Live Review: Randy Edelman Debuts “Around the World in 80 Minutes” @ “Green Room 42” in NYC 5/21/22
Spring, the stone of winter roles away. We have survived the dark days and deserve to be diverted. Once the shadows fall behind us everything is possible and everything is celebrated….Hence the debut of world-renowned, award-howwinning composer Randy Edelman at the elite Green Room 42 located on the rooftop of the boutique “Yotel” in NYC ushers in Spring’s celebration with his “Around the World in 80 Minutes.”
“Around the World in 80 Minutes” showcases the soundscape of the endless and continuing journey of Randy’s adventures. He honors the things that aren’t new, cherishing the treasures that we inherit and playing to the ghosts of our shared precious past. His music is the magic that he passes down while also executing the beats that echo into the future…
Randy Edelman has captured New York with the vulnerability of his romance. Music and love are in his blood with songs like “A Weekend in New England” (as recorded by Barry Manilow), “You” (as recorded by the Carpenters), “Isn’t it a Shame” (as recorded by Patti LaBelle and hip hop superstar Nelly), “Woman On My Arm” (as recorded by Bing Crosby), “If Love is Real” ( as recorded by Olivia Newton-John), “Concrete and Clay” and “Uptown Uptempo Woman” (as recorded by Randy Edelman and premiered on Top of the Pops the iconic BBC chart show). Within the wizardry of his lyrics we learn how to stay tethered when our hearts are torn and scattered on the breeze. If there is no love, there is no purpose. Randy’s heart is wise and will never lose its way…his music turns your heart and soul inside out…
The music that breathes life into the films that we cherish is synonymous with the name Randy Edelman. He has composed, designed and performed the music for hundreds of blockbuster motion pictures, touching every genre imaginable including “Last of the Mohicans”, “My Cousin Vinny”, “Dragonheart”, “Ghostbusters ll”, “While You Were Sleeping” “Leap Year”, “XXX”, “Billy Madison”, “Beethoven“, “Gettysburg“, “Anaconda”, “The Mask”, “Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story”, “Kindergarten Cop”, “Twins”, “The Skulls”, and unlimited others. Randy has also orchestrated the theme for the Olympics, for ESPN, for the hit television series “MacGyver“, and even the theme for NASA.
Despite the sudden heat wave descending upon New York Randy’s own thermal energy caused a spontaneous combustion within the souls of the audience during his nearly 2 hour extravaganza which culminated with a standing ovation after his powerful grand finale “You’ll Never Walk Alone.” Featured in his collection of moments were songs including “Pretty Girls”, “Seventh Avenue”, “My Heart Got in the Way” and of course his iconic pop hits and excerpts from his motion picture scores.
He also performed his current AC/ Billboard hit, a post pandemic anthem “Coming Out the Other Side.” The song goes beyond the mask to the other side of the virus, to an opportunity to awaken. We look towards each other for sunshine…and light is all there is. Where there was isolation there is togetherness. Where there was silence there is music. Where there was tribulation there is peace of mind. Every season passes in the end…..and the song will remain relevant forever.
Aside from his vast catalog of original songs performed, and his pianocentric film score medleys, he amazes and amuses the congregation with his stories. Randy gets lost within his tales as he channels emotions that move us, conflicts that grip us and whimsical scenarios that make us laugh. His never-ending tales enlighten us with his cherished memories that creates a lasting impression.
There is a clarity and an awe-inspiring brilliance to his music that simply doesn’t exist anywhere else on earth. Watching and listening to Randy is like traveling through space at an incredible speed and everything we know and love is held in place only by gravity. His music is fully aligned with purpose and his mission…..and mankind deserves to hear it…