Singer Cameron Bernard Jones and pianist/composer Guillermo Názara return to Crazy Coqs on 25 Oct with a new show, Into The Light.
“Using music mostly across the musical theatre spectrum, the pair will illustrate the essence of exploring obscurity and clarity, and how it feels to traverse between the two; overcoming obstacles and heading towards the light.
This is about sharing the truth of darkness, while remembering and experiencing the power of hope.”
Where: Crazy Coqs
When: 25 Oct, 7.30pm
Ticket link: https://www.brasseriezedel.com/crazy-coqs/
Tell me about the new show, and how your collaboration has developed since Wondering Soul?
Cameron: Mixing contemporary musical theatre and early 20th century standards with splashes of classical and pop genres, Into the Light is a concert that travels across the emotional spectrum.
Themes include questioning, despair, yearning, arrival, acceptance, and deliverance. Though the collection of composers might make one wonder how it’ll work – Handel and Robyn in one concert?! – the lyrics and themes of each song undoubtedly create a cohesive storytelling arc.
I hope Into the Light allows audience members to experience both introspection and hope. It makes no apologies about leaning into the emotions. In the dark times we are in, we need all the positivity we can get.
Since Wondering Soul, we know and trust each other’s artistry so much more now. Wondering Soul taught me so much about how collaboration goes beyond the sheet music and rehearsal room. Not only do we truly consider each other’s styles but also each other’s emotions in the art we make.
Guillermo: The show offers a richer, more complex programme than our latest concert. It features more numbers and genres, ranging from 1700s classical pieces to contemporary pop, including several show tunes. It’s more ambitious and demanding but incredibly exciting, too.
Wondering Soul was a great learning experience for both of us as collaborators. We worked closely together to choose our repertoire and adapt it to our artistic tastes and needs.
We’ve done the same with Into the Light, but to a greater extent. We want to present something curated, seamless, and truthful, and I think that’s exactly what audiences will see.
Is it easy for you to agree on which composers to cover in your shows?
Cameron: Considering that Guillermo and I have such varying tastes in the music we listen to and perform, we always manage to have easy times with song programming.
One thing we both love in music and performance is DRAMA, and Into the Light will deliver that. Guillermo always pushes me to consider songs and composers that I wouldn’t initially consider singing.
He also remains very open to the quirky or non-traditional choices of songs that I offer up. This results in programmes that are versatile, wide-reaching and pleasantly unpredictable for us and for the audience. Our goal is for there to be at least one song that each audience member can enjoy and/or relate to.
Guillermo: Yes. We’re very open to each other’s suggestions, and our goal is always to deliver something we’re both happy with and proud of. Cameron always comes up with great repertoire ideas. And as a pianist, I love to move away from my comfort zone.
It’s more stimulating for me as a composer. It connects me with genres I’m not used to and helps me expand my creativity, and I think that will imbue the original pieces we’ll be performing.
Wondering Soul was a great success for you at the Crazy Coqs. What was the most enjoyable aspect of playing there, and what would you do differently this time?
Cameron: It was such a pleasant surprise that we sold out! The energy in the room that night was both warm and electric. It was such an emotionally charged theme that touched so many people there. I most enjoyed connecting with the audience members through the lyrics.
We made a very conscious decision to make Into the Light feel fresh; to not repeat too many songs that we performed in Wondering Soul, especially as we anticipate returning audience members.
Though the themes of Into the Light are as emotionally charged and driven as Wondering Soul, we definitely upped the stakes this time around. There was a sweetness to Wondering Soul, whereas Into the Light feels more striking.
I personally endeavour to let go even more and to go with the flow of the night. I want it to feel accessible; not too stuffy; relatable and real.
Guillermo: The support and enthusiasm we were welcomed with that evening were mesmerising. I think that was pivotal to the show’s success. It flowed seamlessly, and audiences were really engaged with every number. And of course, selling out to the point that a few people who wanted to come couldn’t get tickets was just the cherry on top!
This concert feels like an expansion of our skills. More genres, more numbers, and a completely different repertoire. It demands more, but I think it will reward more as well. And I’m hoping our viewers, especially those who are joining us from last year, feel the same way.
What have you been up to as individual artists since the last show?
Cameron: Since Wondering Soul I have gone on to produce and perform a second jazz show at Crazy Coqs with the Luke Bacchus Trio – The Love Reprise – which was on Valentine’s Day weekend, met with another lovely reception. I also have done a lot of session singing and concert performances, including singing with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra for the Symphonic Rock concert at the Royal Albert Hall, as well as with the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra for Battersea Park in Concert: Movies & Musicals.
I am very active as a voice actor, recently having recorded for two audiobooks and two major video games. Offstage I continue to teach voice and dialect to the musical theatre students at Urdang, City St. George’s.
Guillermo: I have a few projects in the making. One is a musical, which I have written a few songs for while developing the storyline with a book writer. That’s as much as I can tell about it as of now.
I’m also preparing another cabaret show with a French soprano, which we’re hoping to perform by the end of January next year if everything goes according to schedule. I’ll keep you posted!
If you could work with any one person, realistically or not, who would it be?
Cameron: I would absolutely love to work with Norm Lewis. So much about his career and artistry is so inspiring to me. His presence both onstage and onscreen is magnetic and his voice is of course one of my favourites to listen to.
He is one of a few baritones in the industry who is celebrated for his versatility of singing style, his richness of sound and his acting prowess. He is one of my idols and I know I could learn so much from him.
Guillermo: On the creative side, Stephen Schwartz. I think he’s one of the most intelligent composers and writers Broadway has been blessed with.
His ability to create catchy tunes with extremely intricate, groundbreaking harmonies has fascinated me since I first came across his music. Collaborating with him would be amazing, and I’m sure I’d learn a lot from it.
As for performers, I’d love to write something for Sierra Boggess. She’s currently doing Phantom in London, and there are no performances on Sundays. Who knows? Maybe she reads this and comes see us!