By Matthew Wexler
Ingrid Michaelson knows how to land a joke. Taking the stage at Lincoln Center’s Wu Tsai Theater, she lovingly reminisces about her upbringing on Staten Island and an array of heartbreaks. Her humble, down-to-earth humor struck a charming balance with the singer-songwriter’s ballad-heavy repertoire for a one-night-only performance as part of Lincoln Center’s American Songbook series.
The series is experiencing a refresh this season thanks to curator Clint Ramos, who’s titled his programming “Echoes of an Inheritance.” At the core of Ramos’s ethos is the “understanding that American musical identity has never been singular.”
What ‘The Time and Space Between Us’ actually felt like
“Ingrid shows us how our stories of family and love—across time—are eternally connected,” writes Ramos. His perspective rang true after experiencing Michaelson’s performance, “The Time and Space Between Us,” in real time at Geffen Hall’s Wu Tsai Theater.
Accompanied by musical director Carmel Dean, phenomenal supporting vocalists Allie Moss and Hannah Winkler, a string quartet, and guest artists including Helen Shen (Maybe Happy Ending), Michaelson played hits from her celebrated catalog. She also honored artists who have inspired her, and played selections from her debut Broadway musical, The Notebook.
Michaelson knows how to get into the heart of an arrangement. There’s a propulsion to her style, evident in songs like “Sort Of,” which unravels the truths many of us have experienced:
“And if I was stronger then I would tell you no
“Sort Of” by Ingrid Michaelson
And if I was stronger then I would leave this show
And if I was stronger then I would up and go
But here I am and here we go again”
Michaelson kicked off her platform heels for an encore—not of her own writing—but a crossstitch connecting the past to the present. Elvis’s “Can’t Help Falling in Love” has been the theme of countless weddings and proms. But most aren’t aware its original melody pays homage to the 1784 French love song “Plaisir d’amaour.” The parting moment was a subtle reminder to, as Ramos writes, “challenge, question, and celebrate our shared inheritance.”
Explore more American Songbook: Songs of an Inheritance performances.
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