Janine Alondres has a lot going for her. Her singing is smooth and engaging. In addition, her show enjoyed some knockout arrangements by Shelly Markham, and an appreciative trio of piano, bass and drums that supported and never overshadowed Alondres' beguiling vocals.

Alondres amassed a handful of winners from the '60's songbook, and she did them justice. Her opener, Peggy Lee's "I Love Being Here with You"-- rendered energetically and cheerfully -- set the pace for what followed. The pairing of Hal David/Burt Bachrach's "Walk on By" and the Terry Randazzo/Bobby Weinstein "Going Out of My Head," was equally gratifying. Song wise, one couldn't have asked for a more enjoyable performance. However, her accompanying patter never jelled.

Alondres stated that Can't Take My Eyes Off of You was the realization of a long-time desire to do a "'60s show," and promised the audience "a little history." During the show, she periodically mentioned mileposts of the decade: the Nixon/Kennedy debate, Vietnam, our man in space orbiting the earth, Rachel Carson's ominous Silent Spring, the assassinations of Martin Luther King and the Kennedys.

"Is it bringing back some memories?" she asked. Yes, it was, but they had a meager little to do with her song selections. And while one could understand how "Blowin' in the Wind" and "A House is Not a Home" might relate to the Vietnam vets who left their loved ones to fight in Asia, the connection was undeveloped. Certainly, those events didn't resonate with "Up,Up and Away," "What are You Doing the Rest of Your Life" or her title song, "Can't Take My Eyes Off of You."

Alondres faces two choices: either drop the historical allusions that go nowhere, or integrate them more coherently with her song selections. Considering her genuine appeal as a singer, either possibility would be a significant step in the right direction.

Peter Leavy
Cabaret Scenes
June 7, 2007
www.cabaretscenes.org