Shawn Ryan, the Clown Prince of Cabaret, dished up a heaping of his trademark tunes covering his history at the soon-to-close Plush Room along with the usual comic banter this older-than-his-chronological-age performer is known for. Ryan is a seasoned pro on the stage and has quite the extensive knowledge base of music and personalities to riff on. A running joke for the evening would be to dish a star, then ask the audience is they were present— the mighty and the lowly were equally skewered ("Is she here??").

Superbly backed up by longtime accompanist Kelly Park on piano, Adam Goodhue on drums and the wonderful Svetozar Buca Necak on bass, Ryan works each song with great ease and comfort, nimbly weaving his often hilarious banter during segues and even during a number. "The Way You Look Tonight" directed at each audience member opened the show, followed by a nice jazzy arrangement of "Blue Skies" and a swing version of "Getting to Know You", which is an opportunity for Ryan to get up close and personal with the crowd and do a little question and answer schmoozing.

That Ryan is a very personable, bubbly, all-around entertainer makes his comic material all the more pleasing. "Taylor the Latte Boy" about his crush on a Starbucks coffee employee shone, as did his wicked rendition of "My Simple Christmas Wish" with the hope to be "rich, famous and powerful". A nice Frank Loesser medley including "Adelaides Lament", "Slow Boat to China", "I'll Know" and "I Believe In You" displayed both Ryan's playful and romantic sides. The show closed with a wistful "One for My Baby (and One More for the Road)" accompanied by Park on the piano. Significantly, the song illustrates Ryan's smart grasp of entertainment history - Bette Midler won an Emmy Award in 1992 for her memorable performance on the penultimate episode of The Tonight Show when she sang this emotion-laden tune to a teary Johnny Carson. It became a sweet moment for Shawn Ryan and a touching tribute to the closing cabaret jewel.

Steve Murray
Cabaret Scenes
January 12, 2008
www.cabaretscenes.org