somewhere” asks that same question, but in an immediate, more personal way.

“I Feel Pretty” was something else entirely, as Murray transformed it into a hilariously awkward, angst-riddled piece, sprinting and dancing around stage anxiously to the laughs of the audience and the suppressed laughter of Wang and Vogler. Murray was seemingly keeping it light on the immigrant anthem “America” until he stopped his exaggerated dance moves and use of a Hispanic accent to shout, “Puerto Rico is in America” at the end of the number. For this, he received a rousing ovation.

On the current tour, Murray and his compatriots have played only a couple of songs for an encore. On Monday night they played seven, including several Murray said they had never tried before. This included a cover of the Lovin’ Spoonful’s “Do You Believe in Magic” that balanced deliberately hammy vocals from Murray and a subtle symphonic arrangement to create something a lot of fun. After a dramatic take of “El Paso,” Murray was given a bouquet of roses.

Instead of taking a bow and walking off, he went into the audience to distribute them, even chucking several into the balcony. It served as an irreverent end to an evening that managed to present serious musical and literary topics in a digestible, lighthearted format.

Concert Review
Bill Murray, Jan Vogler and Friends
When : 7:30 p.m. Monday
Where: Proctors, 432 State St., Schenectady
Length: Two hours, five minutes
Highlights: “When Will I Ever Learn to Live in God,” readings from “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” and “If Grant Had Been Drinking at Appomattox” and “Do You Believe in Magic”
Crowd: Just over half full but vocal in its appreciation