Ever since we met him as one of the young artists who were the focus of Musical Mondays Passing the Torch, Jace has climbed a ladder of acceptance at Chicago Cabaret Professionals. Last year’s recipient of the Denise Tomasello Emerging Artist scholarship, this show demonstrates how well he deserved his recognition and how well he employed the coaching and resources that came with the honor.
This young man has a winning personality which immediately draws in an audience. He began his show with a disarming set of revelations about how hard it can be to accept oneself. From childhood he was presented as a sensitive soul with an ability to reflect on life’s ups and downs. He relates this philosophically to the words of the serenity prayer: “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change.”
Gifted with a warm and expressive baritone he joked about how he envied his tenor friends who were privileged to hit the high notes without “cracking,” until he realized all he needed was to find the right key. Boy, has he ever with, for instance, his beautiful rendition of “Anyone Can Whistle.”
In a way the hidden theme of his show was about mentors, his first being Kermit the Frog. Joe Riposo’s “(It’s Not Easy) Bein’ Green” has never had more serious overtones. Jeanine Tesori’s wooing song from Shreck “When Words Fail” absolutely killed depicting the awkwardness of youthful courting. Personal growth was still the subject when he confided the pain he suffered in lost love with “Let Somebody Go” by Coldplay.
Jace introduced his first original song of the show which happened to be about lost love, uneasily titled “Phases.” The sad sentiment was “I’ll always think of you, the next time I fall in love.” A backhanded compliment if ever there was one. The theme of loss (this time of a mentor) was made more universal in his sensitive cover of “Without You” from Rent.
With Ed Sheeran’s metaphoric “Boat,” Jace began to ponder how song writing has buoyed him up. He’s been writing originals since he was a youngster. “Boat” was paired with the touching “Imagination” by Sophia Matteucci to which Jace apparently contributed. The show climaxed with two more originals about Jace’s life as a family man: “New Life” and “Hard on Myself,” which were topped (in summary) by “Welcome to the World” by Stephen Flaherty from A Man of No Importance. Not surprisingly, McCloy seems to have an affinity for the Irish everyman depicted in that moving musical.
Rounding out the theme of mentorship was Jace’s rendering of an original story-song by his music director, family member, Jeff English: “John Holmes Farm,” a moving musical tribute to a man of the soil. “The Streets of Dublin” also by Flaherty celebrating the earthy joys of Irish good times wound up the show on a high note.
I, for one, look forward to more from this engaging and talented entertainer.
-by Daniel Johnson
