Oh, Reilly: Mr. Cellophane Transforms into Mr. Romantic

John C. Reilly is the very versatile character actor whose roles have found him navigating everything from comedy and drama to musical theater and more, even as his utterly unique persona remains charming and compelling throughout. Among some of his more memorable roles are collaborations the Paul Thomas Anderson film Hard Eight, Boogie Nights, and Magnolia; Martin Scorsese’s Gangs of New York and The Aviator; Adam McKay’s Talladega Nights; and the musical parody Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story. And who could forget his turn as the beleaguered husband in Chicago, whose tragicomic song “Mr. Cellophane” captured the nuanced depth of his combined talents. 

In recent times, Reilly has dug deeper into the musical realm, leaving behind the cinema for the concert stage in a show that veers on vaudeville with moments that are alternately funny, nostalgic, and tender. Mister Romantic is actually a sincere invitation to the audience to open your heart to the love all around you through a series of songs with the theme of an eternal optimist who never gives up his search for true love. Among the numbers are “Falling in Love Again,” “I’ll Be Seeing You,” and “What’ll I Do?,” among many others meant to be melancholy but ultimately uplifting. 

But this is no lightweight parody. To render these classic songs that are so integral to the show’s power, Reilly has assembled a crackerjack band that boasts the Grammy-decorated singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist David Garza, Charles De Castro (cornet, accordion), fiddler Gabe Witcher of Alison Krauss and Punch Brothers fame, and Santa Barbara’s own bassist David Piltch, whose credits include Blood, Sweat & Tears and k.d. lang among many others. See the show Sunday, June 7, at the Lobero.