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| mandypatinkin.org |
by Monica Gray
“Thank God it’s not humid,” said Mandy Patinkin as he wiped sweat from his dripping brow at the opening performance of “Dress Casual with Paul Ford on Piano” on Thursday evening at the Strathmore.
Patinkin, the Tony-winning performer who is best known for his role as Inigo Montoya in the 1987 comedy The Princess Bride, put on a breathtaking show before a packed house to kick off the 12th Annual Washington Jewish Music Festival, which runs from June 9 – 26.
Witty, aggressive, mesmerizing and a bit manic, Patinkin owned the stage for every minute of his nearly two-hour-long-performance. Perhaps the loudest roar from the audience came after Patinkin sang the first verse of Harry Chapin’s “Cats in the Cradle, “ during which Patinkin’s 24-year-old son, Gideon, joined his father on stage for the first of several high-energy duets.
Performing some numbers for the first time in public, a few minor mistakes caused Patinkin to insist on starting from the top. “The medication is wearing off!” he exclaimed to the laughing crowd. “Let’s start this one again. I’ll stay here all freakin’ night!”
