When a performer introduces himself to the audience as “the love child of Dolly Parton and Paul Lynde”, that’s setting pretty high expectations for a hybrid of country-style charm and campy flamboyance.  Thankfully, Michael Rider lives up to his promise with his original, funny, and emotionally revealing new show This ‘Ol House: Stories of a City Bear, Country Queen.  At the heart of this biographical musical, which had a two-night run at Manhattan’s The Green Room 42, is the story of a talented performer who realized that he had just too much creative energy than the limits of his boyhood home– a dairy farm in central Pennsylvania– could contain.  So, what did this restless youngster do?  He relocated to (drumroll please…) New York City!  The story of a young guy or gal moving to the Big Apple to realize their dreams of becoming a star has been a fertile source for a seemingly endless number of cabaret shows throughout history. The spirit of taking Broadway by storm may be a familiar theme, but Mr. Rider’s story is indeed a unique one, right on down to his childhood experience of performing in his family’s “country western gospel band”. It became clear that early on, performing became something of an escape for Rider.  Directed by Lina Koutrakos, This ‘Ol House: Stories of a City Bear, Country Queen is bolstered by the singer’s charming personality and his singing talents.  The pinnacle of those talents come out in a BIG way almost exactly halfway through the show, hitting the audience with the power of a wrecking ball. Credit must also be given to the equally talented supporting creative forces Rider has chosen to work with.  

The show opened with It’s Today, from the eternally popular musical Mame.  The song, complete with some very impressive notes by Michael, really set the fun mood for the upcoming evening.  That fun mood continued with the second song, when Rider shared what his life was like on the farm.  The song was… what else?! Old McDonald’s Farm.  That song may seem like an odd choice for a cabaret show, and I can guarantee that it will probably be the first and only time you’ll ever hear it on a New York City stage.  But in this funky new arrangement by Musical Director Tracy Stark, you’ll NEVER hear a cooler version of this childhood standard, complete with all the “oink, oink, here”‘s and “oink, oink, there“‘s intact. (Stark also played piano.) If musical appreciation was an escape from the borders of rural life, then so was the (three-, sometimes four-channel) TV set.  The audience was treated to a campy medley of theme songs from a certain era’s most eternal TV shows, from All in the Family. to One Day at a Time, to The Facts of Life.  This fellow Gen X-er indeed appreciated the trip down memory lane– back when the catchy TV show intros stayed with us L-O-N-G after the show was off the air.  But more importantly, the medley was also a familiar yet bittersweet look back at childhood for so many of us, when TV symbolically opened up a window to what life COULD be when adulthood kicked in.  That window opened in real life for Rider when he moved to New York City.  The intensity of his experience couldn’t be more perfectly musicalized than it was with his mashup of What More Do I Need and The Girl in 14G.  This was, hands down, the climax of the evening. Of course, New York City life is more than just bright neon lights, and showbiz can be cruel.  But for this artist, rejection (whether professional or personal) led to real soul-searching and, eventually, real love.  Rider’s provocative version of This is Me became an anthem of self-discovery, and Two For the Road was tribute to romanticism– which, as Rider’s delivery proved, is best when it’s both playful and feverish at the same time.  

Even though he grew up as a gay boy who didn’t quite fit in on the farm, Rider made it a point to honor his roots with his nightclub debut.  Michael’s version of the oft-redone Moon River, segueing into The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, couldn’t be a more beautiful musical tribute to the natural beauty of his childhood surroundings– and, yet again, it was a fine display of the singer’s vocal talents.  It was also the epitome of the musicians (Tracy Stark on piano, Skip Ward on bass, Mike Rosengarten on guitar, and David Silliman on drums) working in perfect synergy.  Later on, This Ole House, the song which presumably inspired the show’s name. became an audience favorite.  Possibly because of the way Rider sings it with such verve and respect– and once again, with the lively musical accompaniment– this became the ONLY version of the song that you’ll ever need to hear.

Michael Rider’s talent comes through in a big way in This ‘Ol House: Stories of a City Bear, Country Queen.  But there’s something else that makes the show work so well.  New York City may be his new home, but he clearly hasn’t lost that good old-fashioned country charm.  The audience wants to route for the gay boy struggling for acceptance on that dairy farm in the ’80’s just as much as they want to cheer for Michael Rider on stage in 2024.  Let’s hope we get the chance to cheer again…

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