I’m a Stranger Here Myself - Musik from the Weimar and Beyond,written and performed by Mark Nadler and directed by David Schweizer at The York Theater, is a really well-produced show. Fascinating projections illustrate Nadler’s narrative and songs that bring to life the atmosphere of an era of free artistic, sexual and personal expression in Germany’s history between WW I and Hitler.
With a creatively designed set by James Morgan, Nadler at the piano is flanked by a perfect duo: Franca Vercelloni on accordion and Jessica Tyler Wright on violin, each costumed with style. Stranger also takes an autobiographical trip: Nadler’s personal journey of how a man from the Midwest became a cabaret performer. With songs by Kurt Weill, Friedrich Hollaender and others strongly performed by the versatile Nadler, it’s an enjoyable trip to an exciting time gone by, shadowed by the destructive tangent Germany took in the 30’s.
