They called it a little romance, but a more apt name for Eric Comstock and Barbara Fasano's show at the Metropolitan Room would be, "A Fine Romance." The sophisticated Nick and Nora of cabaret are getting better all the time, with a fresh, fast-moving mix of pop and jazz. They set out on "The Sunny Side of the Street" and ended up in "A Room with a View." With an unpretentious yet confident lock on their art, Comstock and Fasano delivered a jolly holiday feel to a cold, gray afternoon without one Christmas song, but a variety of music that played to the individual strengths of each performer.

Comstock is subtle with a keen, dry wit and vast musical knowledge. At the piano, he tucked bits of clever fancy into his imaginative arrangements. His interpretive vocal solos were tunes as disparate as the mystical "Old Devil Moon," and the worldly, "Why Do You Pass Me By?" (Noel Coward's English lyrics to Charles Trenet's melody). Fasano is Italian — open, emotional, gregarious. Her down-to-earth accessibility played against a sleek chic and intriguingly evoked the understanding and emotion of a heartfelt, "Here's What I'm Here For," and the offbeat sexiness of "When in Rome," with hip lyrics backed by Comstock's equally urbane piano.

The mood of the show was romance, the swingy, lighthearted flirting like "How About You" and the potent stuff, like Fasano's rendition of Noel Coward's yearning, "Something Very Strange," a poignant song that Fasano's acting talents kept from spilling into maudlin. They brought in a sentiment of World War II, with Fasano's "My Shining Hour," and Comstock's stunning pairing of "I'll Walk Alone" and "Saturday Night," the combo heightening war's loneliness. Fasano's memories of watching Marilyn Monroe films led into another highlight moment for the couple, pairing the haunting, "Incurably Romantic" with "It Could Happen to You." This developed into a deceptively casual short story of hope and disappointment, explaining why Monroe always ended up with the fuzzy end of the lollypop.

Fasano's reprisal of "The Surrey with the Fringe on Top" was a dramatic, well-crafted one-act play, backed by the supportive talent of Comstock's piano.

With Eric Comstock and Barbara Fasano, it is double the intelligence, double the wit and double the melodic creativity. For a refreshing view of quality songs, who could ask for anything more?

Elizabeth Ahlfors
Cabaret Scenes
December 15, 2007
www.cabaretscenes.org