SHADOWS ON THE HUDSON, VOLUME 4

On the printed page, Singer can confuse readers unfamiliar with the insular world of transplanted East European Jewry. On tape, however, such esoterica can be made manifest to the listener by knowledgeable, sensitive readers, which is what we have here. Bikel, the only one of the three who comes from the generation that this book concerns, resonantly expresses whole worlds with his well-honed voice--especially Singer's sly, ironic humor. Like his hero, Anton Chekhov, Singer doesn't take his characters as seriously as they take themselves. When Bikel was playing a German officer in The African Queen, Julie Harris was a child actress filling a Broadway theater nightly in A Member of the Wedding. Hers is a quirky, unidiomatic interpretation, punctuated by flashes of humor and insight. In contrast to these two, John Rubinstein is relatively young. His is certainly the most soulful performance, though the least technically proficient. The triumvirate has been admirably directed to give complementary performances, unified without losing the actors' individuality. Y.R. ©AudioFile, Portland, Maine [Published: DEC/JAN 99]