Appropriately billed as a “live imagining”, Freedman Does Nilsson presents the sometime lead singer of The Whitlams, Tim Freedman, alone with a black Steinway grand piano and the chance to play the works of the celebrated Harry Nilsson. It makes for just over an hour of riveting entertainment.

The show was presented as if by a 50-year-old Nilsson, the songs linked with brief narratives and musings. Some of these mentioned regrets and less savoury episodes in his life, and there was even a mention of his death a couple of years ahead, which added a ghostly quality.

“Everybody’s Talkin’” was a superlative opening and the song list included many hoped-for favourites, such as sweetly mournful renditions of “One”, “1941” and “Living Without You”. More energetic tunes like “Gotta Get Up” received just the right bounce, not least because of Freedman’s terrific keyboard skills.

Hearing the songs pared back, without the recordings’ common strings or punchy brass accompaniment, was more successful than one might have imagined. With just a piano and voice, it accentuated similarities to the style of Nilsson’s hero, Randy Newman. Not surprisingly, given that Nilsson recorded a whole album of Newman songs, a couple of those featured in the performance.

It would have been a foolish to expect – or even want – a note-by-note impersonation of the dual Grammy Award winner. Instead, Freedman captured the spirit of the man and added his own distinctive talents to remind the audience of his subject’s remarkable voice and composing skills.

A fabulous version of Badfinger’s emotive song “Without You” drew resounding applause before a brief encore. It was well deserved.

Tim Freedman will be performing his final show tonight (Thursday) at the Dunstan Playhouse. The Adelaide Cabaret Festival continues until June 21.

 For more stories and reviews, see InDaily’s 2014 Adelaide Cabaret Festival hub.