After a packed weekend spent reviewing local theatre, it was a pleasure to unwind at The Jazz Bistro at Grand Center while taking in the "faculty gala" of the annual Cabaret Conference (August 16th, 2008) that Tim Schall graciously organized and orchestrated. Representing a complete contrast in style and approach, "teachers" Lina Koutrakos and Jason Graae took to the stage, and delivered blistering sets for an appreciative audience filled with aspiring singers and students. This master class in cabaret provided the perfect ending to my busy slate of shows.

Lina Koutrakos opened the night, and after an hour or so had passed, she'd completely drained the crowd with her intense and compelling mix of original and dynamically arranged cover material. Whether wringing emotion from a simple and familiar lyric to give it fresh meaning, or remembering specific episodes of her life story, Koutrakos mesmerizes with her smoldering, smoky voice. Having seen her perform last year with Amanda McBroom, a number of her selections were familiar to me. But, even those tunes seemed to have been given more weight and drama than before.

"Come Rain or Come Shine" was first, and set the torch song mood of her set. A sensitive take on "Walking in Memphis" found her reflecting on her father. Trips through her own songbook followed, with "Bury Me Deep" and "For Now" making strong impressions. The Persuaders' "A Thin Line Between Love and Hate" and the closer, "My Foolish Heart," showed off Lina's ability to fully invest herself in her material. When she performs, it's hard to determine where the songs end and Lina begins, and that's a rare quality. Pianist Rick Jensen accompanied Lina, and their friendship and musical chemistry lent a unique and familiar air to their performance.

After the emotional release of Koutrakos, Jason Graae took the stage for his own brand of mischievous "stand up" cabaret. Graae's infectious energy galvanized the room, with the Wicked-ly funny opener, "Popular" pulling laughs from his attempts to makeover pianist Alex Rybeck. Graae introduced his favorite song next, Rodgers and Hart's "My Funny Valentine." But, before any schmaltzy sentimentality could set in, he skewered the lyrics and arrangement with lines like: "this tempo's much too slow, it's slowing down the show..." Throughout his set, Graae consistently displayed a quick wit and expert comic timing to go along with his impish persona

Breaking out his oboe, and relating his college experiences as a music and theater major, Graae displayed his talent on the instrument with a lovely, melodic rendition of "It Might Be You" (from Tootsie). Graae also has a knack for choosing interesting and relatively obscure material, pulling songs from Minnie's Boys, The Grand Tour and Falsettoland, and always finding something clever and tuneful. Humorous tales of his showbiz jobs as the voice of Western Union and Lucky Charms followed, with "How Lucky Can You Get" getting an especially bitter reading as he recalled being fired as the voice of the famous leprechaun. Charles Strouse's "Applause" closed the show, but Graae came back for an encore that left the house in hysterics. Talented pianist Alex Rybeck proved to be a capable foil for Graae's antics, as well as providing superb backing.

Hopefully, the Cabaret Conference will continue to prosper, bringing outstanding performers to St. Louis, while exposing and nurturing our homegrown talent as well.

Chris Gibson
Cabaret Scenes
August 16, 2008
www.cabaretscenes.org