Review: Singing the praises of ‘Spotlight on Cat Stevens’

Camelot Theatre portrayal of gifted, enigmatic musician is well worth seeing

By Lucie K. Scheuer for Ashland.news

“I let my music take me where my heart wants to go.”

These are lyrics from “Wind,” a musically mystical tone poem set to music. It was written and sung by one of the most creative folk artists to emerge from the late 1960s. He is a gifted singer-songwriter who sometimes takes a back seat to other artists of the time, such as Joni Mitchell or Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, yet remains one of the unsung singing folk heroes from a remarkable era.

His name is Cat Stevens, or, as of late, Yusuf/Cat Stevens.

You can now catch Erik H. Connolly embodying the heart and soul of Stevens and his music in “Spotlight on Cat Stevens”through Nov. 3 at the Camelot Theatre in Talent. Besides having the voice, rich and self-assured, Connolly has it all down — Stevens’ mannerisms, gentle persona, musical expression.

Of course, it doesn’t hurt he’s also accompanied by some of the best and most accomplished musicians in the valley: Karl Iverson on keyboards, Micah McCaw on guitar, Larry Smith on bass and Steve Sutfin on drums.

Of all the Camelot “spotlights” presented in 2024, this one was the most pulled together, thanks to Director Zaq Wentworth. The sound by Live Sound Engineer Nick Chandler is well-balanced and not overly loud, which hasn’t always been the case with previous spotlights.

Narrators and back-up singers Julia Funk and Lyndsay Nashington work well with Connolly’s easy-going vocalizations as he saunters around the stage. Once again, Musical Director Iverson has worked his magic, balancing Steven’s unplugged sound with his forward-full stop-style.

Playing at the infamous Troubadour in LA in the ’60s, Cat was the epitome of a true folk artist. His poetry explored subjects ranging from gratitude — “Moonshadow” — to the dangers of environmental collapse, “Where Do the Children Play?” His work rippling like waves in a pond, reflecting love, beauty, passion and, yes, even some occasional righteous anger.

This comprehensive retrospective, accurately scripted by singer Connolly, takes us from Stevens’ youth in England working in his parent’s cafe through his early performance and recording years. The popularity of Stevens’ early albums, especially “Tea for the Tillerman,” which had three major hits, pushes him towards stardom. Then, suddenly worn down from a brutal, fast-paced recording and performance agenda, he contracts tuberculosis. The experience humbles him.

After another brush with death in California and a spiritual awakening, he embarks on a quest to find a spiritual practice he can relate to. He discovers the Qur’an, decides to change his name to Yusuf and converts to Islam. He also sells his guitars, leaves the musical world behind, marries, has a family and immerses himself in philanthropic, charitable work.

Yusef/Cat Stevens, as he now refers to himself, made a decision to return to singing, songwriting and performance in 2006. In 2014 he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Stevens has recorded 36 albums and, according to BestSellingAlbums.org has sold over 24 million records. Universal Publishing Group reports his music has had more than 2 billion streams.

What stays with us are the simple melodies and flowing lyrics.

There’s a plea from a caring man to his departing girlfriend: “Oh baby, baby it’s a wild world/It’s hard to get by just upon a smile.”

His praise for a new day: “Morning has broken like the first morning/black bird has spoken like the first bird/praise for the singing, praise for the morning/praise for them springing fresh from the world.”

Keyboardist Iverson inserts the song’s Baroque-style musical bridges beautifully.

Some songs are sung as lilting melodies, others are jarring, with Cat’s signature way of stacking several notes at the end of a musical line, slowing them down as if the notes have suddenly slammed into a STOP sign. This is evident in pieces like “Can’t Keep It In.” It is singable dialog. His music at times is so relatable, one can see why it is so well-suited for the musical theater.

In the end, Yusef/Cat Stevens wants us to pay attention. He may be the folk composer who has tried to offer us the most hope.

This production is well worth seeing. Let the music take you “where your heart wants to go.”

Ashland resident Lucie K. Scheuer is a former copy editor and staff writer with the Los Angeles Times, where her work included features, reviews and a column on films in production. Email her at LucieScheuer19@gmail.com .

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