by Tracey Cusick

On October 2nd, Hyde Park’s Riverside Theatre Works hosted “Spotlight on the Candidates,” all proceeds of which benefit the theater. Fast becoming a tradition and previously held in municipal election years of 2005 and 2007, Spotlight is a variety style talent show where each candidate for Boston City Council or Mayor has five minutes onstage to deliver a message through any category of performing arts.

The candidates were magnificent!

Andrew Kenneally courageously took the stage first, singing Frank Sinatra’s High Hopes. The audience enthusiastically joined in for parts of the song, unofficially known as “the Rubber Tree Song,” about the ant with the proverbial high hopes of moving a rubber tree plant.

While his original and very catchy campaign song, Vote for Tito Jackson, played, Tito Jackson, accompanied by eight friends and family members wearing matching Tito tee-shirts, energetically danced.

Felix G. Arroyo delivered an original and very personal poem about being a son of Boston.

Ayanna Pressley dedicated her a cappella performance of Be a Lion (from The Wiz) to the other candidates and her mother. Despite having a cold and not using a microphone, Ayanna projected her beautiful voice into the crowd.

Wearing suits, hats, and carrying canes, Stephen Murphy and Rob Consalvo performed a soft-shoe dance to the classic Puttin’ on the Ritz.

Clad in an ascot, a smoking jacket and glasses, John “Keats” Tobin delivered an original poem, a haiku, and funny one-liners about current events, including the City’s email controversy and the political “marriage” of Michael Flaherty and Sam Yoon.
Tom Menino performed an original and sometimes ironic campaign poem that included lines such as “Don’t worry, my speaking skills I’ll hold in check / I know you don’t want me to stack the deck.”

The audience was also treated to a preview of a piece from Riverside’s upcoming West Side Story and boys from the Dance Academy sang and danced to “You’re a Grand Old Flag.” There was a tribute to the late Senator Ted Kennedy, himself a painter, and the performance group Mixed Emotions closed out the evening.

One disappointing addition was a comedienne, who also acted as emcee. Although some might not have been disturbed by her monologue, which included mean-spirited observations about weddings, baby showers, and coffee shop workers, and crude jokes about viagra, women’s breasts, and “roofies” (slang for Rohypnol, a date rape drug), it was utterly disconnected from the show’s political theme.

Also unfortunate was the organizers’ last-minute decision that Michael Flaherty could not be accompanied by the pianist of his choice, who happened to be Sam Yoon. Some of the most entertaining prior year performances were by candidates performing in duets or groups (this year was no exception); and the seeming change to the rules was puzzling.