Singer showcases his Art in Simon & Garfunkel tribute at Wichita’s Century II

For actor Brendan Jacob Smith, playing opposite high school friend Jonah Bobo in “The Simon & Garfunkel Story” is a case of life imitating Art.

Pun intended.

“Jonah and I have been performing together since we were 14. We kind of bonded over a mutual love of harmony early on when we met in high school,” the Brooklyn native said. “A couple of friends of ours pulled us aside and said, ‘If you guys are covering harmony songs, you should try some Simon & Garfunkel, because you kinda look like them.’

“So quite literally, we learned the Simon & Garfunkel repertoire,” he continued in a phone interview. “We went through the albums and learned most of the two-part acoustic harmony stuff during our lunch periods in the stairwell, just for fun.”

The duo wowed their high school talent show with a tribute medley and eventually got an agent.

“It pretty much came full circle when there was an audition for this show,” he said of “The Simon & Garfunkel Story,” which plays for one performance Wednesday at Century II.

“It’s one of the most fun things I could ever imagine, doing a show with my best friend,” said Smith, who is in his fifth year playing Art Garfunkel alongside Bobo’s Paul Simon.

“The Simon & Garfunkel Story” premiered in London in 2018 and came to the United States in 2020. Creator Dean Elliott, who originated playing Simon, researched the duo’s career from its beginnings being billed as Tom & Jerry to its 1970 breakup to the 1981 reunion concert in Central Park.

“I would say it’s somewhere between a musical and a concert,” Smith said. “There’s acting in the sense that we’re trying to portray their vocal sounds. We look and sound like Paul and Art, but the story is told in third person so it’s not like a ‘Jersey Boys’ where I look out and say, ‘I am Art Garfunkel.’

“We’re telling their story, and when the songs play we’re emulating them and their sound. It’s a tribute without being a full-fledged musical,” he added. “There aren’t scenes, per se, with other characters, it’s just the two of us.”

Smith and Bobo alternate monthly with two other performers in the roles, occasionally trading partners.

The 28-year-old said he grew quickly to appreciate Simon & Garfunkel’s music.

“The main thing that was striking when I first listened to Simon & Garfunkel was the lyrics. Paul Simon is the lyricist, and it all comes from kind of a New York City perspective,” he said. “Listening to these songs as you’re taking the subway to school every day is pretty vivid, because he’s writing some of these songs in his early 20s.”

Smith said he thinks of the audience when he’s singing the music, with certain songs carrying more weight in their minds.

“The obvious choice is ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’ being the stressor of the night, because there’s so much expectation with that song,” he said. “Everyone knows it and loves it so much, and there’s no one who sings it like Art Garfunkel. It’s his most iconic performance.

“Over the years, it’s become easier as I’ve gone in,” Smith continued. “The main thing in that song is focusing on what the lyrics are saying, because the second you think too much about the melody or too much about the actual notes, is when you get in your head. You focus on what the song is portraying in the lyrics.”

“The Simon & Garfunkel Story” comes with the blessing of the duo, who each approved of the script and the songs used.

“The show is very much adjacent to them. It’s not an under-the-radar kind of thing,” Smith said. “They both definitely know it exists.”

In fact, Garfunkel was in the audience about two years ago for a performance.

“We did not know he was there,” Smith said. “At the very end of the show, he walked on stage, introduced himself, gave me a hug and said, ‘What a great effing show!’”

Smith said he doesn’t see an end in sight for portraying Garfunkel, and neither does his musical partner.

“Jonah and I say, ‘Should we do it again?’ and then say, ‘Yeah, it’s too much fun,’” he said, adding “I don’t think we fight like Paul and Art did.”

‘THE SIMON & GARFUNKEL STORY’

When: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 4

Where: Century II concert hall, 225 W. Douglas

Tickets: $63-$97, from the Century II ticket office, selectaseat.com or 316-755-7328